Butterfly Prince

by Britannica Tany

  “The way you kiss me.” Aiden smirks. “Know what else I missed about you, Kael?”

  “Wha—” the room door swings open and Janus comes gliding in, wheeling Francis into the room with him. Aiden and Kael simultaneously jump, their hearts racing. “Did we catch you two in a moment?” Francis cracks, his black bangs drooping over his eyes. Kael coughs while Aiden grins. “Glad I didn’t wake up to either of your faces.” He snorts and Francis rolls his eyes. “Whatever sleeping beauty.” Francis mumbles as Janus places him on the left side of Aiden’s bed. “I missed you too, Francis.” Aiden teases, reaching over to pat Francis on his thigh. “We saw Jenna coming down the hall.” Francis begins to say, Aiden’s eyebrows raise. “She was here?” he asks looking between Janus and Francis. “Yes,” Kael pipes in. “She’s been here longer than I have…” he murmurs and Aiden turns to look at him. “Really?”

  “Yes, the doctor said that you would wake up sometime during the night, but when you didn’t she said that she would spend the night here.” Janus explains and Kael smiles warmly. “I’m glad she was by your side.” He says and Aiden nods slowly. “Is she coming back?” he asks and Francis shrugs. “I think she went to get something to drink, probably gonna touch up her make-up before Samuel sees her.”

  “Oh? Who’s Samuel?” Aiden asks and Janus sighs. “He’s the doctor who’s been watching over you and he treated Francis when he was shot.”

  “Oh…”

  “He has a crush on Jenna.” Francis says with a smirk. “Does he!?” Kael exclaims excitedly, his brown eyes sparkling. “Yeah, he won’t admit it, but it’s so obvious.” Francis continues on to say and a soft smile falls upon Aiden’s lips. “Well, I’m sure they’ll get along well.” Janus’s gaze rests on Aiden’s face and his lips curl up in the slightest of ways. “How ya feeling?” he asks after the conversation drifts into silence. Aiden leans into his pillows and closes his eyes. “Like I could sleep for another entire day.” Janus laughs. “Then sleep.”

  “Naah, I still have questions.” Janus walks over to Kael and squeezes his shoulders. “Well, we’ll be here all day, so ask away.” He says to Aiden, Aiden looks at Kael and Janus and his expression flickers with something neither of the two are able to catch. “Janus how are you and Micah?” he asks and Janus rolls his eyes. “Why focus on me when your lovely boyfriend is here to pass the time?” he questions and Aiden shrugs. “Kael and I have all the time in the world; soon you’ll be running off to Paris with Micah.”

  “Paris? Come on now, Aiden, you know my home will always be in Melia.” Aiden smiles sweetly. “I know.” He replies. The conversation dwindles away again, but they were all fine staring at each other, staring and soaking in one another’s presence. “Some fresh air would be nice…” Aiden murmurs and Kael slips from out of Janus’s grip and leans over Aiden. “I could ask if we can take you outside.” Aiden shakes his head. “Just open the windows…I want to see the sunlight.” Kael’s heart lurches for some unknown reason upon hearing Aiden’s words. Without thinking he reaches forward and touches the ends of Aiden’s ashen hair. “How long have you had it like this?” the question seemed odd for Kael to ask, but Aiden’s eyes glitter fondly. “For a while, I can’t recall how many exact years but maybe around…mmm, eight years.”

  “Mmm, from the first day I saw you, I always thought you looked like an ang—“ a breeze comes rushing in and Kael spins around to stare out of the window. The day was bright, too bright—as though it were congratulating Aiden for waking up. The breeze ruffles Kael’s hair and he thinks about what life will be like after today. He thinks about having to wear that crown, having to wear that robe and having to say goodbye to the him that was once the Prince. “It’s nice out today.” Francis unexpectedly comments. “Really…it really is.” Aiden replies softly and he clutches his hands together in his lap as his stomach begins to ache. “Wow…it’s the sign of a fresh beginning, your majesty.” Janus says to Kael, patting him on his back with a small smile. “Yeah, it is.” Aiden’s eyebrows twitch as another ache courses through his body and he stirs on the bed trying his hardest not to attract any attention, but Francis was staring at him with his arms crossed. “Is the medicine wearing off?” he asks and Aiden’s cheek flush red at being found out. “Yeah,” he whispers so as to not get Kael to look back at him, but it was already too late. The brunette was staring at him with scrutinizing eyes. “The meds aren’t working anymore?” Kael asks and Aiden nods slowly. “Yeah and it’s starting to itch.” Aiden wiggles his body on the bed. Kael looks at Francis and then he looks at Janus. “Could you two leave for a moment and go get the doctor?” Janus nods. “Sure, lets go Francis.” Janus walks across the room, gripping the handles of Francis’s wheelchair and turning him towards the door. “We’ll catch you later, shorty.” Francis calls with a curt wave. And Aiden scoffs, shooing them off. When the door clicks shut, Kael reverts his gaze to Aiden and reaches towards his hospital gown. Aiden’s round eyes flicker up to Kael’s face with a question. “What are you doing?”

