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"Clive!"
Full of joy, Joshua ran up to his older brother, who was leisurely strolling toward the training grounds. The boy, breathless, opened his mouth, but Clive beat him to it.
"No," he replied, knowing what Joshua wanted to ask. "The Emperor and the Crown Prince are still on their way. Just like they were an hour ago, half an hour ago, even ten minutes ago." He gently ruffled his younger brother's hair and laughed when he pouted. "Don't worry, they'll be here soon. At least they were seen at Martha's Rest."
Two years had passed since the Remembrance Ceremony and Joshua's introduction to the Crown Prince of the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, Dion Lesage. The children hadn't seen each other since then, but they had exchanged letters, and not long ago, the Emperor had expressed his desire to pay a friendly visit to Castle Rosalith. Little Dominant had been impatient all these days, barely able to sleep. And today, when guests were expected, he'd been following his older brother around since the morning, constantly asking when the carriage would finally arrive. He kept up with Jill, too, mostly wondering if he looked neat enough to impress Dion. But when, after one of his questions, she joked that he was acting as if he were nervous about his groom, Joshua became so embarrassed that he went into the garden for a while to compose himself. But after that, he seemed to have a new surge of energy, and he decided to continue "attacking" Clive with questions.
"Already? And when was that? How far is that from the castle? Are they really..." The boy stopped short, seeing his brother frown and stare gravely somewhere behind him. Turning, he saw Mother approaching them.
"Why are you still here, Joshua?" she whined, brushing his clothes and straightening his hair, and, as usual, not even glancing at her eldest son. "The Emperor's almost here, and just look at you!"
"Dion's here?" the Dominant exclaimed joyfully, carefully removing Mother's hands and turning to his brother. "He really has arrived, Clive!"
"Then let's go meet him," Clive smiled, but Anabella suddenly realized he was there too. She narrowed her eyes angrily and, grabbing Joshua's hand, hurried away. The boy was clearly upset, but obediently trotted after her, giving his brother a final guilty glance, which he simply shrugged.
No time to be sad! the boy mentally scolded himself, squeezing his mother's hand tighter. Otherwise, Dion might think I'm not happy to see him!
Finally, they reached the entrance to the castle's main entrance. Anabella led Joshua to Father and placed him on his left side, running her hand through his hair one last time, before taking her place at the Archduke's right hand. Clive and Jill soon approached, standing a little distance away.
After a minute that seemed like an eternity to Joshua, a carriage pulled by decorated chocobos finally appeared. Dragoon knights walked alongside, one of them carrying a banner bearing the Empire of Sanbreque crest.
"Your Majesty, Rosalith is pleased to welcome you again," Elwin stepped forward as the Emperor and the Crown Prince emerged from the carriage and bowed slightly, placing his hand on his chest. "I hope your journey was safe."
After his words, Joshua bowed deeply to Sylvestre, while Jill and the Duchess curtsied deeply. Joshua was surprised to see Mother's eyes light up as she looked at the Emperor. It made him uneasy. Clive, as the Archduke's son, could have bowed, but at this greeting ceremony, he was acting as the First Shield, so instead, his hand on his sword hilt, he glanced from the Emperor to the dragoons, assessing the situation.
"This joy is mutual, Your Grace," Sylvestre's voice remained dry despite his choice of words. "Two years ago, we visited your lands to participate in the Remembrance Ceremony, and I hope we will come many times as friends of your nation." He placed a hand on the shoulder of Dion, who stood next to him. "My son Dion, the Dominant of Bahamut, Warden of Light, is undoubtedly also happy to be your guest."
"It is pleasant to know that, Your Highness," the Archduke now looked at the prince and smiled warmly at the boy who bowed. "My son, Joshua, mentioned that you had maintained a friendly correspondence for the past two years. He was eagerly awaiting their return."
