Chapter 18

Sol woke up by himself before Jade could come barging into his room which was a feat in itself because it took his personal servant hours of coercing to get him out of bed.

So Jade nearly had an aneurysm when his presence was requested by Sol, hurrying over with the fear that maybe his charge was choking to death in his sleep.

“Your Grace!” He exclaimed, throwing open the wide doors that led to Sol’s bedroom in a panic.

Sol just stretched languidly, the night shirt he slept in riding up to show a sliver of his slender waist. “Don’t make so much noise so early in the mornin…” He started to complain.

Jade was already hurrying over in horror. “The King save us, are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?” He started to question, checking Sol over.

Sol was confused. “What are you doing? What are you talking about?”

“How are you awake? Did someone disturb your sleep?” He asked some more questions, eyeing the waiting servants present with dark eyes.

“No, no, I woke up all by myself.” Sol clarified.

Jade pressed both of his hands to his chest at this, horror on his face like he was being flayed alive. “It’s barely dawn, are you well?”

“If I wasn’t expecting this I might have been upset.” Sol muttered dryly. “But that’s not important, I want to get cleaned up, I would like to practice horse riding.”

Jade’s expression of terror only intensified, those were two out of the list of many things that Sol disliked doing. What could have gotten into him?

“Are you sure?” He couldn’t help but ask, looking skeptical.

“But of course.” Sol nodded seriously. “The ceremony of the Warrior Maidens is in less that a week after all, if I’m to be riding with my father I must be on my best behavior…” he added, already making a move to take his night clothes off.

Jade was perplexed. “Whatever are you going on about?” He asked with a frown.

“Ah I must have forgotten to tell you.” He chuckled nervously, pushing his hair back from his face with both hands. “Father agreed to my request of joining him in leading the main procession…”

“And you are just telling me?!” He exclaimed, interrupting him for the second time.

Jade was thrown into a panic for the second time that morning but for a different reason, Sol just stepped back, settling on the bed for good measure while Jade paced around his bedroom and went on a monolog of how he was going to get beheaded for sure this time.

Sol could understand his panic but was more interested in actually getting some practice done because for the first time, he did care about the outcome because it would determine how much freedom he would get from now on.

They eventually got past Sol’s morning routine, quite quickly too with the fine state that Jade worked himself into after Sol told him that he would be going down to the city for the first time in his life.

Jade practically dragged him outside his palace, instructing him to materialize his wings while the slender redhead threw orders around to prepare a horse for him to practice his riding form.

Sol grudgingly let his wings appear behind his back, the large, majestic, gold tinted wings dwarfing him.

Thankfully, for the day’s practice Jade had been kind enough to put him in light clothes, merely a thin shirt and loose pantaloons with a sash around his waist and riding boots.

There was open space all around which was perfect for practice but the procession was going to move slowly so there was no need to practice running.

“We’ll do this in the garden.” Jade decided, taking Sol’s wrist to get the prince where he needed him to be.

Sol let himself be dragged, relieved that not only did Jade have his wings out but he also directed all the servants to materialize their wings as well, no doubt to make Sol feel more at ease. He appreciated the sentiment.

“Stop hugging the horse!” Jade snapped at the umpteenth failed try.

Sol was in misery, clutching the horse’s flank while being a sweaty mess. “But if I don’t I’ll get blown off.” He whined.

Jade tugged at his hair, very close to giving up. “Were you not taught how to ride a horse?” He asked in disbelief, the angel that had taught him didn’t need to come around anymore but that was because Sol could perfectly ride a horse.

Sol rubbed the back of his neck, coming down from the horse before he fell off. “My trainer permitted me to learn to ride a horse without my wings out.” He said sheepishly.

Jade just crumbled slowly to the ground, his head in his hands, this was exactly why he always liked to be present whenever Sol had classes, it didn’t matter which.

Because he easily won the hearts of his teachers and they didn’t hesitate to grant his requests.

It meant that Sol was an impeccable rider but just couldn’t manage it with his wings out, what use was it then? Because there was no way he could be around the King without his wings out not to talk of an entire ceremony procession.

There was no time to bring on his trainer to take him in more classes, not only that but Sol was extremely awkward with his wings, that wasn’t right for a Prince.

He had also fallen prey to Sol’s charms, he would have to remedy them. Well, it was more like he never expected that Sol would be granted leave to go down to the rest of the kingdom.

Sol just watched his personal attendant have a mental breakdown in front of him, wondering if he should say something or wait for him to figure things out for himself.

Jade eventually straightened up, taking in a deep breath to strengthen his resolve, he knew just the thing to help.

“We are taking a break for a few hours.” He announced, the attendants around them already springing into action, they could clearly tell that Jade wasn’t in a spectacular mood that morning.

“Really?” Sol couldn’t help but ask, those were the last words that he expected Jade to say.

“Yes.” Jade said calmly. “But your wings stay out till I say otherwise.” He tagged on, clapping his hands.

He had been too disoriented earlier to remember to follow protocol but now that he had his wits around him, he made arrangements for a carriage to take the prince back inside his palace.

They would continue other things inside because he was sure that Sol cheated his way through all his Manners Classes, after that and some refreshment, they would return to practicing his riding pose.

Sol couldn’t have guessed what Jade had in store for him or he would have been more shaken up but at the moment he was more concerned with the troubles that he was aware of.

“I have to keep my wings out?” He whined. “While riding the carriage?”

“And even inside your palace too.” Jade said stoically, unmoved by his pouting.

Sol just watched forlornly as Jade walked the short distance back to his palace while a servant got on his hands and knees so that Sol could get into his carriage which was also carried by more attendants.

Freedom was incredibly difficult to acquire.