As the knight rode through the gates of his brother's castle, he tried to see if anything had changed since he'd ridden out five years before. His attempt was foiled by the darkness of the clouded night and he wished he'd followed his squire's suggestion that they wait until the dawn to enter the palace but he felt he'd been away for too long and couldn't bear even that short delay. As they rode into the main courtyard, the light of the two torches by the main entrance to the palace spilled over them and a sleepy stable hand came to collect their horses. They dismounted but when his squire made to head towards the main door, he shook his head and motioned for the younger man to follow him. Together, they made their way around the main building until they reached a small side entrance that was secured by a plain lock. Lifting a chain from around his neck, he used the small iron key to unlock the door. Turning to his squire, he murmured, "Make your way to your old quarters, and don't rouse anyone."
"What about you? Shouldn't I see you settled first?" demanded his squire in an undertone.
With a slight grin, he replied, "I'll manage. Besides, I have to greet my mother and brother before they retire for the night." The squire sighed and nodded before moving off. Once the younger man was out of hearing distance, the knight added to himself, "And I've got to see if she's changed at all."
***
The prince leaned back in his chair and straightened the papers on his desk. It was close to midnight and his sight had begun to blur from exhaustion. His father's death a few short weeks previously had landed him a host of new responsibilities and despite the assistance his mother had tried to give him, he couldn't wait for his brother to return from his journey as a knight errant. He had probably made his own life more difficult in the short term because he had called the love of his life back to his country despite the machinations of the various court factions who had been trying to divert his attention with one beauty or another since her departure the day after his brother left. In the long term, she was going to save his sanity, so he was willing to put up with the problems her return had precipitated. He was just pushing his chair back when the hidden door in the back corner creaked as it swung open. With a smile he rose to his feet saying, "I've just finished for the night, love. I'll be with you in half a minute."
"I know we haven't really discussed this in any detail, brother, but I am not a lover of men and even if I were, it would be wrong," replied a familiar but unexpected voice. The prince spun around with a glad cry and swept his brother into a bear hug, pounding his back exuberantly before gripping his shoulders and holding him at arms' length.
Unable to control his emotions completely, he managed to whisper, "Gods, I've missed you Seth. I'm so glad you agreed to come home, I need your help."
"I've missed you too, Zane," replied his brother, a catch in his voice. The prince watched as his brother struggled for composure before he continued, "You look tired, brother. Why aren't you looking after yourself properly?"