Joshua tried hard to hide his embarrassment and not look away. He noticed that Dion's face had also flushed slightly. Today, the prince wasn't dressed as lavishly as he had been at the Ceremony. His attire was simpler, but still in the shades of Sanbreque: white breeches and a steel-gray doublet adorned with azure embroidery. In two years, Dion had grown taller and thinner, his cheeks less round than Joshua's (most likely due to his now-extensive training to become a dragoon), and his slightly longer hair was partially pulled back into a small ponytail and tied with a blue ribbon.
"I am honored to be Joshua's friend," the prince's voice pulled Joshua out of his thoughts, and he nearly flinched, hoping he'd stared not long enough for everyone to find it inappropriate. But the prince smiled gently at him, and the boy took it as an attempt to discreetly reassure him, but then Dion's gaze fell on Joshua's clothing, and his eyes widened in surprise. Joshua nodded happily at the unspoken question: today, he was wearing a blue stone pendant on his belt, the one the prince had given him at the Remembrance Ceremony, and he fervently hoped it would show Dion how much he had been looking forward to their meeting.
"May this meeting strengthen the friendship between us and our nations," Joshua said, his ceremonial words sincere.
After greetings, according to the rules, gifts should have been exchanged, but, as Father rightly pointed out, the journey from Sanbreque to Rosaria was still quite long and tiring even by carriage, so he suggested the Emperor and the prince rest first. Sylvestre, after some thought, agreed. Within the framework of a friendly visit, postponing certain ceremonies was appropriate.
"Your Majesty!" Joshua called to Sylvestre as he and Dion followed Elwin to the castle entrance. The Emperor turned and looked at the boy, his brow furrowed in confusion. His face was calm, but his eyes betrayed weariness and dissatisfaction, and Joshua almost flinched, but continued. "I know that after we rest and exchange gifts, we plan to introduce you to Castle Rosalith and its surroundings, but... I would like to ask you to allow me to take a walk with the Crown Prince."
Joshua hoped he had chosen his words wisely. He might be the host of sorts, but his status was still lower than that of the Emperor, and, as the Dominant remembered from the Remembrance Ceremony, Sylvestre took it for granted when this was emphasized, whether consciously or not.
"I think there's nothing wrong with that; it would be good for the boys to spend time together," the Archduke agreed. "If His Highness agrees, I mean. You needn't worry about their safety; they will be looked after by the First Shield of Rosaria, my son Clive, and, of course, one of your dragoons."
Joshua didn't miss the glimmer of hope that flickered in Dion's eyes as he looked questioningly at his father.
"Why not," the Emperor replied, waving his hand at his son. "You may go, Dion; a servant will inform you later which room you'll be staying in. And there's no need for additional guards," he now addressed Elwin, "my son is capable of taking care of himself."
This was such an obvious dig at the Archduke that even the prince seemed surprised by Sylvestre's words. But the Father merely smiled and turned back to the entrance. Dion and Joshua entered the castle with everyone else and, bowing once more to Elwin and Sylvestre, headed down the corridor leading to the library. Joshua wanted to take Dion's hand, but decided against it until they were far enough away.
"Thank you," Dion said suddenly, his small shoulders relaxing for the first time in a long time.
"You're welcome!" Joshua smiled broadly, knowing without words what the other boy meant. "I really missed you," he added.
"Me too," Dion started to smile back, but then looked away guiltily. "I'd like to apologize for Father's behavior. He's a good man and would never intentionally hurt you or His Grace. It's just that he's been worried lately about the situation with the Kingdom of Waloed."
"It's all right. Father probably wasn't offended. And I heard about the situation with Waloed, albeit a little," the Dominant gently touched Dion's hand and felt relieved when the prince squeezed it back. "But honestly, we'll have to listen to all this political talk at least over dinner tonight, so," he tugged his friend's hand and strode briskly down the hallway, "Ahead! Let's go to the library first!"
Joshua realized he might be acting too childishly, but he felt like that was exactly what Dion needed: a little freedom. The Archduke didn't allow his children to do anything, but he knew when to treat them like adults and when to indulge in childish pranks, within reason, of course. Dion always followed the rules, tried to remain impartial, and even if Joshua admired this to some extent, he sensed that the prince was, in fact, very lonely and reserved. So now the boy had only one goal: to give his friend the best walk in the world. And given their shared love of reading, the library was a fitting place to start.
