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Cale looks at the body lying on top of him and sighs, pulling the dagger out of his target's neck, watching the blood gush out and stain his pale skin. He carelessly throws the body aside and gets up, picking up the robe he was wearing before and heading toward the closet, pausing for a moment to look at himself in the full-length mirror in the suite.
In addition to the blood, his body is covered in hickies and bites that are already starting to turn yellow on his pale skin. A grimace forms on Cale's face just thinking about what Alberu will say when he sees his condition.
He kneels in front of the closet and picks up the small flare that was hidden before this mission and presses the button, getting up and putting on his robe just as a knock is heard and the door is opened with a few people entering the room.
He sees the familiar faces of his team members and raises his hand to wave a quick "I'm fine" when Arthur gives him a questioning look.
He leaves the room and quickly exits the building, walking around until he reaches the meeting point. A wizard greets him and nods before activating the teleportation circle.
He closes his eyes, feeling slightly dizzy, and when he opens them, he is already in the palace's teleportation circle. He quietly leaves the room and heads for the crown prince's bedroom. Cale enters the room, trying to ignore Tasha's worried look, and closes the door behind him.
Cale slowly walks to the dressing table and sits down, watching his reflection in the mirror. His loose hair is longer than before, reaching his shoulders, his lips are vibrant red thanks to the lipstick, and a pair of gold earrings stand out in his ears.
He takes a cloth and dips it into the jar beside him, wetting it and bringing it to his lips, rubbing gently to remove the lipstick. As he concentrates, he doesn't notice the sound of the door opening or the footsteps approaching him until his neck is wrapped in two arms.
"You're early," Alberu comments, kissing the top of Cale's head. Cale turns his head to look at the prince and smiles when a kiss is placed on his lips. He turns his whole body, taking advantage of the fact that Alberu has removed his arms from his neck, and hooks his own arms around Alberu's neck, leaning in for the kiss.
Cale pulls away first and can't help but smile again when he sees Alberu's lips stained with the rest of the lipstick.
"That was surprisingly easy, I expected it to take longer," Cale murmurs and leans toward Alberu, but this time it's Alberu who pulls away before Cale can even touch his lips.
Cale bites his lip. "What's wrong?" Cale asks, tilting his head.
Alberu scans Cale, assessing the little skin he can see through the robe, and his eyes darken when he sees the bite mark on Cale's leg.
"I already told you that you should leave this squad," Alberu says after taking a deep breath for a moment. He leans over Cale and begins to carefully remove the accessories and makeup from Cale's face before helping him up and leading him to the bathroom.
He watches Cale take off his robe, and another grimace appears on his face when he sees the state of Cale's body. He lets Cale sit in the bathtub first before taking off his own clothes and necklace and sitting behind Cale.
Alberu takes the soap and puts some in his hands before starting to massage Cale's shoulders, who slowly relaxes with the gentle touch.
Cale leans against Alberu, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths, letting the action and the familiar environment relax him. The soft scent of lavender soap, which Alberu knows is Cale's favorite, fills the bathroom and removes the sickening stench of blood.
They stay in the bathtub for a few more minutes before Alberu gets up and pulls Cale out of the tub. When they enter the bedroom, Alberu goes to the closet to get some clothes for himself, and Cale goes to the bed, picking up the light-colored pajamas that always seem to be waiting for him on the bed.
Getting dressed takes no more than a few minutes, and Cale lets himself relax on the bed, enjoying the softness of the mattress. He feels warm and cozy, so it's not surprising when his eyes slowly begin to close.
"You should take a potion," Alberu says as he reaches out, a small bottle of what must be a healing potion extended toward Cale.
"Jealous, Your Highness?" Cale asks in a slightly mocking tone before taking the bottle from Alberu's hand and drinking it all.
"I don't like seeing what you have to do in that squad," Alberu says, but does not deny Cale's question. He takes the bottle and places it on the small table next to the bed and lies down, pulling Cale toward him and hugging him.
Cale presses his lips together, snuggling up to Alberu. The smell of lavender grows stronger as he gets closer to the source. Cale turns around, facing Alberu's face.
"You know it's necessary, Your Highness. We've already managed to kill and capture several members of the Arm."
"Just because it's necessary doesn't mean I like it."
Cale looks away, and Alberu takes a deep breath.
Alberu holds Cale's face with both hands.
"We've had this conversation before, and you know how I feel about it. I really don't want to argue with you when we're both exhausted. Today was a long day."
And Cale knows it was. He can see it from the wrinkled clothes Alberu was wearing earlier and the dark circles under his eyes that seem to have gotten even bigger. Cale also knows how tired he is from all the preparations for today's mission and the upcoming missions, and that he will say things he doesn't mean if they argue now.
"It's okay, let's just go to sleep, okay?" Cale says, softening his tone of voice. Alberu smiles and leans in, kissing Cale's forehead.
"Yes, let's go to sleep."