An unknown man with gaudy clothes had pinned William against a bookcase. His large, bejeweled hands resting on the mage's shoulders, his face far too close to his ear.
William had his head bowed, and his long black hair hiding his face. And their bodies were close—far too close.
Alex clenched his fists and forced himself to stay calm. There had to be an explanation. William hated physical contact, and that man was touching him.
So why the hell wasn't he moving away?
"What's going on?"
The stranger turned and twisted his lips into an irritated grimace. He was a man in his forties, solidly built with broad shoulders; his hair was graying and slicked back, and his square jaw was covered by a short beard. He kept brushing William's shoulder.
"Luka, who is this boy?" he asked. His oily tone sent shivers down Alex's spine.
"He's His Highness, Crown Prince Alexander. His Majesty sent him to help me resolve a few issues." The governor gestured toward the stranger with one hand. "Your Highness, this man is Evered Cox, one of the richest and most influential merchants in the city."
Cox offered a slick smile and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."
"What are you doing to my mage?"
The merchant blinked. "Your… mage?"
"That's right. My mage." Alex stepped closer. "He doesn't like being touched."
Cox smiled again. "I believe there's been a misunderstanding, Your Highness. The gentleman and I were merely talking."
"You're too close. Step back."
"Your Highness, please—"
Alex slipped between them, forcing the merchant back. "Never touch him again."
The man sneered, and for a moment a spark of defiance flashed in his dark eyes. Then he lowered his head and left the archives.
Luka shot the merchant a glance and turned back to Alex. "I'm terribly sorry, Your Highness. It was exceedingly unpleasant."
"Without a doubt."
"I'll speak with Master Cox myself, don't worry. I do not tolerate disrespect toward my guests in my palace." He headed for the door and stopped on the threshold. "I'll be waiting for you in my study, Your Highness. And there's one more thing. I've arranged a banquet in your honor for this evening. Cox is invited, and… I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about it."
"It doesn't matter."
The governor left the archives, and once they were alone, Alex turned to William. He was pale, eyes wide, his trembling fingers covering his mouth.
"Are you all right, Will?"
He shook his head silently. Once again, he looked on the verge of breaking.
"Do you want to sit down? Do you need some water?"
"I…" William slid to the floor and rested his head on his knees. His shoulders jerked as if he were sobbing, but not a sound came from his lips.
Alex sat down in front of him, but he didn't have the courage to touch him.
"Will, if you need anything, you only have to ask."
"I'm sorry… It's my fault…"
"No, it isn't." He reached out to touch him, then stopped a few inches short of his shoulder.
William lifted his head; his green eyes were dry, but deep shame was written in them.
"I should have moved," he murmured. "But my body wouldn't… obey anymore. It's my fault. I deserved it. I'm disgusting. I'm a revolting man."
Guilt stabbed at Alex's chest. For a moment, he had been angry with William too, seeing him so close to another man—but he shouldn't have been.
"You're not disgusting, Will. It's not your fault." He rubbed his forehead, certain he wasn't being heard. "Will, whatever you need right now, just ask me. I'll do anything you need."
William managed a sad smile, but his eyes remained dull. "I don't need anything, Your Highness. But thank you for worrying and for defending me. It was nice, even if someone like me doesn't deserve anything."
He got back to his feet, but the prince caught him by the sleeve of his shirt. The fabric lifted, revealing a wrist wrapped in bandages. William hastily covered it and left the room.
Alex was left alone, with the breakfast he had brought him and with the feeling that the mage was truly on the verge of shattering.
"What do I have to do to save you?"
After ordering Ian to follow William and make sure no one bothered him, Alex headed for the governor's study. He had no desire to see him, but at that moment his main concern was to see that the merchant was punished.
"Your Highness! Please, have a seat."
The governor gestured for him to sit in one of the armchairs, but Alex remained standing.
"I won't be long."
"What a pity," Luka murmured, sitting down behind the desk. "Your company is always pleasant."
"So I'm told."
"May I ask what you need?"
"Information." Alex leaned toward him. "About Evered Cox."
The governor's expression darkened. "Do you want to punish him?"
"I want to ruin him."
"For the mage?"
Alex slammed his palm on the desk. "The mage is a friend of mine! And that merchant dared to touch him against his will!"
Luka shifted his gaze from Alex's hand to his face. "With all due respect, Your Highness, ruining an honest man over something like that…"
"With all due respect, Governor, I don't give a fuck about your opinion. I want to know who that man is, what he trades in and with whom—everything you know. This is an order. See that you obey, if you don't want this matter to reach the court."
Luka leaned back in his armchair and folded his hands in his lap. "I doubt you will, Your Highness. This affair harms you more than it does me. The court won't like hearing that you went so far as to threaten a lord to defend the supposed honor of a half-Xianese commoner."