They quickly reached the right doors. Opening them, Joshua was delighted to see Dion's eyes light up and a quiet, yet delighted, gasp escape his lips.
The library at Castle Rosalith was, of course, smaller in size than the one in Oriflamme, but it still contained so many books, including valuable ones, that it was truly impressive. There were historical chronicles, memoirs of the rulers of Rosaria and other countries, scholarly works, fiction collections, and, of course, the most popular books about the Eikons.
"We can start with any one you like. The sections are labeled, so we'll have no problem finding what you want," Joshua said, walking deeper into the room.
"Well... if it's not too much trouble," Dion's face flushed, and he continued, clearly embarrassed, "the book about dragons. The one you mentioned in your last letter."
Oh, Joshua had been prepared for this possibility and was glad he'd hit the nail on the head.
"Of course! When I heard you'd be arriving soon, I specifically put this and a few other books aside so we could read them right away, so..." the boy approached one of the shelves, but after examining it, fell silent, not finishing.
The shelf, where he'd placed the books he'd put aside a few days ago, was empty.
"Perhaps it's around here somewhere?" the prince said, pointing to one of the bookcases in the "Dragons, Wyverns, and Wyrms" section.
Joshua stepped closer and let out a disappointed groan: the book was indeed in its usual place, on the shelf he, unfortunately, couldn't reach. Most likely, one of the servants had noticed it was out of place and, forgetting the Dominant's warning, had placed it there. The boy stood on his tiptoes and even tried to jump, but he couldn't touch the spine, let alone the lower shelves. Giving up, Joshua turned to Dion.
"Can you jump?" he asked, then quickly caught himself. "Forget it, that's foolish."
"Dragoons jump, of course, but not for that," Dion said.
"You mean, no?" Joshua asked again.
"No," the prince answered honestly. "I'm still learning."
The boy grunted and glanced around the other cabinets, then caught his eye on a ladder placed specifically for reaching the high shelves.
"Look!" Joshua pointed to the ladder and, approaching it, carefully lifted it. It was light enough for him to drag it to the desired bookshelves himself. "Now we can get the book."
Dion nodded happily and reached for the ladder, but the Dominant beat him to it.
"I'll get it myself," he said.
Joshua set the ladder down and began to climb carefully. The first few steps were confident enough, but when he was just a few steps away from the treasured book, he suddenly stopped.
"Joshua?" Dion called. "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights."
The boy blushed deeply. He knew the prince spoke with concern, not mockery, but he didn't want his friend to be nervous.
"My Eikon can fly, so by definition I can't be afraid of heights," he muttered, a bold statement, as Joshua hadn't yet fully transformed into the Phoenix and couldn't say for sure how he'd feel during flight, though he wasn't afraid of the hypothetical possibility of taking off—quite the contrary. But right now, Joshua was worried about something else. "The ladder seems wobbly."
Dion gasped in fear. Even from a small height, falling onto the stone floor was dangerous.
"Then I'll hold it!" the prince said, grabbing the racks. "You'd better get down, we can read the book another time."
"But you want to read it now," Joshua replied sadly, looking up at the shelf. He so wanted this day with Dion to be wonderful, and he was willing to do anything. Taking a deep breath, he climbed a few more steps and finally snatched up the book he needed. "Got it!" he laughed, but then screamed: the crossbar beneath him broke in half with a crash.
"Joshua!" Joshua heard his friend's panicked voice. "Come down, as slowly as possible. I'll catch you if anything happens."
Joshua felt his heart pound in his throat, and his palms grew sweaty. Clutching the book to his chest, he slowly descended, step by step. Finally, he felt the solid floor beneath his feet. He exhaled in relief and turned to face Dion, but then his body trembled and he doubled over, coughing. The book slipped from his grip and fell to the floor with a thud.
Joshua tried to suppress it, but the coughing only worsened his chest and throat. He felt Dion's hands caressing his back, his lips whispering something soothing.
