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El’s giggling was going to give them away.
“I need you to pull it together,” he hissed in her ear, linking their arms. She bit her lip, but that still couldn’t stop the shaking shoulders. “Seriously, you’re going to get us caught.”
“I’m just excited!” she squealed. “I mean, we’re going to the royal ball- we’re at the royal ball!”
Okay, yes, that was true and maybe if Will wasn’t on a mission, that might actually be kind of exciting. Except he was, so it wasn’t.
When they reached the top of the stairs, he tried not to marvel at the grandness of it all- the tall, gilded ceilings, the sapphire blue accents, the crystal chandeliers.
“Now who is going to get us caught?” El whispered in his ear, and he snapped back, straightening his jacket.
“Sorry, I just… I wonder who designed this room.”
“It is very beautiful. Maybe Max had something to do with it. She’s very good at making beautiful things.”
Well, if Will and El were anything to go off of.
He wondered what Mike was wearing.
Well, if he was even here. For all Will knew, he might have been completely lying about working in the palace. What would a palace worker be doing in the market, anyway, much less telling stories to a group of children?
But he’d been so kind, and looked at Will with those soft, soft eyes, and-
The point was he had to at least try.
He stuck his chin up and ignored El’s fingers in his hair, twisting pieces to and fro. “He will be here,” she said, straightening. “Is my tiara straight?”
He almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Two hours ago, they were scrubbing floors and lamenting about evil masters, and now they were concerned about jewels.
“You look beautiful.”
“You look handsome.”
“Are you ready?”
Her smile could have lit up the whole kingdom.
They followed the trail of people through the grand gold doors, into-
“Holy-”
“-Jove.”
The ballroom was spread out before them like a feast, women in poofy ball gowns being lifted high by men in glittering tuxedos. An orchestra sat on a balcony, music swelling. Will wanted to paint it.
He wondered if Mike had any connections, if maybe the palace was looking for an artist.
If Mike was even here.
El squeezed his hand and together, they began the slow descent down the marble stairs. El clung tightly to him (for all of Max’s gifts tonight, a sensible pair of shoes for El did not seem to be one of them- who gives a girl glass slippers?), her breath coming out in short, anticipatory breaths.
They stopped on the landing, where a gaggle of young ladies were standing with their chaperones. One of them reached out, grabbing El by the wrist. They both stiffened, and Will’s hand was halfway to his knife before the woman said, “Your dress is gorgeous! Who made it?”
Will looked at El, who looked at Will, who looked at the ladies, who were all looking at them. “Oh, um… just something I had,” El said softly, cheeks turning pink.
There was a painfully long moment of silence before, “Don’t be ridiculous, Sarina,” another one of the young ladies said, playfully hitting her friend with her fan. “You don’t ask a princess where she got her dress.”
Sarina blushed, curtsing. “Forgive me, your royal highness.”
“No, please, it’s so nice to meet you, I- I mean, thank you.” She curtsied and tugged Will along. “Ooh, we’re royalty now?” she whispered. “Where should we be from?”
“No where, because we’re not supposed to talk to anyone else. Now, let’s go find you someone to dance with, that way I can slip away and try to find Mike.” They made it down the stairs, and maybe Will was just paranoid, but was everyone staring at them? He felt his face heat beneath his mask, and adjusted it, blinking.
“If I’m a princess, I want to dance with the prince.”
“El,” he groaned through his teeth. “You cannot dance with the prince! The prince is looking for a bride! A real princess bride!”
“Or a prince groom,” she said, cocking her head. “Maybe you shall seduce the prince.”
“I don’t want to seduce the prince, I don’t care about the prince, I want to find Mike.” Jove, what did Mike say he did? Apprenticeship? What did that even mean? Maybe he could ask a guard? But that would probably go over like a plague-ridden rat. Oh, do you know Mike? Yes, just Mike. No, I don’t know anything else about him. Care to help me?
Right, no. It looked like Will was on his own.
He grabbed the first person he saw- a man with a mop of curly brown hair and spectacles wearing a green suit. “Would you like to dance with my sister?” he said hurriedly, and the man began to protest until he saw the sister in question.
“I’d be honored. If, of course, the lady will have me?”
El shot Will a dirty look before smiling at the man. “I’d be delighted.”
The two of them peeled off, heads already bent together in hushed conversation. He looked harmless enough- at the very least, nothing El couldn’t handle.
