17 Friends Doing Friend Things

After their first official awkward interaction, Luken and Rowan simply enjoyed each other's company. As Luken was not much of a speaker (and he realized that he fumbled too much when trying to interact with Rowan), Rowan also did not talk as he only spoke when he was asked a question.

Luken and Gale did ask him a couple of questions about how to solve this and that in the country.

Other than that, Luken whisked Rowan away from the office after a short round of questions, leaving a crying and begging Gale behind in his study room.

As they walked further away, Gale could be heard wailing that he was their friend too and that they should take him along for a break.

Although Luken acknowledged Gale as a friend long ago, he felt that he should consolidate his friendship with Rowan. The man in the mirror was better company than that talkative fool.

Silently walking around outside, reading books in the library, and occasionally, Luken would have Rowan hang out near a window where he could observe ongoings of the palace while Luken works.

Whenever Luken has Rowan face him (well, the mirror's reflection, not his actual face), the platinum haired man would open his mouth as if to speak, but immediately close it in embarrassment.

Rowan always wanted to hear the man awkwardly babble about like last time, though no matter how they spend their time together, he truly enjoyed it.

Friendship is simply nice.

Days peacefully passed by like this, however, peace was always short.

It had been a little over a month since Rowan first arrived and winter arrived early.

The castle had to bustle around to prepare for the oncoming blizzards that would soon plague the country for a few months.

Though, that was not a part of Luken's current concerns.

Gale, in his usual flamboyant manner of blasting doors open with wind magic, came in with scrunched up eyebrows and green eyes that flashed with annoyance.

"There's a situation with Olinthus."

The king hesitated before looking at the wooden mirror in his hand.

"Do you want to stay and listen?"

"If possible, yes."

The blond haired man mentally rolled his eyes at the interaction, after the two became friends, they ignored him for days. Letting him drown in the piles of paperwork. Well Luken did, Rowan tried his best to answer as many of his questions while Luken timed their interactions to hog Rowan.

'I want to hang out with Rowan too! I want to be friends with him!' Gale inwardly wailed, while his face was still somber as he still had his priorities straight.

"Olinthus claimed that we have stolen a magic relic from them."

Raising a sword-like eyebrow at that report, Luken was frankly surprised that it took that long for Olinthus to break down.