By The Crest

❃21❃

Last night's events remained in Wooyoung's mind. Replaying every touch, gaze, and emotion that came alive between him and San. He couldn't even put it into words at how electrifying it was.

Sadly, their moment was interrupted by Wooyoung's servant, Junyoung, who bravely came knocking on the closed doors looking for his Young Lord.

It made the two males snap out from their trance at one another. The prince standing back up properly while the other quickly closed his shirt. The once intimate atmosphere got replaced by an awkward one. Wooyoung excused himself and bid the royal good night soon after. He met Junyoung outside of the room, and he couldn't bring himself to get mad at the kid. Only telling the servant that he was discussing something with the prince, and the younger didn't question him after that.

Wooyoung sighs as he shakes his head to get his focuses back on brushing his horse's mane. For their second day at the male's home, his father had suggested to take San horseback riding with him once they finished the meeting that the Duke promised. It wasn't written in the book that the original 'Wooyoung' liked horseback riding, so the memory that appeared in his head was both startling and helpful.

His horse gets the male's attention as it neighs upon sensing the new person entering the stables. Stripping his eyes from the steed's ombre hair, he gets greeted by the prince ready for their small trip. His black boots reached just belows his knees. White jodhpurs wrapping around his thighs nicely with a white buttoned shirt tucked in. And lastly, a dark blue blazer around his torso with the buttons closed. San stops for a moment to realize that he and the other were wearing the same outfit, minus for the shorter's buttons on his blazer that were left undone.

Awkwardly, the two avoid eye contact while the royal walks over to the other horse beside the male. The stable boy next to the horse bowed to the prince after he finished with the straps of the saddle, he left the two to finish his other duties.

“Where are we headed?”

San let's the steed sniff his palm, allowing it to be familiar with his scent and let the stallion be the judge if it would give the prince a ride. Wooyoung looks at the prince after placing the horse's brush on top of a hay bale, watching as the royal becomes gentle with the creature.

“I know of a close trail that we will be taking. A 30 minute ride at most” He answered.

The male then double checks everything, especially the medium sized luggage that had a picnic blanket, water canisters, and a few snacks for them. Both of them got on their saddle and headed out of the stable. They rocked against the trotting movement of their horses, Wooyoung being at the front before they were eventually riding side by side on a dirt path.

It was peaceful. The clip-clops of the horses' shoes against a ground, the chirping of flying birds in the air, and the rustling sound of the leaves on the trees. The weather was lovely as well. It being mid-afternoon with a few clouds and steady breeze. However, the air between two males was a little awkward.

Both were silent and were unsure as to how to break the tension between them. San instead glanced around his surroundings. His eyes found their way over to Wooyoung's horse. Its build was maybe a tad bit smaller than his steed, making it a female. His horse was brown from head to toe, whereas the other's was white and brown with its mane in a beautiful ombre of brown to white. He then lifts his eyes over to the person on the mare.

Wooyoung's straight posture made him look like professional rider, his hands on the reign weren't tight nor loose in order for him to guide his horse, and his blank facial expression that he seems to have gained from the prince.

San's mind then wandered off to what happened last night. His confidence for asking to see the male's crest came out of nowhere. If he could then he would have blamed it on the alcohol, but he had barely finished his first glass before the shorter entered his room, and his tolerance to the drink was a good one. Yet, he enjoyed and hated the feelings that he had that night.

The warmth of their close bodies was something that the royal has never felt before. The way Wooyoung's skin and crest glowed against the few rays of the moon that seeped in the room, and he couldn't get out of his head the male's small shaky breaths that he took in. Seeing the other squirm under his touches ignited something in the prince.

Making him wanting for more.

However, San knew that that was an empty wish of his. He couldn't afford to get tangle up with the male. Not when he still has a magic user to hunt down. Not when he still has an entire kingdom to take care of. And certainly not when he still doesn't have a crest of his own.

He never really questioned why he still didn't have his crest like the others. He just thought that maybe Aria saw him as someone who wasn't fit to have a crest, or maybe he didn't have a soulmate to find in the first place. The prince felt a slight tug of pain in him as he thought about it. He shushes the voices that were taking over his thought since he wanted to make this ride enjoyable for the other male next to him.

“What's your horse's name?” Wooyoung took a second to snap out from his own thoughts and let's it register that the royal was talking to him.

“Farren” The male answers. