Archive of Our Own

“Hnnnggg! R-Ryo-kun! I’ve brought back all the books I borrowed!” Royal castle herbalist Mamoru announced as he entered the castle library with a tower of books in his arms.

“Ah, you can set them down on the table over there,” Ryota, the royal castle’s librarian, instructed and pointed to the table without looking up from the book he was reading on the cushioned window seat where the sun was shining through the lace curtains.

Mamoru managed to lift all the books onto the table without dropping any. “Phew~! Those books are heavier than the fertilizer sacks.” Mamoru collapsed into one of the empty chairs by the desk to catch his breath.

“It’s your own doing for borrowing so many books at once,” Ryota judged as he finally finished the book he was reading and came over to make sure the books that Mamoru returned were still in fine condition.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it! Ryo-kun has so many books about herbal plants! They’re all really interesting and helpful to read when I’m out gathering herbs!” Mamoru said.

Ryota made a face. “Mamoru, you didn’t carry any of my books with you while you were outside, right?” Ryota smiled, but Mamoru got a sudden chill.

“I-um…” Mamoru shifted his eyes.

“Mamoru! You know there’s dirt and THOSE things outside!” Ryota quickly flipped the switch.

“I’m sorry! But I promise I didn’t get them dirty!” Mamoru pleaded.

“If I find any dirt or mud on any of my books, you’re going to pay by transcribing the entire book!” Ryota warned.

Mamoru nodded in understanding and Ryota relaxed to divert his attention to putting the books back on the correct shelves. After he put away all the books that Mamoru borrowed, he noticed the castle herbalist was still lingering around the library.

“Mamoru? Is there something else you need?” Ryota questioned. Mamoru looked like he was a dog waiting for someone to play with him.

“Um, well…”

“Spill it out, Mamoru.”

“There’s a certain book I wanted to borrow, but it’s locked up in the special wing of the library, so I was wondering…” Mamoru looked at Ryota with puppy eyes.

Ryota hummed in response. He knew which section Mamoru was talking about of course since he’s the one in charge of the entire library. It was a restrictive section where the castle’s most important books and rare documents were stored.

Ryota sighed. “Mamoru, you know that while I do have the key for the special wing, I still need official proof from either the royal family or someone of high authority like the head pharmacist to open it.”

“Ah, I got permission!” Mamoru quickly searched his bag he always carried with him on his belt and handed Ryota a document.

Ryota took the document to read over. It was certainly written and signed with the head pharmacist’s handwritten seal.

“It’s official. I’ll go retrieve the book. Wait here, please.” Ryota disappeared to retrieve the book that was noted on the document. After a few minutes, Ryota came back with the book in his hand.

“Here you are, Mamoru.” Ryota presented Mamoru with a thick book that had a green velvet cover with an illustrative pattern of herbs printed in gold.

“Thank you, Ryo-kun-”

“However! I can’t permit you to take this book outside of the castle! It’s a very rare book, so I don’t want you losing or dropping it in mud!” Ryota told Mamoru very seriously.

Mamoru swallowed nervously. “Yessir!”

Mamoru took the book back to his study room to begin researching. He carefully flipped through the aged pages without getting a papercut or bending the corners.

“Found it!” Mamoru saw an illustrated picture of a rare herb that the head pharmacist told him about. Mamoru read the description and natural environment of the herb, quickly jotting down notes and a messy sketch of the herb inside his research notebook.

As he flipped to the next page, he noticed a loose piece of paper slipped out.

“Hm?” Mamoru picked it up and carefully unfolded it. It appeared to be a map of a forest, with a circle around a clearing. There were notes written on the side with the name of the rare herb written. “I wonder if this is where it grows?” Mamoru wondered.

Mamoru visited Ryota again at the library to ask him about the map he found inside the book.

“That’s the eastern forest,” Ryota recognized as he studied the map on one of the desks at the library.

“The eastern forest?” Mamoru tilted his head.

“Yes, look. The castle is here, and if you follow along this path it leads to a forest in the east,” Ryota showed Mamoru. “I’ve never been there myself though.”

“Is it far?” Mamoru asked.

“It’s not that it’s far, but you need special permission to enter. The eastern forest is off limits except for guards of the royal family and the royal family members, so you would need to ask Kou-I mean, His Highness,” Ryota explained.

“Mm, I’ll try seeking an audience with His Highness and ask! Thank you, Ryo-kun!”

It wasn’t long before Mamoru was called to the royal prince’s study for his meeting.

“You want to go to the eastern forest?” Prince Koki questioned when the royal castle herbalist Mamoru requested a meeting with him.

“Yes! I read in one of the books at Ryo-kun's library that there’s a special rare herb that only grows and blooms at night time in the eastern forest according to the map included in the book!” Mamoru explained to the prince. “I was hoping you could grant me permission, your highness!”

Koki chuckled. “It’s a rare request from our favorite herbalist, so of course you have my permission, Mamoru. Wait here a moment.” The prince went over to his desk to pull out a parchment and ink pen. After scribbling down some words and signing it, Koki came back. “Here you go, all you have to do is show this letter to the guards stationed there and they’ll let you pass.” Koki handed Mamoru the letter.

“Thank you, your highness!” Mamoru carefully rolled up the letter and placed it in his document pouch.

“Also, take this with you too,” Koki handed Mamoru a short sword kept in a dark blue sheath decorated with the royal crest.

“Eh?” Mamoru was confused.

“Don’t worry, it’s a spare sword I carry but don’t use too often. Even though there are guards stationed around the forest, they only watch the borders, so there may still be wild predators out, especially at night.”

“O-Oh, I see, I’ll be careful!” Mamoru promised.

Koki hesitated for a moment before letting Mamoru leave. “Do you want to take my horse too? I could also assign a couple of guards to accompany you as well,” Koki mentioned.

“No, no, there’s no need to create a fuss, your highness!” Mamoru shook his head. “I’m perfectly capable of walking on foot, I don’t need a bunch of guards following me!” Mamoru would feel more nervous having several guards following him around as he’s collecting herbs.

Koki thought for a moment and smiled. “Hmm, then how about one guard?”

Mamoru was told to wait at the castle gate before he headed out to meet with a guard that Prince Koki specifically requested to accompany him. Since it would only be one guard, Mamoru shouldn’t feel too nervous, but he wondered if it was alright to ask a random guard to accompany him. Most of the castle guards made him a little nervous whenever he passed by.

There was only one guard that Mamoru felt comfortable around.

“Mamoru!” Kensuke came out to meet him.

“Oh, Ken-kun! Hello!” Mamoru greeted the royal knight who directly served Prince Koki. “Are you heading out on a training run?” Mamoru would see Kensuke heading out to train at the knights training grounds whenever he wasn’t on duty serving the prince.

“Huh? Didn’t Prince Kou tell you? I’m the guard he requested to accompany you to the eastern forest,” Kensuke answered.

“Really? Oh! I see! His highness only mentioned he would send a guard, but he didn’t tell me it was you, Ken-kun!” Mamoru was genuinely surprised.

Kensuke chuckled. “I know it’s his highness’ orders so I’m coming along regardless, but do you mind?”

“I don’t mind at all Ken-kun! I’m happy in fact!” Mamoru told Kensuke.

Kensuke smiled to hear Mamoru’s words.

“A rare herb that only blooms at night, huh? I don’t really know much about plants, but it sounds interesting to see!” Kensuke said as he walked with Mamoru to the border of the eastern forest.

“Are you sure you’re okay with coming along with me, Ken-kun?” Mamoru didn’t mind Kensuke’s company of course, but he was the prince’s most trusted knight no less.

“It’s fine! I’d rather his highness ask me to accompany you than to let you wander on your own,” Kensuke said, recalling from memory the times when Mamoru wandered off too close to danger. “Besides, Prince Kou promised he’ll be staying at the castle, so he has the castle guards with him, and Ryo is there too in the library.”

Although the herb won’t bloom until nighttime, Kensuke and Mamoru headed to the forest before sunset so they would have more visibility to traverse the forest. The border of the eastern forest wasn’t too much of a walk from the castle courtyard, but Kensuke made sure to keep an eye to make sure Mamoru didn’t push himself too hard climbing up the hilly path.

“Let me know whenever you need a short break to catch your breath,” Kensuke reminded Mamoru.

Mamoru pouted a little. “I’ve been building up my stamina so I can take longer walks!”

“Oh? Perhaps we can race each other around the training grounds next time,” Kensuke teased a little.

“I said I can walk, Ken-kun, I’m still not good at running!” Mamoru clarified.

They arrived at the border checkpoint, however to their surprise no one was around on duty at the guard post.

“That’s odd, there’s usually at least one guard standing at the post,” Kensuke commented as they looked around.

“Are they perhaps patrolling further inside the forest?” Mamoru guessed.

Kensuke scratched his head. “I wonder?” Kensuke couldn’t help but feel it seemed odd that the guard post was empty. “We could wait, but we might lose daylight time. Let’s keep going in.”

“Eh? Is it alright to go in?” Mamoru wondered.

“You have Prince Kou’s permission letter, so it’s fine! If we run into one of the guards, we’ll show them the letter, although since you’re with me it should be proof enough since they know my face,” Kensuke reassured Mamoru.

“Alright,” Mamoru agreed as he put his hood up for protection, a habit he always did whenever he was out collecting herbs to protect against sudden weather changes, and followed Kensuke deeper into the woods.

They traversed deeper into the eastern forest with Kensuke leading the way with the lantern and Mamoru checking the map he had brought with him.

“Whoa!” Mamoru accidentally tripped on a tree root, but Kensuke caught him.

“Careful Mamoru!” Kensuke helped steady him. “I know it’s not completely dark yet, but it gets harder to see the tree roots further in with the dense trees and wild bushes.”

“Sorry!”

“Want me to navigate with the map? I’ve been through the eastern forest before so most of the area is familiar to me,” Kensuke offered. “Mind holding the lantern?”

“Oh, sure!” Mamoru took the lantern as he handed Kensuke the map, and was surprised when Kensuke held his free hand.

“Ken-kun?”

“Need to make sure you don’t get lost. I may be the prince’s knight, but you’re also my responsibility to watch over as a guard.” Kensuke smiled.

Mamoru felt his heart skip a beat. “M-Mm.”

They kept moving forward in silence, only the sound of birds and small forest dwellers made sounds among the trees.

“We should be almost there according to the map,” Kensuke estimated. “There should be a clearing ahead.”

They continued walking slowly until they reached the clearing marked on the map. Among the clearing was some wildflowers growing among the grass.

“Wow, this place looks really pretty,” Mamoru admired the scenery.