"Don't call anyone," the boy managed to croak, blinking back tears. "It's alright."
In fact, nothing was alright. When news of the Emperor and the Crown Prince's visit became known, Joshua deliberately stopped avoiding taking his medicine, started breathing more fresh air in a special corner of the garden, planted with lavender and rosemary, and trying to cast less magic. But something still triggered the attack, and now Dion was nervous. Although somewhere inside the boy felt warmth from his friend's concern, he knew he had ruined everything with this cough, and now their perfect day was ruined. The cough gradually subsided, but now Joshua was fighting back the tears threatening to roll down his cheeks.
"Joshua," Dion called softly, taking his hand and squeezing it. "Everything is alright, really. I'm so glad you got the book."
The Dominant gave a stifled sob.
"This was our little adventure, and adventures are always full of danger," the prince continued, leaning slightly to look Joshua in the face. "Just tell me: are you sure I shouldn't call someone to bring you some water or take you to the garden?"
Joshua shook his head and, trying to calm himself, began taking slow, deep breaths. The prince nodded and handed him a handkerchief so he could wipe his eyes and mouth.
"You can keep this," Dion said, blushing as he looked away. "Consider it my personal gift."
The Dominant smiled and gratefully accepted the handkerchief. Finishing his tidying up, he carefully folded it and put it in his pocket.
"Now," Joshua said quietly, "shall we read together?"
Dion nodded happily, and they headed to one of the tables.
The book was truly incredibly interesting, and Joshua was pleased to note that even Dion, who had read a lot about dragons, found it captivating. The prince showed him pages of dragons he'd seen himself, and while there weren't many of those, Joshua had never seen a dragon before, so he was delighted with every story Dion told. He decided to ignore the incident with the ladder, deciding, like the prince, to consider it a small adventure, especially since everything had ended well, and most importantly, Dion was having fun.
The book was too long for them to read it all in one day, so the boys decided to finish the rest tomorrow and go somewhere else for now.
"The training grounds!" Joshua announced their next destination cheerfully. "The Shields should be training there at this hour. And Clive will be there! He's very strong, even without the Phoenix's Blessing. Maybe we'll get to see him train!"
Dion's eyes lit up.
"I'm very interested to see," he smiled.
Placing the book on one of the lower shelves, they hurried outside toward the sounds of battle. The Shields were indeed training on the ground, and to Joshua's delight, not only Clive but also Jill was there. What's more, the girl was holding Torgal!
"Clive! Jill!" the boy called out happily. They turned and smiled at the boys. Clive greeted Dion with a slight bow, and Jill gave a brief curtsy. "And this is Torgal!" Joshua nodded toward the pup. "I wrote to you about him."
Dion bowed slightly and looked at Torgal.
"Nice to meet you, Torgal," he said politely, but his lips were visibly trembling as he tried to suppress a smile. "Could I," the prince blushed but kept his gaze fixed on the pup, "pet him?"
"Of course," Jill replied. "Just let him sniff your hand first. It'll be a greeting."
The prince carefully extended his hand, back down. Torgal sniffed it cautiously, then, with a yelp, licked the prince's fingers and playfully butted him, as if inviting him to pet him, which Dion complied with, letting out an admiring sigh.
"You're fluffy," Dion said, and Jill and Clive exchanged glances, exchanging smiles.
"Have you come to watch the fights?" Joshua's older brother asked. "I hope you remember that it's not a good idea to just wander around the training grounds. You're lucky," he added more quietly, "that Mother and Father are keeping the Emperor company right now."
"Joshua said that, with luck, we might get to see you spar, Lord Rosfield," Dion said, looking up from the pup. He immediately stood up straight, clasping his hands behind his back, and his tone became serious. "He's written to me extensively of your abilities, and I know that even beyond Rosaria, the eldest son of Rosfield Family is renowned as one of the most gifted swordsmen of his generation. It would be an honor to witness the First Shield's skill in action."