  “Undressing you. I’ll get the doctor to show me how to wrap the wound again, but I want to do it for you.” Aiden blinks again. “Now wiggle out of this thing so I can…” But Aiden was already moving his shoulders so that the gown could slip down over his chest. Kael watches him—watches as the fabric falls away from his shoulders—his heart racing with so many distant memories. Aiden’s skin was quite tan and although he’s been hospitalized his arms and pectorals were still toned from his past exercise routine. Kael found himself gaping and staring, his face hot. “A little help.” Aiden murmurs, a boyish grin lining his lips. Kael shakes his head with a smile, reaching forward and gently tugging the gown down and pulling at the strings. The rest was pretty easy once the strings came undone, Kael bunches the gown around Aiden’s crotch so that when the doctor came in he wouldn’t be completely naked. “Aaah, that feels better.” Aiden sighs. “Were you hot?” Kael asks and Aiden nods. “Just a little, but I think it was the effects of the medicine.”

  “Mm.” Kael’s eyes flicker up and down Aiden’s torso and his gaze stops on the bandaged side of Aiden’s stomach. Kael knew that it was stitched up underneath the wrapping, but he couldn’t help but to think about it before. The blood—so much blood—the smell of it, the look of it. Blood. “Hey.” Aiden says, his voice saving Kael from his thoughts. “It’s not that bad, Kael, it itches like any stitch would.”

  “But does it hurt when you move?”

  “A…little.” He replies and Kael places his palm to Aiden’s chest. His hand was warm against Aiden’s skin. “Well…that feels nice…” Aiden murmurs, his eyes closing as Kael’s hand slid across his chest and then down to his stomach. It stopped before reaching the bandages; Kael’s eyes glaze over and he hesitates before speaking. “Did you…did you think at all before you jumped in front of me?” he asks and Aiden’s eyes open to look at Kael. His expression remains blank as he watches Kael, choosing his words with care. “Yes.” Kael’s gaze moves away from Aiden’s stomach to meet his eyes. “I did think about something.” Aiden says calmly, his facial features molding into an expression of genuine care. “I thought about protecting you.” Kael’s eyes widen and then he hmphs to himself, but his words betray his actions when he says “Thank you.” Aiden smiles. “Not a problem at all.” The door opens and Dr. Yung walks inside with a bright smile. “I hear someone needs some more meds?” he says loudly. Aiden and Kael’s gazes linger on each other before they look to Dr. Yung. “Yes and some fresh bandages.”

  …..

  “Let me know if it hurts.” Kael says softly. “Okay,” Aiden’s eyes were closed as Kael uses his two fingers to rub gauze over the wound. It was cold and Aiden would flinch every now and then when Kael touched him. “It’s cold, huh?” Kael asks and Aiden nods. “Just a bit.”

  “He says to put this on to prevent any infection and so that it’ll heal nicely.”

  “I don’t mind the scars.” Aiden mumbles, Kael says nothing. “I was thinki
ng that tomorrow…I’d tell the world about our relationship.” Aiden doesn’t say anything. “I don’t want to release any pictures of you though…”

  “Sounds reasonable, people can be a bit crazy at times.”

  “Yeah…” Kael trails off, his eyebrows knitting together as he wiped the gauze off of his hands and began to untangle the bandages. “He said you have another week before they can release you.”

  “I heard.” Aiden hums, his voice growing drowsy. “They want to make sure everything’s alright.”

