In the Tower

The room was dark only for a moment until Ali snapped his fingers and sent sparks of light into the air. Flames took shape like dragonflies and fluttered, lighting lanterns and torches in the chamber. Once again they exhaled. Snow leaned back against the door and Ali pressed himself into him. "That's a different side of you, Snow," he remarked as he patted the door beside Snow's face. Another hand reached around his partner's waist and pulled each other close. "I would have thought you'd allow them to separate us tonight. It was rather enriching to see you give a cold shoulder."

Snow kept huffing deep breaths before he pushed himself off the door and held himself close to Ali. "I wouldn't let that happen. No one can tell a king what to do, can they?" he whispered before giving a kiss to Ali's cheek. Hands began to slowly slide down his lover's sides and slip between the folds of his robes until skin found skin. He exhaled with relief. "I missed your warmth," he said softly.

The two began to disrobe one another as they exchanged sweet kisses to whichever body part their lips found, whether it be face, neck, or shoulder until they were both stripped naked. Snow pushed Ali back onto his large bed that was made with the finest, heaviest furs, and climbed on top of him and straddled his hips. He eyed Ali softly and smiled.

"See something you like?" the other said with a cocky smirk and a raised eyebrow. He reached both hands out to gently take hold of Snow's. He rubbed his thumb over his hand for a moment, and then jerked Snow towards, making him collapse on top of him, and then swiftly embraced him. "Seems I've bundled a snowball together," he teased as he rolled over, flipping their positions. "You know, I'm going to miss us like this, running up to your tower and huddling up together in your bed."

"Who on earth said it's going to end? We're not leaving Stone Roll anytime soon," Snow laughed as he shifted himself awkwardly to pull back the bed furs. "We'll be living here for a while until we have a castle of our own, you know. Our parents have yet to even begin building it.

"True. They're still arguing over where exactly it'll be located. My father is adamant about you coming to rule with me over the Waning Sands meanwhile your father wishes for us to stay here in Stone Roll. A shame our kingdoms aren't closer, otherwise, surely we could just move somewhere between them. You know it'll be one of the first things they ask us to decide on after the celebration, don't you?" Ali groaned for the moment until finally, they were comfortable underneath the furs, arms back around each other and his chest pressing against Snow's backside, lips tasting the nape of the neck.

Snow didn't respond, save for slowly reaching his hand to feel along Ali's arm and lace his fingers between the other's. He sighed deeply, sending a puff of faint fog against the surface of his pillow. As Ali shivered behind him, Snow shook his head.

Another kiss was given. "If you want to stay here, I won't object to it," he whispered, the tone of his voice had changed to one more assuring and soft. "I know how important Stone Roll is to you. You need only say so and we can begin the arrangements right away."

Still, Snow remained silent.

It was a conflict of feelings, wanting to stay for the good of his kingdom, yet also secretly wanting to turn tail and flee from his responsibilities. It was a battle between what he wanted and more so what he thought would be best not just for himself but also for his subjects - for what his citizens wanted more than anything else. Nobility could only act like they were immune from other's words until it seemed their entire world had turned its back on him. Snow had heard the commoner's whispers during his teenage years when he'd go into the city market disguised, the gossip of the castle maids, and the drunken banter from the guards. No one wanted him to ascend to the throne or even for him to take Ali as his partner.

Even those few accepting of such still detested Snow, commonly dismissing him as soft and weak-willed. The prince indeed had inherited his heart from his mother, being one to pardon those for petty crimes, charitable to even the most infamous black-hearted of beggars and crooks, banishing or only jailing those who would arguably be better put to death, and so on. Snow had not once even slain a boar or an elk during a single hunt. Oftentimes his arrows only pierced the ground at the animal's feet or a nearby tree.

Despite all this, Snow still had every hope to stay in Stone Roll for his family. The thought of leaving Arthur and Ophelia for the sands was unthinkable to him. He wanted nothing more than to keep his loved ones close. Arthur himself had been one of the first to learn of his and Ali's passion for each other during an embarrassing episode a few years back. He could still vividly remember the confused look on his father's face, having just peeked inside Snow's tower to call them to supper only to see them both amid a dance, one dipping the other low and lips meeting...all until the door opened and Ali dropped him to the floor. Snow had never drunk at dinner until that evening.

Although he was not ashamed of himself, Snow knew that he wasn't the ruler his people expected. Doubt still plagued him, unable to shake it off as easily as others made it seem.

He shifted himself so that he faced Ali. "No more talk, please. It'll ruin the moment," he whispered. Snow reached one hand around Ali's neck and pulled his face close into a tender kiss. The other hand snaked its way down Ali's body until he found what would rile his lover. He smirked through the kiss. "Found a hot spot," he teased as he curled his fingers, earning an exciting shudder. Snow had hardly regained composure before wincing, feeling both of Ali's hands toying with his body.

"Felt a cold front," he snickered.

The lantern lights began to dim, flickered, and in a flash, they were out.