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The first time they met was a month after Arslan had entered the palace.
Vahriz thought that it would be a good time to introduce his nephew to the prince, who had shut himself off from all things related to his palace life. Out of concern, the Erān once asked if the prince missed his life outside the castle. The boy merely laughed weakly and shrugged the question off. Vahriz figured that the lack of playmates was probably the cause of the prince's loneliness. Plus, he had to act appropriate at all times given his status and his father, Andragoras, did not tolerate childishness well.
It was like any normal day after a sparring session with Vahriz when he was introduced to Daryun. A hand outstretched to the white haired boy lying breathless on the ground, Arslan took the hand and stood up to get a proper look at the owner of those strong arms.
'Ah, he is so tall and muscled...' The prince mused.
"Your Highness, this is Daryun, nephew of mine. He will be staying for two weeks before setting off again; please feel free to keep him by your side for companionship."
A warrior, then. The man, seems to be much older than him, but was definitely younger than most of the people he has interacted with in the palace thus far. Arslan figured that he could do with an additional companion.
"It is a pleasure to meet you finally, Your Highness. I am Daryun, Calvary Captain and newphew of Vahriz." The black clad knight knelt with his right hand over his chest and bowed respectfully.
"It is also a pleasure to meet you, Daryun. I am Prince Arslan. Please, do not be formal with me even though I may be of a higher status. Afterall, I wish for a friend, not a subordinate."
Smiling, Arslan bent slightly to meet Daryun's gaze, placing a hand on his shoulder to urge him to stand up. The knight let out an amused huff and stood to full height.
"You are the most humble, Your Highness. I will be in your care." The prince shook his head and smiled.
"Please do call me by my name instead, for you are older than me. I do not wish for formalities to put a distance between us."
Appalled at the thought of addressing the prince by his name, Daryun spluttered.
"Your Highness will always be Your Highness. A person like me cannot possibly address you so casually by your name!"
Vahriz, who has been watching their interactions at the side, chuckled softly.
'Seems like Daryun and His Highness will get along just fine.'
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After a week of interaction with Daryun, Arslan came to one conclusion: Daryun is overly protective of him.
The prince understands that said knight is just trying to fulfil his duty to keep him out of harm's way but it can be slightly excessive at times. He would fuss over minor details like a puddle of water, or when they were sparring. Arslan would always wave it off, saying that there is no need for Daryun's concern.
"Really, Daryun. I will be fine since I used to run around the city with other kids; I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Arslan turned quiet upon saying that, blue eyes seemingly reminiscing and reflecting forlornness --- the boy missed his freedom. Freedom was a luxury that he could not longer enjoy after life at the palace had begun.
Daryun seemed a bit surprised upon hearing that and eventually giving up trying to win the argument.
The prince then broke the silence.
"I understand that this must be your first time being held responsible for someone else's wellbeing, especially one that is as young and naïve as I am. However, I assure you that I will take care of myself more, and won't you promise me to act more relaxed around me?"
Seeing that it was probably futile to say 'no', Daryun sighed softly and nodded, taking Arslan's hand into his and squeezing it gently.
"If that is what you wish... Arslan-sama. Though, I am only willing to call you by this only if there is no one else around. My uncle would have my head if he knew about this."
"I wouldn't have it any other way. This is the best compromise, is it not?" Both of them laughed. Placing one hand over Daryun's, Arslan scooted closer towards the knight and hummed noncommittally.
"Daryun has really big, warm hands. So tall and well built... Your eyes are pretty too, not to mention your well sculpted face. I hope that I can become a fine, strong man like you one day!" Embarrassed by Arslan's straightforwardness, Daryun face turned slightly red and coughed a few times to regain composure.
"T-Thank you for your compliment Arslan-sama, but I am sure you will hit puberty soon. You are already growing into a fine man."
This earned a pout from Arslan and Daryun gingerly patted the prince's head, uncertain if the boy would be comfortable with a gesture like this. Seeing how content the prince was, Daryun continued his administrations, switching back and forth between patting and threading his fingers through Arslan's hair.
They remained in the position, comfortable with each other's presence until a yell in the air snapped both of the out. A servant was calling out for Arslan. Daryun quickly retracted his hand.
"Your Highness, there you are! Your next lesson is due soon! Please hurry back to the study room!"
A wave of panic struck Arslan.
"It seems like I have forgotten about it, you have my apologies. Let's hurry then. Daryun, we'll talk next time!"
Said knight waved back at the little figure who was trying to run and wave at the same time.
'Your Highness is really...' The knight smiled to himself.
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It turned out that both Arslan and Daryun forgot about the fact that Daryun will be preparing to set off in two days' time, which means that it would be weeks or even months later before the two could meet each other again.
The sun has already set, with the moon and the stars illuminating the night sky. Daryun figured that he should send a message to Arslan's quarters through Azrael (Kishward has requested him to take care of his beloved messenger as he had to attend to some matters), lest the prince runs around the palace in search for him.
Three knocks on his door was enough to snap Daryun out of his thoughts.
"Daryun! It's Arslan, please open up!" That was enough to send Daryun running to the door.
"Your Highness?! Why are you here at this hour?" Clearly alarmed, Daryun scanned the surroundings before inviting the prince in. There were no soldiers around; it cannot be that His Highness...
"Did you sneak out of the palace?!"
Arslan smiled sheepishly. "Ahaha... I can explain... Please don't be angry at me!"
Daryun slumped into his chair. Really, whatever will he do with this prince?
"So, Your Highness. Do enlighten me. For whatever reason have you come to look for me?" The white haired boy fidgeted nervously, head bowed and avoiding eye contact.