  “Yeah…”

  “And…I would tell them that I’m with you—a man.” Kael switches the topic again and Aiden grins to himself with amusement. Kael only switched topics like this when he was seriously thinking about something. Aiden found it to be cute. “Are you ready for the backlash?” He asks Kael and the younger chews on his bottom lip. “I’m ready for everything. I want to hold hands with you in public.”

  “Aren’t you adorable, Kael.” Aiden teases and Kael pinches his nipple causing Aiden’s eyes to snap open and for him to chuckle. “I’m sensitive.” He blurts and Kael smirks. “I know.” He starts to laugh again but stops midway and lets out a gasp as the muscles in his stomach spasm. His eyebrows draw together and lines crease his forehead. “Are you alright?” Kael questions with worry, Aiden nods. “Just a little sore.” He huffs and Kael watches him intently. “I’m fine, Kael, I’m fine.” A smile grimaces onto his face as he tries to show Kael that he really was alright. “Just hurry up and bandage me so that you can lie next to me.” Kael eyes Aiden and then the bed. “I think the beds too small.”

  “Yeah? That just means you’ll have to move even closer to me.” Aiden licks his lips and cocks his head to the side confidently. Kael doesn’t reply, instead he begins to wind the bandage around the lower part of Aiden’s torso. The stitching was a 5 inch hole in the left side of Aiden’s stomach, it didn’t look like much, but Kael knew that it probably hurt like hell. That little stich could not account for Aiden’s pain or the pain it caused for those around him. Occasionally, Aiden would grunt with pain, his lips twitching and Kael’s voice would chime in softly: “are you alright?” “am I hurting you?” “let me know if something doesn’t feel right.” Aiden eventually fell asleep to the sound of his voice. That afternoon he didn’t have to dream because he knew that when he awoke the Kael of his dreams would be right by his side.

  ~*~

  Jenna was standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall and sipping from her lukewarm cup of coffee. Janus and Francis had passed her a few moments ago saying that they were going out to get something to eat. “You should join us, Kael’s with him now.” Francis had said matter-of-factly, but Jenna had turned them down. She had her reasons. “You look like a statue.” A familiar voices says beside her. She looks up and is met with Samuel’s smiling eyes. “But a pretty one, the ones made out of marble.” He says hurriedly and she laughs lightly. “It’s good to see you, Samuel.”

  “Is it really? Because whenever I see you, it’s because someone was shot.” Jenna nods, her laughter turning bitter. “…but you make it better, it’s not as bleak when you’re around.” She murmurs and he leans against the wall beside her. “Thank you.”

  “Not at all.” They go quiet again and Samuel begins to fidget wanting to ask her questions, but afraid that he would be prying. “I uhm…I was curious about those two…” he begins and when Jenna doesn’t say anything, he continues on. “They seem pretty close.”

  “You didn’t know?” she asks, her eyes still on the floor. “Know…” he trails off waiting for her to fill in the blanks. “That they were together…?”

  “I had my speculations, but I never delved into them.”

  “Well you were right on the target.” This time she looks up as she speaks and their eyes meet. “Those two are dating.”

  “Dating?”

  “Do you have a problem?” she asks, her tone turning defensive. “No, no!” Samuel rushes to say. “I just…”

  “You just…?” he runs a nervous hand through his hair. “You could….even though I didn’t know for sure…I could just tell.” Jenna didn’t even have to ask why or how he knew, because she knew for herself. When those two were around each other, they gave off this certain aura—the entire atmosphere and mood changed. “I think it’s wonderful—what they have.” Samuel adds, he says it as though he were thinking to himself. “Yeah,” Jenna takes a sip of her coffee. “I do too.”

  ~*~

  The curtains would flap against the occasional breeze that would drift through the open windows. The sun was still shining but its rays were hidden behind a pair of fluffy white clouds. But neither Aiden nor Kael minded it; they were pressed chest to chest, nose to nose as they lay next to each other. Kael had his arms around Aiden’s back, while Aiden’s hand was placed to Kael’s hip and the beating of their hearts would thump together. It was like their own lullaby. “Kael.” Aiden’s voice was merely a whisper as he spoke. “Hmm?” Kael hums, knowing that his response would only be another call of his name. “Kael.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Kael.” Aiden says again and this time Kael smiles, replying softly and serenely. “I’m here.”