“Yeah, but it’s not nighttime yet,” Kensuke noticed it was only sunset. “If this is the right place, should we wait here? Or should we keep looking around?”

“I think this is the right place according to the book.” Mamoru pulled out this research notebook he brought with them to check the description again. “Mm, the herb should be visible once it hits night time.”

Kensuke watched Mamoru study his notes closely with a face full of concentration. It was a little cute seeing Mamoru stick his tongue out a bit as he studied. “You sure are dedicated to your studies, Mamoru,” Kensuke praised. “I’m always seeing you out studying plants in the garden or borrowing a whole armful of books from Ryo’s library.”

Mamoru gave a shy laugh. “I’ve always loved doing research in this field of study. And if the herbs I find can be made into medicine that will help lots of people, it makes me feel really happy!”

Kensuke felt the happiness and warmth from Mamoru’s smile.

When it approached nighttime and the stars began to poke out, Mamoru observed the field of wildflowers and noticed a different flower began to bloom among the moonlight in the middle of the field.

“Ken-kun! I think I’ve found the rare herb!” Mamoru told him as he carefully treaded closer.

Kensuke followed Mamoru, being extra careful not to step on any of the flowers, and saw the flower that looked much different compared to the rest.

“So this is a rare herb? It looks like a star!” Kensuke observed.

“Mm! The book said this herb is similar to a star since it only blooms at night and with the right conditions, it can glow with a light!” Mamoru explained.

“What’s the name of this herb?” Kensuke asked curiously.

“Oh, it’s actually a nameless herb!” Mamoru told Kensuke. “The book didn’t mention that it had a name to it.”

“Really? No wonder it’s considered rare if it doesn’t have a name. People would have never heard of it. It’s really pretty, almost seems kind of a waste to harvest it,” Kensuke mentioned.

Mamoru hummed. “You’re right…” Mamoru hesitated.

“Oh, but if you bring it back, you could probably study it lots for research! And maybe it will produce seeds so you can grow more?” Kensuke wondered.

Mamoru chuckled. “It would be great if it could be reproduced, but then it won’t be considered a rare herb anymore.” Mamoru had a different look on his face compared to his usual excitement when studying plants.

“Mamoru?” Kensuke watched Mamoru.

“Mm-mm, I think I’ll let this one thrive in nature,” Mamoru decided. “Perhaps then it could spread seeds on its own with the wind and then grow in other places as well.”

“I see, that would be nice!”

“I’m sorry I dragged you all the way out here for nothing, Ken-kun,” Mamoru apologized with a guilty look.

Kensuke didn’t look disappointed. “Hey, no worries! I’m always happy to accompany you wherever you want to go, Mamoru!”

Mamoru smiled. “We should head back to the castle before it gets too late and his highness worries about us.”

This time Mamoru held out his hand to Kensuke, who smiled like a happy puppy and took Mamoru’s hand willingly.

As they were about to leave the clearing, Kensuke stopped the moment he heard something different from the sounds of nature.

Kensuke shifted his position and raised his guard up.

“Ken-kun?”

“Shh, I hear something in the forest,” Kensuke whispered to Mamoru.

Mamoru looked around but he didn’t see anything. “C-Could it be a bear?”

“Hmm, I don’t think bears live in this forest,” Kensuke tried to remember. “I’m gonna go investigate. Mamoru, promise me you’ll stay right here and don’t wander off, okay?”

“Mm, I promise, Ken-kun!”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can!” Kensuke ran into the forest.

Mamoru watched Kensuke run off, all of a sudden feeling a bit of a chill crawl on his skin even though it was near summer.

A few minutes felt like a long time, and Mamoru began to worry about Kensuke. Mamoru wondered if he should go look for Kensuke, but he promised not to leave the clearing.

Suddenly there was a noise behind Mamoru. Mamoru held the sword that Koki lent him close to his chest, keeping it in its sheath. It sounded like something was approaching.

“K-Ken-kun?” Mamoru whispered, wondering if and hoping it was Kensuke running back.

It wasn’t Kensuke.

“Huh? There’s another person here,” a tall man dressed in all black spoke. His face was completely covered except for his eyes.

“He doesn’t look like a guard,” another person also dressed in black joined in.

Mamoru had a bad feeling. “S-Stay back!” Mamoru held up the sword. He wasn’t sure how to fight, but maybe the people dressed in black would leave him alone.

“Wait, that sword in his hands has the royal crest on it, could it be the royal prince?”

“If he IS the prince, that’s great luck for us,” the tall man said with a smile. “Don’t worry, we won’t hurt you. We’ll just make you sleep for a little bit.”

“Huh?” Mamoru blinked as one of them disappeared from sight. Suddenly Mamoru felt a blunt force hit the back of his head and his vision blacked out.

In the middle of the forest, Kensuke ran to the sound of the noise, and was shocked to find someone down on the ground.

“Hey! Are you okay? What happened?” Kensuke questioned, checking to see if the person was conscious. He held up the lantern and saw it was one of the patrol guards.

“Y-Yaegashi, is that you?” The guard recognized Kensuke’s voice. “What are you doing here? Is his highness here too?”

“No, Prince Koki is at the castle,” Kensuke informed the guard as he helped him stand up.

“Thank heavens his highness is at the castle, but you should hurry back!” The guard told him. “There’s intruders in the forest, two of them!”

