.

The butler and the prince both took a deep breath. As if the wind was excited for this too, a gust shook through the trees and darted between the balcony. Everything was quiet, and both of them were staring deep into each other's eyes. It occurred to Sebastian that he quite liked this butler's deep green eyes. Then, they said, at the same time, 

"I was awake when you kissed me."

"I read your old journal in the library."

Both gaped at eachother for a full minute, before Sebastian, who now couldn't hide the fact that not only his cheeks, but his whole face and even his ears were a bright red, yelled, "BUTLER, YOU WHAT?!" The butler's face was also now completely red as well, and he yelled, "YOU WERE AWAKE?!" And so, on they went. 

"You were awake??!?!?!?" Jylan yelled, slapping his face with two hands. 

"You read the journal from 12 years ago?!" Sebastian yelped, grabbing the butler's shoulders and shaking them. 

"I thought - wait, no, My Prince, I didn't think - but I was curious!" The butler protested as the prince continued to shake his shoulders.

"And thought you were going to rob me!" The prince shouted, letting go of the butler's shoulders and punching the door instead. 

"I'm sorry! I had to do it!" Jylan said, exasperated, and reaching for the prince. 

"Why?" Sebastian said, instantly turning around and grabbing the butler's hand. His blue eyes were full of something that wasn't emptiness, sadness, or hurt. Instead, they were bright and brimming with hope, studying the butler. Then the butler took a deep breath.

"It's because I like you, My Prince. Both were because I want to get to know you." 

The prince blinked once, then twice, then let go of the butler's hand and rubbed his ears. 

"Say that again, please, butler?" Sebastian asked, not believing what he was hearing. The wind was now blowing harder, carrying the two's words to each other like a sacred messenger. His head was spinning a bit, for some reason, but suddenly all of it made sense. 

He liked the butler too. More than he could have ever said out loud. 

Then his head stung again, and it felt like something was cutting at Sebastian's wrist - a sharp stinging pain. He looked down to see a string of brightly glowing runes dancing along his palm. Then, as Sebastian looked at them, they each shattered like a piece of glass, with a tinkling chime, and disappeared. Gone. The butler was looking at the rune in amazement too, and then he murmured, softly, 

"True love. We broke the curse."