Chapter 6 Murder in my eyes

Prince Lancelot’s POV

The obnoxiously loud bleating of a goat outside the window woke me.

I sat up abruptly, a sharp shooting pain immediately firing up my lower back. My entire body was throbbing. I cracked my neck, wincing at the stiffness, before tilting my head toward the bed.

Kain was still fast asleep. His two legs were spread carelessly wide apart, his mouth slightly open as a soft, rhythmic snore escaped him.

I squinted my eyes in sheer disappointment.

This boy was so hopelessly uncultured, clearly raised without a shred of discipline or decorum.

On top of that, he had let a crown prince of my status sleep on a thin, dusty mat on the floor while he lay peacefully on the only comfortable bed in the room.

I glared at his sleeping face. His brown hair was splayed carelessly across his forehead.

He shifted slightly, lifting a hand to scratch at his scalp with eyes still shut, making a horrifying gawking sound like a pig before settling back into sleep.

I let out a long, heavy sigh. It is just one year.

After the festival of the Nyx Crest, I would return to my kingdom, surrounded by decent, refined faces. And I would personally ensure this insolent thief was locked in a dungeon for daring to steal the Mooncrest jewel in the first place.

I pushed myself up from the floor, my joints popping, and went to find a washroom. After pacing the entire cottage twice, I found nothing.

Where in the world did he wash himself? Frowning, I walked back over to the bed.

“Hey,” I called out.

Nothing.

“Hey!” I said, giving his shoulder a firm shake.

“My foolish Highness... what do you want?” he muttered softly, eyes still closed, a lazy smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

I ignored his insult, “I need to clean myself up,” I said flatly.

“Do you want me to do it for you?” he murmured, his mischievous blue eyes fluttering open as his smile widened into something thoroughly shameless.

“No. Where is the bath?” I demanded.

Kain bolted upright, running a hand through his messy hair. “It’s outside. Water is over in the barrel,” he said, gesturing casually toward the back.

My brow furrowed. Why was the bathing area outside the cottage? A proper bathing chamber should be inside, at least that was how the palace was constructed.

A short while later, I had washed away the dirt of the road, and Kain had done the same.

“Let’s head out,” Kain said, flinging his bag over his shoulder. “I’m going to meet the wizard now. And I need to stop by my friend’s cottage on the way.”

I froze, crossing my arms. “Why should I come with you?”

“Aren’t you hungry?” Kain asked, rolling his eyes. He turned toward the door. “You know what? Die of hunger. See if I care.”

I hesitated.

My stomach was currently empty, and I certainly needed to find proper food, but that wasn't the main reason I reconsidered. First, the idea that this lunatic actually had friends was mind-boggling, they were undoubtedly male escorts or petty thieves just like him.

They all flocked together.

More importantly, however, I was desperately looking forward to seeing the exact moment Kain’s face fell when the wizard informed him that his prized jewel had completely failed to unlock his magic. I could hardly wait to see that arrogant, rude mouth of his finally put in its place.

“Fine,” I said stiffly. “I am coming along.”

Moments later, we left his pathetic cottage and strolled down the dusty dirt road of Caeldwyn.

The village was bustling with peasant farmers, merchants, and townspeople. But it was far from a peaceful walk. At nearly every pace, someone was calling out to Kain.

“Kain! I missed you!” a young woman called out. She looked to be around my age, with long, curly brown hair falling to her waist, wearing a flour-stained cook's apron as she ran out from a local tavern.

Before I could process her approach, she threw her arms around Kain’s neck, hugging him tightly and planting a warm kiss right on his cheek.

“I missed you more,” Kain grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek in return.

I stood there, watching the display in quiet disdain. So he entertains both men and women. Completely classless.

The girl pulled back from his embrace, her eyes landing on me. “Oh my, who is this with you?” she asked, tilting her head. “Your new boyfriend?”

“Not my boyfriend,” Kain chimed in before I could even draw breath to correct her. He gave her a solemn, pitying look. “He’s just a poor boy I rescued from some thieves on the road. He begged me to take care of him... he’s very weak, you know.”

My stomach tightened into a hard, furious knot.

I opened my mouth to immediately dismantle his humiliating lie, but before a single word could escape, Kain’s hand shot out.

He clamped his fingers tight over my lips, physically pinning my mouth shut.

I froze in absolute shock, staring at him over his fingers with murder in my eyes.