"William was harassed!"
"But are we sure? Cox isn't the most pleasant man in this city, but the mage didn't appear uncomfortable. If he had been, he would have walked away, wouldn't he?"
Alex clenched his fists. No, damn it. William had been raped—he wasn't capable of thinking clearly. But he couldn't tell him that.
The governor put on a cordial smile. "Have I upset you? My apologies, Your Highness."
"You're a liar."
"I'm a politician." He gestured toward the armchair. "Now, how about you sit down? Then we can discuss this little incident civilly."
Alex obeyed, even though doing so meant yielding power to him. But by now it was clear to both of them who truly controlled the situation.
Luka stood, walked around the desk, and stopped in front of him. "Your Highness, how about we lay our cards on the table?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"The reason you're here, for instance. Your father suspects me, doesn't he?"
Alex looked away and took a moment to think. The governor wasn't seeking confirmation, and denying it would only make him look like an idiot. He could afford to reveal something.
"Our officials found discrepancies in the tributes. I'm here to verify that there have been no illegal acts."
"You already told me that at dinner yesterday. But for something like that, a few officials would suffice."
"The Crown suspects you may no longer be so loyal."
"So you're here to remind me who's in charge. Is that right?"
"Exactly."
The governor chuckled. "Very clever of the King. And very naive of him to send an inexperienced man like you."
Alex stiffened. "Inexperienced?"
"You let your thoughts show too easily, Your Highness. About why you're here. About your relationship with the mage."
"William has nothing to do with this."
"And why is that? He is, in every respect, an advisor to the Crown—your most trusted man." Luka's lips curved into a brazen smile. "The one you take to bed."
"Don't you dare—"
"Don't worry. With me, your secret is safe. At least as long as I have… an incentive to keep my mouth shut."
The prince frowned. So that was his aim. Blackmail. Did he want him to lie to the King in exchange for his silence?
"What do you want?"
"Nothing too difficult for you. If you need anything—anything at all—I'd like you to come to me. After all, I'm here to serve you, aren't I? We could work together instead of… holding a knife to each other's throat."
Was that all? No—there had to be something else he was missing.
The governor smiled. "Of course, I'd prefer that you not report the little incident with Cox to your father, but I'm quite certain you won't. You don't want to expose your precious mage to cruel gossip, do you?"
Alex grimaced. "Is there anything else?"
"Just one more thing: I'd like to have you all to myself for at least one night." Luka leaned closer and brushed his fingers along Alex's neck. "I've heard you're an energetic lover with quite an appetite. I wouldn't mind serving you."
"No."
"What a pity. I might not be able to guarantee your mage's safety." Luka sighed. "I don't have the power to ruin Cox or drive him out of this palace. He's an influential merchant. But I could make him understand that the mage is the prince's precious treasure—and that no one has the right to claim him."
"And in return you want to have sex with me?"
"I'd even be satisfied with just going down on you, Your Highness. But yes, that's all I ask. A favor for a favor." He bent closer. "I won't tell Master Traver. It'll be our little secret."
Alex took a deep breath, his fingers curling into fists. "I don't need your help. Cox won't dare go that far."
No one would openly challenge a prince over a single man.
"Of course." Luka withdrew with a smile. "It was merely a business proposition, Your Highness. The final word is yours." He went back behind the desk and opened a drawer. "I almost forgot—this belongs to you."
He showed him a dagger—the same one Alex had dropped in the archives and forgotten to retrieve.
But if the governor had it, that meant he knew where Alex had been the previous night. And perhaps he also knew what they had seen.
Luka smiled. "You should take better care of your belongings, Your Highness."
Alex reluctantly took the weapon and slid it back into the sheath on his back.
He left the study, anger burning in his gut. Nothing had gone as he'd planned. The governor had trapped him, played his cards better, and backed him into a corner.
More than that, he had made it clear who truly ruled within those walls. Alex would never be able to outwit him—and worst of all, he felt trapped.
Luka had him in the palm of his hand and hadn't had to do anything more than watch him and pull the right strings.
"If only William were well…"
But he couldn't rely on the mage.
Not this time.
He reached Sven, who was organizing the guard rotations outside his chambers, and motioned for him to follow as he led the way out into the gardens.
The captain handed the task over to Falko and followed in silence—patient as a shadow.
Once outside, Alex headed for a quiet, secluded corner where he could speak without being overheard. He glanced around, then turned to Sven.
"We have a serious problem."
"Did he find us out?"
"Yes. And he just tried to blackmail me."
Sven leaned against a tree trunk. "I need to understand what happened."
And Alex began to speak.