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It's been months, several months since Pangi lastly saw Zam and was ordered to protect his shed; it's been so long he's starting to think he forgot about him. What if he started a new life, in Parrot's kingdom? Surely Zam knows he's the king now, even himself knows and has listened to his speech. The thing though, is that Pangi returned to the house as soon as possible, while Zam... who knows. What if he replaced him? What if he got forever imprisoned? What if he died?
He was brought back to reality by the sound of leaves and footsteps, making him instantly stand up and focus, ready to attack whoever wanted to mess with him.
Instead, he was met with a lanky golden figure with torn up clothes, messy uneven hair that barely held his crown with a few missing crystals. That could be no one but his prince.
"Oh my, are you okay my majesty?" He asked, tossing away his helmet, revealing a frown growing deeper on his face the more he studied the ex king's conditions.
"You don't need to call me that and talk so formal, I don't have the title anymore," he stated, looking down on the ground, while removing his broken crown and storing it in his inventory.
"As you wish, uh, Zam?" He muttered, after a long minute of silence and eye contact.
"Yes, just call me Zam."
"Are you okay though?" He demanded firmly.
"I'm fine, I just need a shower" He replied nervously, stuttering his words as he makes his way to the house.
"Do you want some help? You look like you're struggling with walking; got any injuries?"
"Why do you care though? I'm not giving you any orders right now."
"Just tell me."
"You don't have to do that."
"Just let me help you, please," he said, removing his glasses, revealing eyes filled with worry and concern that met with the prince's.
"Fine, I have a couple injuries here and there, and they slow me down, happy now?"
"Yes, now I can actually take care of you." He answered satisfied, putting an arm on Zam's waist and bringing his arm on his own shoulder.
"You really don't have to do this," he whispered, leaning closer to his knight while entering the house.
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Why should you?"
"Well, I've always been loyal to you, and not because I wanted power and privileges, but because I actually care about you," he said, now looking at the shelf hiding his growing-flustered face.
"You're crazy, that's why you were here? You were still following my order?" He wondered, now sitting on the couch watching Pangi getting the first-aid kit.
"Why wouldn't I? Besides, I don't have exactly a place to go, even if I didn't want to follow your order anymore it's not like I have a base somewhere else," he said, sitting next to Zam and gesturing to let him see where the wounds where.
"I understand but why do you care so much? My kingdom has fallen a long time ago but still you're valuing me like it never did," he asked confused as he pulled up his sleeves.
"What do you mean by "still valuing"? You never lost your value," he replied, voice worried by this new side of his prince.
"Well Pangi, tell me what's my purpose now that I'm not ruling a kingdom anymore, what am I supposed to do now?"
"You could just… live, with me. If you want."
"What?"
"You know, we could just settle here and go hunting, fishing, build some farms, gardening—" He started mumbling, panic noticeable in his voice;
"— actually forget it, I'm sure you already have a place to settle in with someone else"
"I do not, actually," he whispered, a low and slow whisper to make the knight process.
"What? But how? You're so… so regal and charismatic and—" He stuttered, panicking again, voice loud but unsure about its tone and phrasing.
"I just got out of prison." He started, cupping gently his knight's cheek; "And, to be completely honest, I won't settle somewhere in this world if I'm incapable to see you Pangi."
"Wait, what?" He muttered, voice cracking and barely audible.
"I'm serious, you see… prison has changed me a lot, also my kingdom's fall" He said, hand going from Pangis face to his hand—
"It changed my ways of thinking, of perceiving myself and other people, of my morals" He started, noticing he wasn't making the discourse he wanted to make;
"The point is, I'm not the prince I was before, now I'm just Zam and it's okay that way. I now realized that my kingdom was, let's say, not the best…at all. So yeah, I'm not planning on settling in with someone "my level" because that level doesn't exist anymore; and actually I never really cared."
"Wait, you never cared?"
"Dear, have you never noticed how close I was with you all the time?" He asked, taking both hands in his, leaning closer to the knight's face.
"I thought you were only because I was loyal and never betrayed you," He replied, face starting to heat up.
"Not only for that, you've always been charming and dedicated and I can guarantee that from the sole fact you waited me for months… I kinda don't deserve this kind of treatment."
"What are you saying? Of course you deserve it! It's okay to make mistakes, we're all flawed you know? Even though you weren't the best ruler you're still important and deserving of love and kindness," he stated while cuddling his hands and then taking his own to the prince's face.
"If you say so, then we're living here together?" He said, bringing his hands on top of Pangi's on the last word.
"As you wish, my dear," he whispered, leaning his head on the prince's chest.
"You're so formally and tooth-rotting sweet, but hey I'm not complaining," he giggled, bringing his hands on his knight's hair, starting to play with it.
They stayed like that for a while before both falling asleep with a smile on their faces, aware of the fact that this is going to a brand new chapter for both of them, something they never experienced before but that they wanted to live through every second.