Page 83 of The Prince and the Ice King

“Ouff!” Reardon grunted, another voice groaning in kind, followed by the thud of two bodies hitting the floor.

Jack rapidly removed the closest loose stone to check on Reardon. He appeared to be all right, but he was in a heap of long limbs, tangled with whoever had struck him.

“Apologies, friend! I didn’t see…you,” the other man said when his eyes fell upon Reardon, righting himself and grasping Reardon’s hand to heft him up.

Their legs were still tangled, but they were at least sitting now, facing each other, hands clasped as both stared in recognition. The other man—an elf who’d been at the castle for decades—smiled wide, his angular nose twitching with interest.

“Emerald Prince, our new recruit. We meet again.”

Again?

“After almost two weeks, you’d think you’d have met everyone by now, but I got the impression you were avoiding me.”

“N-no.” Reardon snatched his hand away, fighting to untwist their legs but making it worse on several attempts before finally pulling free. “W-why would I do that? I don’t even know you!”

“Let’s remedy that. I’m Raphael.” The elf grabbed Reardon’s hand once more before he could scramble to his feet.

Raphael. Jack remembered him better now; always sticking that narrow nose where it didn’t belong and far too friendly. He’d been one of the few before Reardon who had tried to make nice, only to give up when Jack made it clear that he did not make friends with subjects.

Raphael clearly wanted more with Reardon, judging by the way he eyed him and let his hand linger inappropriately once Reardon acquiesced to shake.

Frost burst over the stones in front of Jack.

“Sorry I didn’t say hello when we first saw each other,” Reardon said with a bashful drop of his eyes. “I was hurrying after Shayla.”

“I just felt bad for tripping you up. It’s not often I nearly cause someone to flip over a banister.”

Reardon tried to snatch his hand away again, but Raphael used the hold to hoist them to their feet, nearly knocking their heads together with how they rocked into each other’s bodies from the momentum. “A-and where are you hurrying to today?”

“My duties at the stables. Lost track of time. But that can wait a few minutes.”

“Stables…? You’re a stable boy?” Reardon’s thoughts must have strayed after Jack’s frequent use of the term, though he knew full well none of Jack’s conquests remained in the castle.

“I prefer to think of myself as a man. But then stablemandoesn’t roll off the tongue as well, does it?” Raphael raised Reardon’s hand between them and ran a thumb over his knuckles. “Have you not seen the horses yet? They don’t get ridden much in winter and can grow restless.I could take you down to see them sometime.” He raised Reardon’s hand higher to place a light kiss to the back of it, making Reardon shudder. “My, you are pretty.”

Another burst of cold spread over the wall from Jack’s splayed palms, and then again when Raphael started to lean forward.

“I’m with the king!” Reardon wrenched away, leaving the other man’s hand outstretched holding nothing.

“Not… currently.” Raphael looked around in confusion.

Reardon pursed his lips.

“You mean…?”

Jack had never seen anyone move as swiftly as Raphael did to backpedal.

Good.

“You know… horses really shouldn’t be kept waiting.” Raphael continued to withdraw until he hit the wall, instantly shivering, given the other side was covered in ice from Jack angrily pressing his hands to it.

Jolting forward from the telling cold, Raphael turned and sprinted down the hall. “Another time!”

“Wait! You don’t have to—!” Reardon tried calling after him, but Raphael was already gone. Holding a hand to his flushed face, Reardon laughed. “I’m with the king…,” he said again.

He’d turned someone down who he clearly found attractive, someone who didn’t come with any of Jack’s complications, and he’d done it for Jack, for the chance at a love he didn’t even know was real.

That should have made Jack angrier, but it glued him to his spot, made all the icier from the torrent of emotion that had exploded out of him. If Reardon was risking everything on some fleeting hope, and happy to do so, then maybe….

---