Joshua's mouth opened in delight, but then, remembering his manners, he snapped it shut. The boy was often upset that Dion tried to appear too mature for his age, but there were times when he did it so diligently that it was incredibly endearing.
"Thank you for your high praise, Your Highness," Clive replied calmly, making it clear that he truly would not be modest in his assessment of his abilities. "But I hasten to point out that Rosaria is proud of each of its Shields, and I am only doing my duty to the Archduke and my brother."
Somewhere behind him, Torgal sneezed.
"It seems Torgal wants to watch the fight too," said Jill.
"Yes!" Joshua exclaimed. "Please, Clive!"
"That's an excellent idea, Lord Rosfield," Sir Murdoch approached them, apparently having overheard part of the conversation. "You know how breathtaking it is to watch an interesting fight." Joshua couldn't help but notice Clive's mentor glance at him and Dion and smile. Then Sir Murdoch nodded toward Sir Wade, one of the Shields. "How about a sparring match with Sir Wade?"
"It would be an honor," said the Shield.
The other soldiers had already begun to turn in their direction, and realizing their lord was about to hold a demonstration, they began to murmur approvingly. Joshua took Dion by the hand and led him closer to Jill, where he would have the best view of the proceedings.
"Good luck, Clive! And Sir Wade too!" the boy waved cheerfully at the fighters already taking their places on the arena.
Sir Wade chose a practice two-handed sword, while Clive preferred his usual one-handed sword. The Shield bowed briefly to Dion in greeting, after which both fighters took their stances. Sir Murdoch gave the signal to begin.
The deafening clash of steel on steel was drowned out by the approving roar of the crowd.
Joshua was only just beginning his training, as physical exertion could trigger attacks, but it was precisely by constantly observing the Shields' training that he learned to evaluate fighting styles and techniques by eye and attempt to predict the outcome of a fight. Sir Wade was older, taller, and obviously physically stronger than Clive, who at seventeen was still growing. However, his speed and weight made it easier for him to prepare for a parry, as the heavier man, especially with a two-handed sword, took more time to prepare for a strike. However, Sir Wade's attacks were still powerful enough to impose his own forceful fighting style on the First Shield, and at first, Clive was primarily on the defensive.
"Come on, Clive!" Joshua, completely unabashed, jumped up and down and raised his fist in the air, cheering for his older brother.
"You can do it!" Jill led the way more calmly, but her soft voice still carried great power.
People around him also shouted encouragement to both the First Shield and Sir Wade, but Joshua, despite his respect for both Shields, always rooted for his brother. Dion stood silently, his gaze periodically shifting from one fighter to the next, sometimes frowning, sometimes widening in surprise. The Dominant saw that his friend was genuinely interested in what was happening, but who would simply stand silently during such a spectacle?
"Why aren't you cheering, Dion?" Joshua whispered.
"Me?" the prince was taken aback. "Well..." He looked clearly embarrassed. "During dragoon training, we often cheer for each other, but when Father and I watch battles at festivals, we usually watch silently. Father says I shouldn't... become like the crowd, but maintain the dignity of a ruler." Dion's face turned pink and he turned away. "I don't mean to imply that all of you here are 'wrong,' and I'm ultimately distracting you from your brother's fight..."
Joshua sighed. He also sat silently at official tournaments, as he wasn't supposed to pick favorites, but this was just a friendly fight, with no consequences other than the spectacular maneuvers the spectators would see. Knowing that Dion, poor thing, would be apologizing for a long time, the boy felt embarrassed and squeezed the prince's hand tightly to calm him.
"Dion," he whispered softly. "I wasn't reproaching you at all. I was simply curious why you were so quiet. No one will be offended if you remain silent, but while the Emperor isn't looking, why not cheer for Clive or Sir Wade a little? No one will say anything about your alleged inappropriate behavior."
Dion froze, but then nodded gratefully, smiling shyly.
"But who should I root for?" he asked worriedly. "If I root for your brother, he might think I'm trying to flatter him, but if I root for Sir Wade, he might think I'm doing him a favor."
Oh, Dion, Joshua thought fondly, squeezing the prince's hand even tighter. In fact, of all of us here, you're the only one thinking about that...