“What? Is that why I didn’t see any guards at the post?” Kensuke questioned.

“They must be assassins, they took out most of the guards in a flash. Some of the guards managed to rush back to the castle for backup, but we don’t know where they are-Yaegashi, what’s wrong?”

Kensuke felt his stomach drop.

There are intruders somewhere in the eastern forest.

Mamoru is also in the eastern forest, alone.

He shouldn’t have left Mamoru’s side.

“Shit–MAMORU!” Kensuke went running back.

Kensuke quickly ran back to the clearing, and to his biggest fear he found the clearing was completely empty.

“Mamoru? MAMORU!” Kensuke called Mamoru’s name, but there was no response.

He knew Mamoru had promised Kensuke that he wouldn’t move, so where is he?

Kensuke looked on the ground and noticed Mamoru’s bag with half of its contents spilled out. Kensuke quickly knelt down and observed the ground. Although it was faint, there were markings of footprints.

Whoever was here, they had taken Mamoru.

“Crap, I’m too late!” Kensuke hit the ground with his fist.

“Yaegashi!” The guard that Kensuke found earlier caught up with him. “One of the guards reported they spotted the intruders heading west while carrying someone on their shoulder!”

“Call the guards to make a formation at the west border! They’ve captured the royal castle herbalist!” Kensuke ordered. “I’ll chase after them to cut them off!”

“Yessir!”

Holding a lantern would slow him down if he needed to pull his sword, so Kensuke had to rely on his bare eyesight as he ran fast through the woods. He listened closely for any sounds of footsteps as he tried to search the surroundings for any moving human shaped shadows.

“There!” Kensuke spotted them. He quickly darted around the path, jumping up to swing on a tree branch for added momentum speed, and leaped forward to cut them off. “Stop right here!!”

The two men dressed in black halted to a stop when Kensuke landed right in front of them.

“Huh? Another guard? I thought we knocked them all out,” one of the intruders was mildly surprised.

“Hand HIM over now!” Kensuke warned coldly, pulling out his sword.

“Nope! We won’t hand over the prince unless there’s a hefty reward,” the taller man spoke.

The prince? There’s no way they could have captured the prince. Could they have mistaken Mamoru for the prince?

Kensuke didn’t have time to ponder the confusion and immediately charged in to attack the assassin that wasn’t holding Mamoru first. The assassin dodged and tried to cut Kensuke with his knife, but Kensuke moved faster and tripped him on his feet. He kicked the attacker in the stomach and grabbed his arm to throw him down while disarming the knife.

“What the-you’re not a normal guard!” the guy shouted when Kensuke pinned him down on the ground painfully.

“He must be the prince’s knight we heard about!” The other assassin threw Mamoru down on the ground and joined the fight. “Let’s kill him quick!”

Kensuke’s eyes filled with fury when he saw Mamoru on the ground, and he prepared himself to fight the two assassins alone. He may be outnumbered, but judging by their movements Kensuke could tell they weren’t professional assassins. They probably were hired by someone to make quick riches.

As Kensuke engaged in battle, Mamoru stirred awake.

“Huh…? Where am I?” Mamoru regained consciousness. He heard the sound of blades clashing and tried to get up, but his head hurt so his vision was still blurry. Mamoru tried to focus his vision as he saw Kensuke fighting off the two men dressed in black that approached up. “K-Ken-kun!!”

“Tch, he’s awake,” one of the assassins noticed.

“I told ya we should have drugged him!” the other guy shouted.

“Mamoru! Run, Mamoru!” Kensuke warned Mamoru, but he was too occupied at the moment to rush to his side before one of the assassins charged after Mamoru.

“We’ll just have to kill the prince too!”

“MAMORU!”

Kensuke jumped in between right as the assassin slashed his knife towards Mamoru, cutting through Kensuke’s uniform and inflicting a large gash on his back.

“Ugh!” Kensuke faltered a little, but he stood his ground to shield Mamoru.

“KENSUKE!” Mamoru shouted.

“I won’t let you hurt Mamoru!” Kensuke swung his sword and managed to cut down the assassin, forcing him to falter back.

“Guh!” the assassin fell on the ground.

Kensuke glared at the other assassin, but the other intruder was already trying to make an escape.

“Hey! Get back here!” Kensuke tried to chase him, but he was losing strength and consciousness.

“Ken-kun! You’re hurt! Stop!” Mamoru cried as he tried to support Kensuke.

The assassin that was still standing tried to escape, but his path was cut off when the guard reinforcements from the castle approached.

“HALT! You assassins are under arrest for trespassing and attack on the royal castle guards!”

“Crap,” the assassin surrendered when he saw he was clearly outnumbered.

The guards immediately took the assassins in custody while the captain of the guards quickly approached Mamoru and Kensuke.

“Yaegashi-san, Fujimura-san! Are you two alright?”

“C-Captain…?” Kensuke struggled to keep consciousness.

Mamoru didn’t have his bag with him, but he was already ripping his robe to make bandages in order to stop the bleeding. “I-I’m okay, but please help Ken-kun! He’s hurt!”

“Someone fetch a stretcher!” the captain ordered.

“No…I don’t want to leave you, Mamoru–” Kensuke fought to stay awake, weakly clinging onto Mamoru’s clothes. He couldn’t see Mamoru’s face, who was looking at him with a torn expression.

Mamoru firmly took hold of Kensuke’s hand as he tried to hold back his tears.