With that out of the way, Will returned to his plotting. Guests were spread across the plethora of balconies the room had to offer, maybe if he went above, he could spot Mike’s black curls? That was, of course, assuming he was even in the room. Seriously, what did an ‘apprentice’ even do?
His eyes followed El across the floor- the man seemed to know what he was doing, if their gliding was any indication. She laughed as he spun her, a hand planted safely on her waist, and a sudden thought occurred to Will.
Maybe, if this night went well, he wouldn’t be the only one to gain from it.
After all, no one deserved happiness more than El. She’d endured so much, so much more than anyone he knew, himself included, and if tonight was her ticket out, well then, maybe they could stay just a little longer. Maybe she’d find someone to love her tonight, to take her out of that house, away from those horrid Turnbows-
Something caught Will’s eye.
Shiny black curls, sleek and inky and-
And sitting beneath a golden crown.
Will’s stomach flipped.
Mike was here, all right. Oh Jove, was he here.
Will watched in horror as the prince made his way across the room, right towards Will.
He stopped in front of him, eyes bright, smile cocky. “May I have this dance?” he asked, bowing slightly, and oh, this was bad, this was very very bad.
Because one of two things were happening.
One, Mike had recognized Will through Max’s carefully crafted disguise and was doing exactly what Will had told him he hated more than anything- forcing him into the center of attention.
Or two, and Will wondered if this was better or worse, he didn’t recognize Will, which meant not only had he been lying, but he’d had such little regard for Will that he’d convinced Will to make a fool of himself without so much as a backwards thought.
Will realized the entire room was watching him, waiting for his answer. Even the king and queen, sitting high upon their throne, had eyes on him.
Mike waggled his fingers, a clear invitation.
“O-Of course,” Will choked out, taking Mike’s hand.
Mike led him to the center of the dance floor, placing a hand on his waist. The simple touch- so delicate and practiced- lit a fire under Will’s ass.
“I’ll lead,” he said, knocking Mike’s hand out of the way and placing his own on the narrow of Mike’s waist. Mike blinked in surprise but adjusted, setting as the band struck the first chord.
As Will guided them across the floor in a simple waltz, he let himself study Mike.
He was wearing a deep blue suit with gold embroidery, and Will seethed to realize their suits complimented each other. He wished he’d taken up Max’s offer to dress him in pumpkin orange with pink socks.
All of the excitement, the anticipation, it had all compressed into an angry stone in Will’s stomach. Why did he listen to this boy? The whole idea had been so stupid- sneak in dressed like a servant, try to find each other. Of course, Max’s magical intervention had altered the plan just so, but… what if Will had followed along initially? What would have happened then? Would he have served champagne while watching Mike flirt with every princess on the continent?
“I’m Prince Michael,” Mike said suddenly, and oh, right, they were dancing.
“Oh, are you?” he snapped back before he could help himself. “You know, I expected you to be taller.”
Mike stumbled. Will tightened his grip and hauled him back into step.
“I-” Mike laughed, a little breathless. “I’ve never heard that one before. And you are?”
Will just stuck his face over Mike’s shoulder. Where was El? He couldn’t see her ballgown in the sea of silk and tulle.
“My mother pointed you out as soon as you walked in- well, really, she pointed out your… sister, is it? What country sent you? I should know these things, but I’ve danced with every eligible noble from every map I’ve ever read, and they’re all starting to blur together.”
“Do you always flirt like this,” Will said sweetly, yanking Mike closer by the sleeve, “or are you trying to make me feel common?”
Mike’s eyes flicked down to where Will’s hand gripped him- then back up, sharp with interest.
“I’m trying to make you smile,” Mike said. “Are you allergic to it?”
“Yes,” Will replied deadpanly. “Deathly.”
That earned him a startled laugh. Mike spun him neatly, their steps snapping back into place like they’d been dancing together for years.
“You’re very bold for someone whose name I don’t know.”
“And you’re very confident for someone who thinks a title substitutes for honesty.”
Mike’s smile faltered- just a fraction. Just enough that Will caught it, along with the bob of this throat.
“I didn’t say my title to impress you,” Mike said quietly. “I said it because I… well, I wanted to say something, and truthfully, I’ve never been much of a conversationalist.”
“Only a storyteller, right?”
Mike blinked. Then swallowed. His hand at Will’s waist tightened.
“You act like I’ve offended you,” Mike said. As they neared the edge of the floor, his gaze drifted over the crowds, eyes searching, searching for what? Will pressed harsh fingers to his jaw, forcing his eyes back on him, even as he continued to search for El.
“I think we both know you have.”
