Chapter Text
"Your Highness."
"Young Master Cale. You're calling quite late."
They have been planning a few things for a few days now, the crown prince in the castle whilst Cale travels from one region to another. Another big battle should come soon—and it's worrisome to think that it might happen in more than one place. They both have to be prepared in case the White Star decides to strike the Roan Kingdom. Else, the citizens might be at risk.
The crown prince has been even busier recently. He's not someone who usually looks anything less than the best, but tonight there are heavy eye bags under his dyed-blue eyes and his hair doesn't frame his face as perfectly as it typically does. The paperwork that surrounds his desk piles up like mountains and mountains seem never-ending. Cale's observant gaze scans through Alberu's exhausted figure.
"Let's get the strategizing done quickly, Your Highness."
"Hyung-nim."
This person.. Really?
He heaves a sigh, "..Hyung-nim. I'll make my report of the information we collected so far then."
Cale sees Alberu nodding, propping his face on one hand while the other still meticulously scratches the pen against whatever document he needs to go over and sign next. He knows though that the prince is listening, regardless.
The two go over the situation fairly quickly. It helps that both of them are often within the same frequency and line of thinking, but this particular night Cale is hastening the pace of the discussion and Alberu—unexpectedly—fails to point out. Maybe it's the obvious fatigue, maybe he also wants to end it quickly so he can go back to work, Cale isn't sure. All he knows is that the night gets later and more things are settled for their roadmap.
Next thing he knows, he’s in the middle of explaining another thing when Alberu's head lolls down, eyes finally unable to blink away the sleepiness at bay. Cale's gaze widens slightly in momentary surprise before it softens. He has to hold back a chuckle—he doesn't want to wake Alberu and the children are also asleep in his room at the moment. Since when did the pen scratches stop and he pushed aside all the remaining papers? Thankfully, the hand that props the prince’s face allows him to rest there without his head hitting the wooden desk underneath. If not, Cale thinks, it would probably be painful and leave a red mark on Alberu’s unblemished—pale, thanks to dye magic again—forehead.
It can’t be a comfortable position to sleep in though, still. Much as he wishes to at least move the crown prince to a couch or a better position on the chair, they’re physically apart by hundreds of kilometres at minimum. Adding to that, it’s late at night and Raon is asleep. Even if Cale somehow teleports to the palace, he has never shown up this late before and it would probably just alarm the guards and the servants who are still awake.
Maybe he's been working the crown prince a bit too hard? He thinks as he ends the call. It feels odd too to be the one to hang up—usually, Alberu is the one doing that. The record of the prince's sleeping face comes to mind. Innocent, he looks younger and unguarded, very much unlike how he acts whenever he's with other vassals or administratives of the Kingdom.
Well, whatever. When Cale goes to the palace next, he should just bring Alberu more good news and spare him one of Raon's apple pies.