“Shh, it’s okay Ken-kun,” Mamoru spoke softly to Kensuke like a lullaby. “Sleep. I promise, I won’t leave your side.”

“It’s my fault…for leaving you alone…” Kensuke mumbled before his consciousness slipped away.

The castle was in a bit of frenzy after the guards reported what happened. The king immediately ordered the guards to send the assassins to the port prison to be executed. Prince Koki was relieved when the guards reported that Mamoru and Kensuke were both alive, but he was also internally furious when he heard what happened.

Ryota was furious as well, and when he approached the prince’s room to talk to Koki, the guards didn’t dare to stop him when they saw the hellfire in his ruby colored eyes.

“Kou! I heard what happened from one of the guards, is Ken-?” Ryota barged into Koki’s room, but Koki held up a hand.

“He’s alive, but he was injured badly from what I heard from the guard captain,” Koki told Ryota.

“And Mamoru? I heard the assassins tried to kidnap him?” Ryota couldn’t believe it.

“They must have seen the royal crest on the sword I lent to Mamoru. I didn’t think Mamoru would get mistaken as the prince,” Koki figured.

“That’s not your fault, Kou. No one would’ve thought assassins would trespass the eastern woods, especially since there are guards constantly patrolling the borders!” Ryota argued.

“They probably were trying to camp out in the woods, but who knows. The reason doesn’t matter.” Koki sighed as he sat down in one of his armchairs, but he didn’t feel relaxed at all.

“Are you okay, Kou?” Ryota asked, slowly approaching the prince’s side.

Koki blinked and stared at Ryota. “Yes, I’m not injured so I’m fine-”

“That’s not what I’m asking! I mean–Ken’s hurt, and Mamoru was almost kidnapped…” Ryota lost words.

Koki stood up and gently placed his hand on Ryota’s head.

“We can trust Mamoru to do everything he can to help Ken,” Koki believed with full confidence.

“But is Mamoru okay though? After all he-you know, his feelings about Ken are more than just a friend. Even I myself can clearly see that.” Ryota wasn’t blind to that fact.

That got Koki to chuckle a little. “I know, that’s why I fully believe Mamoru is the one that Ken needs by his side the most right now.”

Ryota looked into Koki’s cool gray eyes for a moment too long before he turned away. “I-I’m gonna go check in on Mamoru to see if he needs help-” Ryota said but he was stopped when Koki held his hand. “Kou?”

“Ryo…could you stay with me for a bit longer?” Koki requested.

Ryota looked at Koki puzzled. “Even if I can handle myself with a sword, I can’t stand in as a knight like Ken, if that’s what you had in mind.”

“I know, I just-I’d like you to stay with me as a friend, please?”

Ryota knew Koki wasn’t begging, but when he asked in that manner there was no way Ryota could refuse the prince.

“F-Fine! I’ll make some tea then!”

Koki smiled. “Thank you, Ryo.”

At the royal castle infirmary, Mamoru began the treatment process with the help of the head pharmacist.

“His breathing is stable, but his wounds bled quite a lot, especially his back,” the head pharmacist observed. “The minor wounds don’t look too life threatening, so let’s focus on his back injury.”

“Y-yes!”

Mamoru had to concentrate on treating Kensuke. There was no time for worrying or crying right now.

They worked tirelessly through the night, until finally they managed to treat and bandage up what they could by morning. The head pharmacist left Mamoru in charge of monitoring Kensuke’s condition since they had to give their report to the king and the prince.

Mamoru stayed beside Kensuke the whole time, holding Kensuke’s hand and squeezing it not too tightly, hoping it would help Kensuke recover in some way.

“I’m sorry, Ken-kun…you got hurt because of me-” Mamoru whispered but he stopped when there was the sound of knocking on the door. “C-Come in!” Mamoru immediately let go of Kensuke’s hand.

Ryota entered the infirmary and saw Mamoru.

“Mamoru? Are you the only one here?” Ryota looked around.

“Ah, Ryo-kun! The head pharmacist just left to give the report about Kensuke’s treatment to the king and Prince Koki!” Mamoru informed Ryota.

Ryota looked at Mamoru and saw that while his face looked composed, his body sat stiffly on the stool and hands were shaking.

“I see. Do you need any help? I could watch Ken to give you a break,” Ryota offered.

Mamoru shook his head. “I appreciate your offer, Ryo-kun, but it’s okay. I promised I would stay here beside Ken-kun.” Mamoru didn’t seem like he wanted to move.

Ryota frowned and wondered how long Mamoru had been working. “Have you eaten yet?” Ryota asked an important question, knowing Mamoru’s habits.

“Er…” Mamoru did not make eye contact.

“Mamoru?”

“I haven’t…but it’s okay! I’m not very hungry!” Mamoru responded.

Ryota hummed. “Then I’ll bring over some tea for you and the head pharmacist later with something light you can handle on your stomach. I know you’re busy treating Ken, but don’t forget to eat!”

“Yes!”

Mamoru half expected Ryota to head back to the castle library, but Ryota took a seat on a spare chair instead.

“So how is Ken?” Ryota didn’t want to show obvious worry in front of Mamoru, but he had to ask.

Mamoru tried to smile, but Ryota clearly saw he was forcing himself.