"You can root for anyone," the boy replied. "And if you're still afraid of offending someone, just don't say their name. Then you'll root for everyone at once!"
Dion frowned, considering, and nodded.
"Brilliant! You're right, Joshua," he looked at Joshua with admiration. "You're so smart!"
"I'm so glad you two found common ground," Jill's voice rang out nearby, "but now the fun begins."
The boys turned their heads toward the arena in unison.
Clive and Sir Wade continued to fight as they had at the beginning: the knight launched sweeping blows, and the First Shield blocked them. Joshua noticed that they were both beginning to tire, but Sir Wade still had the advantage in weight and weapon strength. Meanwhile, Clive, tired, iwas finding increasingly difficult to block, especially considering the strain that the collision with the heavy two-handed sword was putting on his body. But suddenly, just as Sir Wade was raising his hand to begin the swing, he abruptly closed the distance, slipping right under the other knight's sword and delivering a precise blow to the guard, deflecting the force of Sir Wade's attack and throwing him off balance.
"Well done, Clive!" cried the Dominant, clutching the wooden railing.
"Clive, now's your chance!" "Jill echoed, and even Torgal seemed to understand what was happening and let out a deafening bark.
"You can do it... Lord Rosfield!" Dion's voice sounded a little embarrassed, but Joshua was sure Clive had heard it. The boy was flattered that his friend had chosen to root for his brother.
The First Shield, taking advantage of the situation, spun sharply on his heel and rushed toward Sir Wade. With a two-handed sword, he simply wouldn't have been able to block in time, and so Clive's blade stopped dead at the knight's throat.
The crowd froze, but after a few seconds, joyful cheers broke out.
"Victory is Lord Rosfield's!" Sir Murdoch declared.
Clive wiped the sweat from his brow, walked over to Sir Wade, and helped him to his feet. He then shook his hand, and the fighters smiled openly at each other. After that, he placed his training sword on the rack, walked over to Joshua, Dion, and Jill, and stroked Torgal, who was sitting in her arms.
"That was amazing!" The prince was clearly trying to control himself, but his eyes sparkled with delight. "Especially the maneuver at the end! And without magic! Pure martial skill!"
"Thank you, Your Highness," Clive smiled at the praise. "And for cheering for me, too."
The boy froze and, embarrassed, lowered his gaze to the ground, blushing.
"To be honest," he muttered, "I enjoyed both your and Sir Wade's moves equally. But I thought Joshua would be happier with your victory."
"Dion..." Joshua whispered, unsure what to say. He thought he'd become too attached to the prince, but it turned out that wasn't the limit. A pleasant warmth spread through his chest.
"Fair enough," Clive laughed softly. "You are friends, after all."
"Yes," Dion smiled. "But you truly fought admirably. I'm very glad I was able to witness that."
The First Shield chuckled amiably.
"Perhaps when you're older, we can have a training fight, if you wish."
"Can I?" Dion exclaimed. "I mean... Of course. I'll train even harder."
"I'll be looking forward to it," Clive nodded. "Speaking of impatience. Have you been to the library yet, Your Highness? Joshua specially selected several books for you and was very eager to read them with you."
"Yes, we were already there," Joshua happily interrupted the prince. "Everything was fine."
"Yes," Dion added hastily. "We were just reading. Nothing happened."
Clive raised his eyebrows, curiosity etched on his face.
"Actually, I just wanted to say that if you haven't been to the library yet, you don't have much time left. You'll probably be called for tea soon."
"What?" Joshua gasped. "It's that late already? But we haven't been in the garden yet!"
"Don't worry," Jill said. "There's a gazebo in the garden. You can ask for tea there."
"That would be even better," Dion agreed. "While we're drinking tea, we can admire the garden. I'm sure we'll see plenty of flowers even from the gazebo."
Joshua nodded after a moment's thought, then the boys said goodbye to Clive, Jill, and Torgal (the Dominant happily noted that this time the prince didn't ask permission, but instead stroked the pup, who happily wagged his tail in response). They decided not to wait for the maids to call them and instead found one of them themselves to ask if she could organize a tea party for them in the garden.