“And yet you’re still here,” Mike said with a grimace before chuckling. “Come on, just tell me what I did. I swear to repent.”
Will met his eyes then, sharp and glittering. “Don’t flatter yourself. I just hate unfinished conversations.”
Mike studied him, something earnest breaking through the practiced charm. The song ended, and Will stepped back as if Mike had burned him- he supposed in a way, he had. He bowed stiffly, ready to find El and high-tail it back to the manor, before Mike grabbed his hand, pulling him back to him. “Wait.”
“Your Highness, I-”
“Stay,” he said. “Finish it.”
And for a second, he looked like the boy from the market again, that soft, open face, those pleading eyes.
And in that second, Will’s stomach flipped, and he couldn’t stop himself- he stepped back in, meeting Mike’s gaze. “I’ll lead,” Mike said, and Will let him.
The crowd pressed around them, music starting up again somewhere above, but Mike barely seemed to notice. His attention kept slipping- flicking past Will’s shoulder, scanning the dancers, the servants at the edges of the room, the shadows between columns.
“I see,” Will snarked. “First you beg me to stay, then you ignore me.”
Mike flushed, his attention snapping back to Will. “No- no! I just… I was looking for… it’s nothing.”
“If you insist, Mystery Man.”
Mike barked out a laugh. “Oh, I’m the mystery man? You won’t even tell me your name, or where you’re from- for all I know, you’ve been sent here to kill me.”
Will shrugged, but he couldn’t fight the smile teasing at his lips. “Maybe I have. Maybe I’m secretly an assassin, waiting to slit your throat.”
But Mike just smiled. “Then you better get the job done.”
Will scoffed, the sound coming out easier than it should have. “Please. If I wanted you dead, you’d never see it coming.”
Mike’s breath caught.
“…You said that,” he murmured.
Will froze.
The space between them shifted, then snapped into place. Mike was staring at him now, eyebrows raised in disbelief.
“You said that in the market,” Mike continued quietly. “When I asked if you were dangerous.”
Will’s mouth opened, then closed again. Too late to take it back.
“You said… Will?”
And oh, there he was.
He bared his teeth in what he hoped was a bashful smile. “Hello, Mike.”
Mike was silent for one, two, three, then-
“What are you- how did you- what?” he laughed, pulling Will closer to him.
“…You lied,” he said softly. “You said you worked at the palace.”
Mike winced, then laughed under his breath, helpless. “I did lie.”
Their foreheads nearly touched now.
“I guess I’ll forgive you.”
“But how- wait, were you lying too?” Mike’s face split open into a wide smile. “You were, weren’t you? You’re a prince, just like me, and you lied, just like me. Will, oh my- Will.”
He spun Will around, definitely off tempo, but Will just threw his head back and laughed. He’d made it this far, he might as well finish off the dance before he came clean.
Except Mike didn’t let them finish the dance- instead, he put Will down and tugged him off the dance floor, out the glass doors and into the cool night. “Where are we going?” Will said, following as Mike pulled him down the stairs, into the gardens.
“I want to show you something. Something I think only you would appreciate, truly appreciate.”
“You barely know me, how do you know what I’d appreciate?”
Mike turned, scooping Will up in his arms. “Don’t you see?” he whispered, eyes shining in the moonlight. “I’ve known you all my life. I was just… waiting for you to reveal yourself.” He pressed his forehead against Will’s, and Will let himself inhale Mike’s sharp, regal scent.
He led Will through the maze of bushes, or benches, of-
“Mike, is this a labyrinth?”
“My sister Nancy designed it- oh, you have to meet Nancy! And my parents, of course, but I care much more about you liking Nancy than liking my parents.” They turned a sharp corner, and Will collided with a small squared wall. Mike flopped back with him, bracing himself and-
Oh, they were very close.
Mike swallowed thickly, then, carefully, raised his hands to Will’s face. “May I?”
Will nodded, not quite sure what he was agreeing to.
Mike undid his mask, and it fell into his waiting palm. “There you are.”
They found themselves standing in front of a solid hedge.
“It’s a… dead end?”
“Not quite.” Mike’s fingers traced the leaves until they stopped, and he plugged his hand in. Suddenly, the hedge separated, swinging open.
“It’s a door?”
“It’s a secret door.”
He guided Will in, a solid hand on the small of his back and- focus, Will, keep your mind above ground!
Behind the door was a small garden, blue flowers planted in clusters, and a large apple tree holding a wooden swing.
“What is this?” Will laughed.