“We managed to treat and patch up most of his smaller wounds to stop the bleeding and his breathing is stable,” Mamoru told Ryota as calmly as he could, even if his voice shook a little. His smile faded when he looked at Kensuke’s back. “One of the assassins cut his back when he jumped in to protect me. We did the best that we could, but it’s probably going to leave a scar even after it heals.”

“I see.” Ryota listened.

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault that Ken–” Mamoru started to apologize, but Ryota stopped him.

“The only ones who are to blame are the assassins, who’ve already been sent to prison to rightfully be punished,” Ryota told Mamoru clearly. “You two were victims, so don’t put all the blame on yourself.”

Mamoru looked at Ryota with eyes like a sad puppy. He looked like he wanted to cry at any moment, but Mamoru managed to hold back the tears.

“Mm.”

Ryota leaned forward so he could pat Mamoru on the head.

“Don’t overwork yourself too hard Mamoru,” Ryota advised kindly and headed out when the head pharmacist returned to fetch the tea and snacks.

Ryota came back a couple hours later with tea and snacks, along with Prince Koki. They made small talk to help ease the tension, but Ryota and Koki both saw that Mamoru was constantly worried about Kensuke, who was still asleep and recovering.

During the late night hours, Mamoru stayed awake beside Kensuke, refusing to close his eyes even for a second.

“Nnng…no, Mamoru…!” Kensuke tossed and turned, his face scrunched up in pain but it didn’t appear to be because of his wounds. He appeared to be having a nightmare.

“Shhh, Ken-kun, please calm down!” Mamoru tried to carefully hold Kensuke down so his wounds wouldn’t open up again.

Kensuke finally calmed down when Mamoru started humming a lullaby, falling back into a deep sleep.

“Mamoru…” Kensuke mumbled and Mamoru saw tears escape Kensuke’s eyes, slipping down his cheeks. Mamoru bit back his own tears as he carefully wiped away Kensuke’s tears from his face.

The second day Kensuke’s condition remained stable, but he still wasn’t waking up.

“I’m sure he overexerted his strength and body when he was fighting the attackers,” the head pharmacist told Mamoru. “His body is taking its time to recover, so we’ll keep monitoring his condition.”

Again, during the evening, Mamoru stayed awake beside Kensuke. Even if his own body was struggling and demanding rest, Mamoru couldn’t give in. He didn’t even feel sleepy since the worry overpowered his mind.

Mamoru carefully wiped off the sweat from Kensuke’s forehead, brushing his bangs to the side.

“Ken-kun…please wake up soon,” Mamoru wished as he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Kensuke’s forehead.

During the evening of the third day, Kensuke finally blinked his eyes awake and immediately sat upright.

“Where-?” Kensuke wasn’t in his room, but appeared to be in one of the beds at the castle infirmary.

“Your wounds are going to open up if you move so suddenly.”

Kensuke looked over and saw Ryota glaring at him, but his fury wasn’t directed at Kensuke.

Kensuke smiled even with the dull aches on his body “Not going to give me a sweet good morning, Ryo?”

“If you woke up after one day of being unconscious, I would have considered it. You’ve been out for three days,” Ryota told him.

“Three days?! What happened while I was out-” Kensuke panicked, but Ryota held up his hand.

“Don’t be so loud, you’ll wake him up!” Ryota hissed in a whisper.

Ryota pointed and Kensuke finally noticed the two of them weren’t alone in the room. Sitting at the infirmary desk hunched over with a blanket around his shoulders and his head on the table, Mamoru was fast asleep.

“He would have fought to stay awake longer, but when I found out he hasn’t slept since they brought you here, I made him sleep with a promise that I would watch you and wake him up if anything happened,” Ryota informed Kensuke. “I tried to make him lie down on the sofa at least, but he wouldn’t budge from the desk.”

“Mamoru was awake the whole time I was out?” Kensuke couldn’t believe it.

“Mamoru never left your side unless he was ordered to. Kou hates using his authority to make Mamoru do anything, but Mamoru wouldn’t listen to us otherwise,” Ryota said. “The head pharmacist told us Mamoru wouldn’t eat or drink anything, and would do crazy things like smacking himself on the head or biting his own hand to stay awake. We were almost worried we’d have to knock him out in order to get him to rest, but decided against it.”

“Mamoru…”

“He treated what he could with your wounds immediately with the head pharmacist, and kept watch to make sure your condition remained stable,” Ryota said from the report he received from the head pharmacist. “There were a few times you struggled in your sleep, so Mamoru had to make sure your wounds wouldn’t open up.”

“Oh…”

Ryota was quiet for a moment and Kensuke noticed he was making that face whenever Ryota had something he wanted to say but was afraid to.

“So what’s the worst damage?” Kensuke wanted to know.

“Mamoru-san said the wound on your back will likely turn into a scar,” Ryota told Kensuke.

Kensuke sighed, but he had already expected to have at least one scar after the battle. “I see. Glad it’s not my face though,” Kensuke hoped to lighten the mood.

Ryota would’ve thrown a book at Kensuke for making a joke, but he didn’t want to risk injuring a recovering patient, even if it was Kensuke.

“I’m going to let Kou know that you’re awake, but we’ll make sure to give you plenty of time with your loyal dog,” Ryota told Kensuke. “If you’re well enough to stand up, wake up Mamoru and make him eat or drink at least.”

“Got it, Ryo! Thanks!”

After Ryota left, Kensuke looked over at Mamoru. He felt well enough to stand up without needing too much support, so he quietly moved over to Mamoru’s side.