After a while, they were sitting in the gazebo, drinking tea and munching on snacks, discussing the day and plans for tomorrow.
"I wish it were always like this," Dion suddenly said, turning his head toward the gradually setting sun. "I'd like to see you every day, Joshua."
"I'd like to see you too," Joshua nodded happily. "To be honest, I've been thinking all day about how we could arrange it."
"So what did you come up with?" " the prince inquired, picking up his cup.
The boy paused for a moment, realizing the weight of what he was about to propose. Frowning, he tried to sound as serious as possible as he said,
"We're getting married, Dion."
Dion choked on his tea and coughed, covering his mouth with his hand.
"Excuse me?" he asked, trying to catch his breath.
"We're getting married," Joshua repeated. "Married people live together and see each other every day."
"Won't we stop being friends then? We'll become family instead. Not that I'm against it, but..."
"I don't think we'll stop being friends after that. And we'll have our own families, right? Do you think we'll succeed?" the Dominant asked excitedly.
Dion fell silent and took a few sips of tea, deep in thought.
"That makes sense," he finally concluded. "But we can't marry just because we want to. We are the Dominants, and our marriages will depend not only on the will of our parents, but also on the will of our peoples. Besides, children can't marry. Wedding ceremonies are only held for adults."
"What then?" Joshua looked down sadly. Initially, the plan had seemed perfect, but now he realized how absurd it had been.
"Mmm," Dion groaned. "We can make a promise to each other. That when we become adults, we will definitely marry. Even if we have to wait many years, I believe our friendship will not fade during that time. I will always be your friend."
The boy blushed and nodded quickly.
"We will always be friends!" he said. "And how will we seal the promise? Some small gift, perhaps?"
"All the gifts brought from Sanbreque are most likely in the room where Father is staying," the prince sighed sadly. "And I don't have anything with me."
Joshua thoughtfully crunched on a cookie. He, too, had no valuable gift for Dion. And then an idea struck him. Carefully drying his hands on a towel, he pulled two handkerchiefs from his pocket and placed them on the table.
"I've had my own handkerchief all this time," the boy said apologetically, remembering how the prince had given him his in the library. "You said I could keep your one as a gift, but why don't we make them symbols of the promise? Of course, the handkerchief are not jewelry, but the main thing is that they're equal," he placed his hand on his handkerchief. "I, Joshua Rosfield, promise that when I grow up, I will become your husband. I give you my handkerchief as a symbol of that promise, and I ask you to keep it safe until the promise is fulfilled."
Joshua tried to make his words sound important and solemn. This must have impressed Dion. But, looking at his friend, the boy realized he was crying.
"What's wrong?" Was that too much? Had he upset Dion with how hasty he'd been? "Oh, Dion, I'm sorry if I offended you in any way..."
"No, no!" Dion sniffled softly and looked straight into Joshua's eyes, ignoring the tears that continued to stream down his face. "You didn't offend me. On the contrary. This was the best day of my life. I just wanted to ask..." He swallowed convulsively. "It may not always be true, but people get married if they love each other. And even though we're friends... Do you think, Joshua, could I ever be worthy of your love?"
Joshua opened his mouth, feeling his cheeks burn. Had Dion really not understood anything yet?
"I want to spend every day of my life with you, because you're the most wonderful person in the world, Dion," the boy smiled, blushing even more. "Is that an appropriate answer?"
The prince sniffed again and placed his handkerchief on his arm.
"I love you too," he whispered. "And so I, Dion Lesage, promise that when I grow up, I will become your husband. I give you my handkerchief as a symbol of that promise, and I ask you to keep it safe until the promise is fulfilled."
The boys nodded to each other, and each took the handkerchief offered. Joshua jumped up from his seat and, nearly knocking over their cups, hugged his friend tightly, who immediately hugged him back. Both boys laughed joyfully, and Joshua thought that Dion was right: this really was the best day ever.