"Umm well... I asked my servant for your whereabouts after I overheard that my father was going to lead the army out of the castle in 2 days' time. She told me that you were not going to return to the palace anytime soon, so I thought I'd come find you to bid you farewell..."
Arslan was pretty sure he could melt under Daryun's heated gaze.
"And here I thought that your life was in danger. It was reckless of you to have left the palace grounds without any guards! What if something happened to you?"
"S-Sorry Daryun... I just..." Seeing that the prince was already filled with guilt and remorse, Daryun figured that he should lecture no more. He knelt in front of Arslan, wiping away the tears that have been silently trickling down his face.
"So, what is it that you want to tell me?" The gentle touch from Daryun probably meant that he was no longer angry, Arslan thought. (Daryun wouldn't have the heart to stay angry at Arslan for long, anyway.) The prince pulled out his hair band, letting his hair spill freely over his shoulders. He then motioned Daryun to turn around, removing the knight's hairband and replaced it with his own.
"Treat this as a good luck charm from me? Surely I will miss you for the next few weeks. So please, promise me to come back alive, Daryun."
'Ah, so this is why he had left the palace grounds to look for me...' Daryun turned around and smiled, tugging at the hairband affectionately.
"I am honoured to have received this from Your Highness. I, Daryun, will definitely treasure this. But fear not, for your father, Andragoras, is a spectacular leader who has brought nothing but victories back for Pars. Have faith in both your father and also in me."
Arslan beamed at Daryun.
"Now if you would, please turn around so that I can return you the favour."
Nodding, the prince settled to sit on Daryun's lap. The two enjoyed the silence of the night while the knight was busy threading his fingers through Arslan's hair.
"There, all done. Now if you would, I shall escort you back to the palace."
"Do I get to ride the horse with you, Daryun?" Clearly excited, Arslan pointed at the stable; more specifically, at Daryun's black horse. His horse was actually off limits for the next two days as he requires plenty of rest before entering the battlefield. However, the black knight guessed that it would be alright to make today an exception, since 1) His Highness probably has never ridden a battle horse before 2) It would be good to give the horse a bit of exercise.
And so, the two of them headed out to the stable discreetly to get the horse.
The horse seems to be excited upon seeing his stable gates being opened, neighing in content when Arslan rushed forward to stroke his mane.
"Oh Daryun! Your horse is so pretty, may I know his name?"
"He is called Shabrang, Your Highness." Shabrang neighed softly in response.
"A fitting name for a mighty horse like him indeed! I would love to try riding on Shabrang; shall we depart then?" Daryun nodded and pulled Shabrang out of her stable. Climbing onto the horse first, the knight held his arms out to help Arslan settle properly on Shabrang.
"Please grab onto the saddle at all times for your safety. Without delay, let's depart."
A pat was enough to signal to the horse to start moving. Cool wind greeted Arslan as Shabrang started to pick up his speed, travelling through the outskirts of the city with ease. The moon shone brightly in the night sky, illuminating path ahead.
"How is the experience thus far, Your Highness? As enjoyable this may be, you may feel a bit sore after the trip." Daryun chuckled.
"This is great, Daryun! I've never ridden on a horse before, not to mention taking a look at the outskirts of the city at night. Pars is a really beautiful country."
"And this is why I am willing to protect it with my life."
To protect you, too.
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"Your Highness, we have reached..."
Shabrang trotted slowly towards the palace gates, stoping right beside the guardhouse. Two guards ran out of the guardhouse to greet them.
"Daryun-sama...! And His Highness!"
The knight shook his head, motioning for the guards to keep their volume down. Arslan was completely knocked out, already snoozing softly against Daryun's chest.
"Please take care of Shabrang while I carry His Highness to his quarters."
With that, Daryun hopped off the horse and gently carried Arslan in his arms. The guards saluted and opened the gates.
The palace at night, save for the patrolling guards, was extremely lifeless and quiet. Daryun wasn't even sure if he was allowed to walk around so freely, even if it was under the pretext of escorting the prince back to his quarters.
'Better hurry up then...'
The boy in his arms shifted and squirmed around slightly, though remained asleep nevertheless. The sudden increase in walking speed seemed to have stirred the prince.
"Daryun... Drop your formalities..." The boy whined.
'Sleep talking, huh?' Daryun chuckled quietly.
His boots made soft clacking sounds as he walked down the dark, long corridor leading to Arslan's sleeping quarters. The lack of conversation and life in the palace gave the knight some time to ponder over his newfound friendship with His Highness. The past week has been the start of a bond that the knight would have never dreamt of; Daryun could not fathom why his uncle would introduce him to the prince.
It was not until today that Daryun realised why the prince was so willing, or even desperate, to have a companion beside him. Like a bird with wings clipped, Arslan could not satisfy his desire to learn more about life outside the palace. That led Daryun to think over today's conversation when Arslan mentioned that he used to play with other kids outside palace grounds... Though having caught wind of the rumours that the prince was not raised as a child in the palace, Daryun did not care about such. Perhaps, if His Highness was willing to share, he could hear the story straight from the boy himself.
Nodding at the guards stationed outside the prince's sleeping quarters (shell shocked they were, not realising that the prince had escaped out of his room), Daryun made his way into the room to tuck the Arslan into bed.
Removing the boots and placing it at a corner, the knight gently pulled out the hairband and allowed Arslan to continue snoozing. The hairband was left on the nightstand.
Daryun took a step backwards to look at the sleeping prince, smiling to himself. The fight in two days' time, though not particularly dangerous, weighed even more heavily than before. Daryun had promised the prince to make it back alive and victorious, and so he will.
It is for this boy that he will come back alive; it is for this prince's innocence and the peaceful days that he will fight for.