Kensuke saw Mamoru was still fast asleep on his desk. His face was scrunched up with a frown. Underneath Mamoru’s arms were several loose papers with notes scribbled all over.

Kensuke noticed the notes were all about him.

Day 1: Managed to get breathing stable, but lost a lot of blood. Need to clean and bandage wounds. Back is most concerning. It might turn into a scar.

Day 2: Condition still stable, but still sleeping. Head pharmacist confirmed that the back wound will scar. Need to monitor.

Day 3: Still sleeping. Might need to try different methods of recovery.

Kensuke looked closer and saw on day three’s note, there was another small note written.

Kensuke…please wake up

Kensuke felt his heart ache and tears well up in his eyes.

“Mamoru…I’m really sorry for putting you through so much,” Kensuke cried as he placed his hand on Mamoru’s head, brushing Mamoru’s hair gently with his fingertips.

Mamoru stirred under Kensuke’s touch and slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Kensuke standing right next to him, he immediately was alert.

“Ken-kun?! Oh no! How long have I been sleeping? Where’s Ryo-kun? Are you okay to stand? Are you hurt-” Mamoru rapidly spoke, but Kensuke quickly put his hands on Mamoru’s shoulders to get him to calm down.

“Mamoru, slow down! I’m okay, Mamoru, I’m fine!” Kensuke quickly reassured Mamoru. “Ryo left a bit ago after I woke up to let his highness know.”

Mamoru stared at Kensuke for ten long seconds before he finally let go of all his tension at once and leaned into Kensuke’s chest. Kensuke carefully wrapped his arms around Mamoru to pull him into a hug.

“I see…you’re okay, Ken-kun,” Mamoru finally cried with relief in Kensuke’s arms.

They stayed together like that for a long moment until Kensuke finally let go so Mamoru could do one final check on his condition.

“Good, your smaller wounds have recovered. All that’s left is…” Mamoru’s voice fell quiet and he made a face.

Kensuke smiled. “My back is scarred, right?”

“You already know?”

“Ryo told me, though I already had a hunch before I lost consciousness it probably wouldn’t recover fully.” Kensuke was calm.

“I’m really sorry, Ken-kun, we tried everything we could.” Mamoru held his head low.

“Hey, hey! Don’t shoulder all the guilt, Mamoru! I told you before that it's my duty to protect you!” Kensuke made Mamoru lift up his head. Kensuke paused before he added with a blush on his cheeks. “I’m not saying that only because I’m knight, but it’s because I-”

“You love me, Ken-kun.” Mamoru finished Kensuke’s words. “I know.”

“Huh?! You know? Did Ryo or Kou tell you?” Kensuke was surprised.

“Mm-mm, I’ve had this feeling for a long time now,” Mamoru confirmed. “Ken-kun loves me, and I love Ken-kun. That’s why I wanted to do everything in my power to protect you too while you recovered.”

“Mamoru…” Kensuke felt his cheeks heat up. “Mamoru, can I kiss you?”

Mamoru blinked and finally smiled. “You don’t need to ask for permission, Ken-kun,” Mamoru whispered tenderly.

Kensuke closed the gap between them and pulled Mamoru into a kiss. Kensuke thought Mamoru would act a little shy, but surprisingly Mamoru appeared to share the same desire as Kensuke as he leaned closer. Perhaps it was because they hadn’t been able to see each other like this while Kensuke was asleep, but the reason didn’t matter. They were both safe now in each other’s arms.

Kensuke started to get a little greedy and pulled Mamoru onto the infirmary bed with him.

“Ken-kun?!” Mamoru squeaked a little as he was pulled to lie down next to Kensuke on their sides.

“Spoil me a little bit longer, please Mamoru?” Kensuke begged.

Mamoru made a face. “But you’re still recovering, p-plus I need to report to his highness and Ryo-”

Kensuke cut Mamoru off with a kiss, tangling his fingers in Mamoru’s fluffy hair.

“They can wait. Ryo said he would give us time,” Kensuke said.

Mamoru huffed. “You’re being unfair, Ken-kun. I’m supposed to be watching over you-”

“I don’t want you to only watch over me, I want you to love me, Mamoru.” Kensuke was serious. “Besides, this will help me recover faster.”

“That’s not how this works, Ken-kun!” Mamoru whined a little.

“Mamoru,” Kensuke said Mamoru’s name so sweetly.

Mamoru made a face, but he eventually gave in and allowed himself to move closer to Kensuke, letting Kensuke do most of the work as he held Mamoru in his arms.

Outside the infirmary, Ryota saw Koki standing in the hallway with his back against the infirmary door.

“Kou? What are you standing out here for?” Ryota questioned the prince.

Koki smiled like a fox. “Keeping guard for a little bit. Seems like Ken and Mamoru will need a bit more time to themselves before we go in.”

Ryota thought to himself for five seconds before he made a face full of judgment. “Disgusting. They better change the sheets later.”

“Oh I don’t know if they’ll get that far since Ken is still technically recovering, but he might get impatient since he was out for three days.” Koki chuckled, knowing too much. “I’m sure he’ll want to drag Mamoru to his room after he fully recovers.”

“I could care less what Ken and Mamoru do alone in each other’s rooms, but not in the infirmary!”

