Chapter 10: Chapter 10

~Celestial Realm~

~Golden Castle~

Reqiel woke up by himself before Sarell could come barging into his room which was a feat in itself because it took his personal attendant hours of coercing him to get him out of bed.

So Sarell felt his heart stop when his presence was requested by the youngest Prince, hurrying over with the fear that maybe his charge was choking to death in his sleep.

"Your Grace!" He exclaimed, throwing open the wide doors that led to Reqiel's bedroom in a panic.

Reqiel just stretched languidly, the nightshirt he slept in riding up to show a sliver of his slender waist. "Don't make so much noise so early in the mornin…" He started to complain.

Sarell was already hurrying over in horror, "The King save us! Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?" He started to question, checking Reqiel over.

Reqiel was confused. "What are you doing? What are you talking about?"

"How are you awake? Did someone disturb your sleep?" He asked some more questions, eyeing the waiting attendants present with dark eyes.

"No, no, I woke up all by myself." He clarified, sitting upright.

Sarell pressed both of his hands to his face at this, horror on his face like he was being flayed alive. "It's barely dawn, are you well?"

"If I wasn't expecting this I might have been upset," Reqiel muttered dryly, throwing his legs over the edge of his bed. "But that's not important, I want to get cleaned up, I would like to practice horse riding."

Sarell's expression of terror only intensified, those were two on the list of the many things that Reqiel disliked doing. What could have gotten into him?

"Are you sure?" He couldn't help but ask, looking skeptical.

"But of course." Reqiel nodded seriously, rising to his feet. "The ceremony of the Warrior Maidens is in less than a week after all, if I'm to be riding with my father I must be on my best behavior…" He continued, already making a move to take his night clothes off.

Sarell was perplexed. "What are you going on about?" He asked with a frown.

"Ah, I must have forgotten to tell you." He chuckled nervously, pushing his hair back from his face with both hands. "Father agreed to my request of joining him in leading the main procession…"

"And you are just telling me?!" He exclaimed, interrupting him for the second time.

Sarell was thrown into a panic for the second time that morning but for a different reason. Reqiel just stepped back, settling on the bed again for good measure while Sarell paced around his bedroom and went on a monologue on how he was going to get beheaded for sure this time.

Reqiel could understand his panic but was more interested in actually getting some practice done because, for the first time, he cared about the silly formalities because it would determine how much freedom he would get from now on.

They eventually got past his morning routine, quite quickly too with the fine state that Sarell worked himself into after Reqiel told him that he would be going down to the city for the first time in his life. Sarell practically dragged him outside his palace, instructing him to materialize his wings while the slender redhead threw orders around to prepare a horse for him to practice his riding form.

Reqiel grudgingly let his wings materialize behind his back, the large, majestic, gold-tinted wings dwarfing him. Thankfully, for the day's practice, Sarell had been kind enough to put him in light clothes, merely a thin shirt and loose pants with a sash around his waist and riding boots.

There was an open space all around his castle which was perfect for horse riding practice but the procession was going to move slowly so there was no need to practice galloping.

"We'll do this in the field." Sarell decided, taking Reqiel's wrist to get the Prince where he needed him to be.

Reqiel let himself be dragged, relieved that not only did Sarell have his wings out but he also directed all the attendants to materialize their wings as well, no doubt to make him feel more at ease, he appreciated the sentiment.

It was also nice to be outside his castle on his own two feet even if it was to do something he would rather not do. He needed to do his best for the sake of his chance at leaving the Royal Mount, it would be easy, he would just ride the horse a couple of times and then he would be all set…

"Stop hugging the horse!" Sarell snapped at his umpteenth failed try.

Reqiel was in misery, clutching the horse's flank while being a sweaty mess. "But if I don't I'll get blown off." He complained.

Sarell pulled on his hair, very close to giving up. "Were you not taught how to ride a horse?" He asked in disbelief, the Angel that had taught him didn't need to come around anymore but that was because the Prince could perfectly ride a horse.

Reqiel rubbed the back of his neck, quickly coming down from the horse before he fell off and barely finding his balance when he landed on his feet because of his wings. "My trainer permitted me to learn to ride a horse without my wings out." He said sheepishly, straightening up.

Sarell just crumbled slowly to the ground, his head in his hands, this was exactly why he always liked to be present whenever Prince Reqiel had classes. Because it didn't matter what the class was about, he easily won the hearts of his teachers and they didn't hesitate to grant his requests.

It meant that Reqiel was an impeccable rider as his trainer reported but just couldn't manage it with his wings out, what use was it then? There was no way he could be around the King without his wings out, much more an entire ceremony procession.

There was no time to bring in his trainer to take him in more classes and not just that, Reqiel was also extremely awkward with his wings, which wasn't right for a Prince.

He had also fallen prey to Reqiel's charms, he would have to remedy that. Well, it was more like he never expected that the youngest Prince would be granted leave to go down to the rest of the Kingdom.

Reqiel just watched his personal attendant have a mental breakdown in front of him, wondering if he should say something or wait for him to figure things out for himself.

Sarell eventually straightened up, taking in a deep breath to strengthen his resolve, he knew just the thing to do. "We are taking a break for a few hours." He announced, the attendants around them already springing into action, they could clearly tell that he wasn't in a spectacular mood that morning.

"Really?" Reqiel couldn't help but ask, those were the last words that he expected Sarell to say.

"Yes," His personal attendant said calmly. "But your wings stay out till I say otherwise." He tagged on, clasping his hands.

He had been too disoriented earlier to remember to follow protocol but now that he had his wits around him, he made arrangements for a handheld carriage to take the Prince back inside his castle. They would continue other things inside because he was sure that Reqiel cheated his way through all his Manners classes as well, and after that, and some refreshment, they would return to practicing his riding pose.

Reqiel couldn't have guessed what Sarell had in store for him or he would have been more shaken up but at the moment he was more concerned with the troubles that he was aware of.

"I have to keep my wings out?" He fretted, "While riding the carriage?"

"And even inside your castle," Sarell said stoically, unmoved by his pouting.

Reqiel just watched forlornly as Sarell walked the short distance back to his palace while an attendant bowed as he waited to help him get into his carriage which was also carried by more attendants.

Freedom was incredibly difficult to acquire.

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