“When I was little- well, when Nancy was little, really- our parents built a secret place, just for us. Only for the royals. We all swore we’d never tell anyone else about it- to the rest of the castle, this is the dead end in the center of the maze. But we know the truth.”
Will sat on the swing, and the branch bowed under his weight. He began to pump his legs and-
“Oh, let me.”
Mike began to push him, just high enough that his feet came off the ground, and was this what heaven felt like? Will from three hours ago- hell, Will from thirty minutes ago- couldn’t have imagined anything close to this, not in his most wild fantasy.
“Careful,” Will murmured. “If anyone sees you pushing a stranger on a swing in the middle of the royal maze, there’ll be rumors.”
Mike smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Let them talk.”
He gave one last push, then let the swing slow on its own. Will’s feet brushed the ground, and he stilled, fingers curling around the rope.
“I don’t come here anymore,” Mike admitted. “Not really.” His hands held the rope still, his front pressed to Will’s back.
“Why not?”
Mike shifted behind him, coming to place himself at Will’s feet. “Because… I think the rest of my family forgot it existed. And it hurts to remember, knowing that they don’t… they don’t care anymore. About me. About us, and what we used to be. They only care about what they expect of me.”
Will looked up at him. “And what do they expect of you?”
Mike hesitated, then looked up at Will with those bottomless black eyes. “A king. A warrior. Someone better.” A beat. “Someone already… finished.”
Will snorted softly. “You don’t strike me as finished.”
“That’s the problem.” Mike rested his head against Will’s knee. “Everyone else thinks I am. They’ve planned my life down to the last day. My plan doesn’t have room for travel, or stories. They hate stories. They want me to be a portrait of a man with no real soul to go with.”
“And what do you want?” Will asked.
“Is it rotten to say I don’t know?”
Will swallowed. The swing creaked as he shifted his weight.
Mike tilted his head. “What do you want?”
Will laughed, bitterness curling the edges. “I want to get out. Away. I want to be a painter.”
“A painter? Really?”
“Are you surprised?”
“No, no, I just… that’s so refreshing to hear. So, are you going to? Be a painter, I mean.”
“I’m going to try. Even if I lose it all, I’m going to lose it trying.”
“That’s brave.” Mike sounded awe-struck.
“If I don’t fight for myself, no one will.”
Mike’s expression softened into something bordering on heart-breaking.
“When I met you,” he said quietly, “in the market. I felt like the earth split open under my feet. Like… like I said, like I’ve always known you. That’s why I asked you to meet me here- because I didn’t want to let you walk out of my life as soon as I caught you.”
Will laughed under his breath. “And yet you danced with a stranger.”
“A stranger who I was drawn to, just like I was drawn to you.”
Will swallowed. “I almost didn’t come tonight.”
“But,” Mike said, standing up. “You did.”
He was so close, so close Will could count each freckle marring his pale face.
“And I don’t believe in coincidences. In fact, Will, I-” Mike’s face screwed up for a millisecond, like he was deep in thought, then-
Mike kissed him.
Gently, their lips barely grazing, but… Will’s hands were trapped under Mike’s, large and warm and gloved, and he was just a man. Of course he kissed back.
When they broke away, Mike’s face was bright. “I think I…” He stepped back and sank to his knees. “I know this is horrifically informal and I’m breaking every rule of courting but Will, I-”
“WILL!”
Will sprang up. In a flash, he had the knife out of his boot and Mike was behind him, chest pressed to Will’s back.
“Oh my joves, you actually have a knife,” Mike murmured.
“Of course I have a knife.”
Just then, El practically leapt through the secret door, followed by the man in the green suit.
“Told you… they’d be… here,” the man panted.
“Dustin?” Mike said. “What are you-”
“Will, the time!” El hissed) and oh, oh, oh Jove.
The first bell of midnight rang out across the garden.
Will couldn’t move. He couldn’t move, and the magic would wear off, and Mike would realize he’d been lying and-
El seized him by the arm and dragged him by his useless feet, out of the secret garden and into the maze.
“El, I-”
“No time, run now, talk later.”
He heard Mike calling after them from somewhere deep in the hedges. No time, no time, no time. They flew across the ballroom, up the stairs, through the foyer, and out the front door. Will had regained feeling in his hands and was tempted to look behind him- was Mike there?- until El stumbled, and he caught her, hosting her body weight upon his own.
“Will, my shoe, I-”
“Leave it! It’s just a shoe!”
They toppled into the carriage, and it shot off into the night.