  Faces of Tomorrow

  It was written somewhere in Skye’s notebook forgotten at the castle—the words and her thoughts towards Kael. Aiden had the sudden urge to read her words again and to immerse himself in his sister’s thoughts. It was a sudden inkling to skim her handwriting with his eyes and to show Kael what it was she had written and what she had thought.

  A weight stirs against his chest and Aiden looks down at Kael whose head was resting against him. His eyebrows furrow as though he were dreaming and his tongue would flick out to lick his lips. Aiden watches intently, infatuated and begins to reach towards the hair sticking up on Kael’s head to flatten it, but the door swings open before he’s able to do so. The sound has Kael jumping up with wide eyes, nearly falling off of the bed. “Aiden!” at the sound of the woman’s voice, Aiden straightens up and stares at his mother with glistening eyes. “Mom…” His mother rushes over to him, her appearance seemed somewhat thrown together with her tangled scarf and rolled up shirt sleeves and knee length skirt.

  Kael begins to slink away from Aiden, afraid that by being there, Aiden’s mother would get the wrong idea, but the woman had already seen him and her gaze read: “stay put.” So Kael stayed. “Janus contacted us to say that you had woken up.” She rushes to say, placing the palm of her hand to her son’s forehead. “We were worried out of our minds!”

  “Mom…I’m alright.”

  “Do you know how I and your father felt when Janus told us?” she questions rhetorically. “We felt as though we had lost all meaning in our lives.” A tear comes spilling from her right eye, rolling down her cheek and plopping against the white sheets on Aiden’s bed. They had received a call from Janus after the first day he went to the hospital with Francis and Jenna—he told them that Aiden was getting surgery and that he would be fine, but he kept the call short and concise—fearing for the effect his words may have on Kael and Aiden’s relationship. But somehow his mother had found out—“a mother’s instinct” she had called it. “We were so worried….” She clutches the front of Aiden’s night gown. “….so worried.” She echoes her words, her voice breaking off into a sob. Aiden doesn’t know what to do, completely thrown off by his mother’s appearance. He meant to keep this entire incident a secret from them—he didn’t want them to find out and worry like they did over Skye; they couldn’t afford to go back into such a time of emotional healing. Gradually, he places his hand to his mother’s shoulder and gently squeezes. “I’m sorry for making you worry,” his voice was soft matching his tender gaze. His father looks on from a distance, his eyes glazed over and misty. “It all happened in a rush, but I’m fine now.” He gently pushes her back so that she could get a good look at him. “See? Kael bandaged it all up and stayed by my side.” Aiden’s gaze moves sideways over to Kael
, who was standing somewhat awkwardly in the corner of the room. He smiles meekly. “Yes…I wanted to atleast do that much for him.” Aiden beams despite Kael’s uneasiness and says happily. “He’s a doting boyfriend and I love him for it.” He winks Kael’s way but his mother and his father looked on in shock, Kael himself felt as though he had lost his footing and fallen on his face. Did he just say that? To them? Did they know? What the hell!? This he voices, rushing over to Aiden and wanting to punch him in his stomach. It was different saying it to an audience of people he didn’t know, but to reveal their relationship to Aiden’s parents? The thought was unbelievable, especially considering their past together. “I know.” Her voice comes in as a whisper that is barely there and Kael turns towards her to make sure he had heard her clearly. “I know,” she reiterates. “We know that you’re together.” She gestures to her husband before sitting on the edge of Aiden’s hospital bed. She heaves a sigh, rubbing her face with the rough palms of her hands. Kael didn’t know what to prepare himself for her to say. Would she ridicule them? Banish them from seeing each other like Shakespeare in his screwed up tragedies? But she looks up and she looks between them both and heaves another heavy sigh. “I noticed how you two looked at each other, but…I wanted to deny it…” Kael thought for obvious reasons she wouldn’t accept them being together. “But it’s not because you’re both males…just…Skye…” and she only has to say her name for them both to understand. Aiden smiles sadly reaching for his mother’s hand to take in his. “I can’t speak for her, but…she did like Kael—loved him as her own brother.” Aiden says softly and his mother turns to look at him. “She wrote about Kael in the book she was working on.”