They waited five more minutes before Ryota finally knocked and barged in. Thankfully Kensuke and Mamoru both had their clothes on and were sitting a good distance apart, but they looked pretty red and flustered. Ryota will definitely have to make sure the servants change the sheets later.

A couple days later, Mamoru came to Kensuke’s room to check on his back wound in order for the prince to give Kensuke permission to return to his knight duties.

“Are you still mad, Mamoru?”

“N-No, but Ken-kun shouldn’t tease like that in the infirmary! I thought I was going to get thrown into the castle dungeon when Ryo came in with his highness!”

“Even if Ryo throws us in, his highness would bail us out the next day-ow.” Kensuke joked until he twisted the wrong way and felt a tinge of pain.

“Ken-kun, don’t move!”

“Sorry.”

Both of them were quiet as Mamoru applied the medicine to Kensuke’s back. Kensuke tried not to squirm around, but Mamoru’s touch felt ticklish.

“Mamoru?”

“Yes?”

“Remember when we saw that rare herb in the forest?” Kensuke mentioned.

“Mm.”

“You had a strange look on your face when you said it wouldn’t be considered rare anymore if more of them bloomed. Was there a reason why you made such a face?”

Mamoru chuckled. “Ken-kun is observant.” Mamoru paused to think for a moment as he hummed in thought. “You know how you said it looked like a star?”

“Yeah?”

“I was thinking how nice that its flower when it bloomed made it appear unique among all the other wildflowers,” Mamoru said. “Rather than blending in with all the others, it stood out with its own beauty.”

“Hmm.” Kensuke hummed in thought.

“Perhaps it’s a little selfish of me to want it to remain rare though because of its beauty,” Mamoru confessed. “Since it is a herb, it probably would be beneficial for medicine.”

Kensuke sat upright. “I think Mamoru is like that rare herb.”

“Eh?” Mamoru blinked and stared at Kensuke.

“You’re really one of a kind too. You know whenever I see you outside in the fields, you really stick out,” Kensuke said. “You don’t wear the same uniform as anyone else, your hair reminds me of the color of wine, and the few times I’ve heard you sing you have a really soothing voice!”

“You’ve heard me singing?! I thought no one was around!” Mamoru was flustered hearing the fact.

“Haha, I’m the prince’s knight after all! I know how to hide in places I can’t be seen or heard!” Kensuke smiled.

“You should have told me that you were listening!” Mamoru pouted.

“If I told you, you would end up raising your guard more whenever you sing,” Kensuke pointed out. “But I want to listen to Mamoru’s songs more.”

“It’s embarrassing…I haven’t sung in front of other people since the last time I was at a tavern I worked in town before I became a castle herbalist and-” Mamoru quickly shut himself up.

“You used to sing and work at a tavern? Which one? Tell me!” Kensuke was excited.

“No! I said too much!” Mamoru shook his head.

“Aww, please, Mamoru?” Kensuke pleaded. “I just wanna know if I’ve seen you in town before I became a knight in training!”

Mamoru made a face. “You wouldn’t recognize me anyway, I was sort of dressed up in a disguise.”

Kensuke listened and thought to himself for a moment. “Mamoru, were you cross dressing?”

“I’ve said too much, I’m leaving!” Mamoru stood up quickly.

“Wait, don’t leave, I want to hear more!” Kensuke clung onto Mamoru’s arm.

“If I tell you, you’re going to end up telling Ryo-kun and his highness!” Mamoru complained.

“I’m not allowed to keep secrets from the prince, but I won’t tell Ryo! Although he’d probably tell his highness anyway,” Kensuke guessed.

“See? That’s the same thing!”

“If I tell you an embarrassing story when I was training as a knight, will you tell me?” Kensuke negotiated.

“I can’t imagine Ken-kun getting into embarrassing situations,” Mamoru said.

“Hey! I’ve had my moments too!”

Mamoru was genuinely surprised. “So there are times when even Ken-kun gets embarrassed.”

“I’m not quite the knight in shining armor like in Ryo’s fairytale books he likes to read,” Kensuke said.

“Ryo-kun likes fairytales?”

Kensuke gasped. “Now I’ve said too much. Mamoru, please don’t let it slip to Ryo that I said that!”

“Ken-kun! I feel like you’re tossing me a sword with a lot of weight!”

“I’m sorry! Oh, that does remind me though, we should get you a secret knife that you can use to defend yourself in times of need,” Kensuke remembered. “Unless his highness let you keep the sword you borrowed-”

“No, no, no! I returned his highness’s spare sword as soon as we got back!” Mamoru said. “There’s no way I could keep borrowing that one!”

“That’s true, especially with the royal crest on it, we wouldn’t want to create any more dangerous misunderstandings,” Kensuke said, more to himself than Mamoru.
“Ken-kun?”

“Ah, it’s nothing, Mamoru. Anyway, once I’m cleared for recovery, I’ll definitely teach you some self defense tricks and how to carry a secret knife in your pocket,” Kensuke decided.

“Oh, okay! I’ll try my best to learn from you!”

“But also from now on,” Kensuke said as he knelt down in front of Mamoru, taking hold of Mamoru’s hands in his, “while I do loyally serve his highness as his knight, my heart is completely yours, Mamoru.” Kensuke kissed Mamoru’s hand

Mamoru blushed as he entwined his fingers with Kensuke’s, feeling the warmth between their hands.

“Ken-kun also reminds me of the rare starlight herb,” Mamoru whispered to himself with a smile.