It wasn’t until they were soaring along the coast line that Will sat back. His chest was heaving, but he felt oddly weightless. He looked at El, only to find her already looking at him.
“So how was Mike?”
He opened his mouth. Closed it again. Then,
“El, oh my jove, you won’t believe it-”
“-I truly think Dustin might be the love of my life, he-”
“-His voice, El, and his eyes, and-”
The twins flopped back, dissolving into laughter as they were whisked away, into the night.
It took Mike ten seconds to register what just happened.
Which was definitely ten seconds too long, because now he was running through the maze like a mad person, Dustin clipping his heels.
“Will!” he called into the night. “Come back!”
They were halfway across the ballroom when Nancy caught him, pulling him back. He stumbled, trying to fight her ironclad grip.
“The king and queen have been looking for you,” she chided. “Michael, did you know it’s in extremely poor taste to disappear from your own party?”
“Let me go, Nanc, I need to-”
“Life or death!” Dustin wheezed, and Nancy loosened her grip in surprise just long enough for Mike to pull his wrist free and continue on his chest.
He wasted so time flying up the stairs, through the foyer, and-
He threw open the doors just in time to see a golden carriage disappearing into the night.
“No!” he moaned. “No, no, no!”
Dustin settled beside him, taking quick, rapid breaths. “What the hell was that?”
Mike looked around- a handful of party guests were staring at him in what bordered on horror. “I have absolutely no clue.”
“What did you say to him?”
“Nothing! Well, I- I was going to- but no!”
It wasn’t the proposal, right? He hadn’t scared Will away with his gung-ho-ness, he couldn’t have, because Will had kissed him back, and when Mike had started that awful, stupid speech, Will had looked more confused that upset and-
Oh, who was he kidding, he had totally scared Will away. I’ve known you all my life, I was waiting for you to reveal yourself? What the hell’s the matter with you, Mike? Why can’t you just say normal things, instead of sounding like a weathered murderer? And not just tonight, no, all the goddamn time- thought, he didn’t have enough fingers or toes to count how many things he had done wrong tonight.
But Will had blushed and had let him lean too close. If Mike had come on too strong, Will certainly hadn’t let it show. And Will was- hell, he was Will. Will from the market, with those rough hands and soft eyes, who had made Mike feel something close enough to alive for the first time in years and who had made him realize that maybe there really was more to life than these palace walls and-
Sure, he had lied too, which actually made Mike feel much better about his major fib, but still! That meant they could be together! Actually, properly together, not… whatever would have come of tonight, had they snuck off into some dark corridor, had Will not been who he was. But he was, and they hadn’t, so if it wasn’t him, then…
“This is your fault!” He wheeled on Dustin, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You two crashed my- how did you even know where to find us?”
Dustin’s face pinched in disbelief. “I’m your steward, it’s my job to know where you are at all times. And your secret garden? Not exactly a secret, not from me, at least. And this is not my fault- I’m just as confused as you! Me and El were having a great night, then, suddenly, she started freaking out, saying how she needed to go and find her brother, how they were almost out of time. So really, Michael, this is probably your fault!”
Mike pressed two fingers into his eyes until he saw inky black spots. “Okay. Okay. Okay, this is bad.” Pull it together, Mike, be a king, Mike. “So, either something is horribly wrong that we don’t no about-”
“I’m sensing an or.”
“Or we’ve somehow offended a royal family so deeply that their children had to literally flee into the night.”
“Oh. That is bad.”
He snapped his eyes open. “Yes, Dustin, yes it very much is, so I need you to find out who sent them and how we can- wait.”
Something shimmery caught in his vision, down on the steps.
“What is this?”
It was… a shoe… made of glass?
He turned it over, smacking it against the heel of his hand with a dull thunk.
“That’s her shoe,” Dustin said softly, then seized it from Mike. “That’s El’s shoe! She must have fallen off- you don’t get it, the entire night, she was saying they were too big, and I kept saying, ‘Well why did you wear them if they’re too big?’ and she kept saying they were a gift but like she didn’t have to wear them if they didn’t fit and…”
But the gears in Mike’s head were turning too fast for him to really hear what Dustin was saying.
Maybe it wouldn’t just take a little light research to find these two. After all, Mike had gone eighteen whole years without hearing so much as a peep about them. Maybe their kingdom was reclusive. Or maybe they headed one of the southern isles and had no need for northern interference. Or maybe it was something else entirely. But, if they had the shoe…
Mike turned to Dustin, a fire lighting in his chest. “Are you up for an adventure?”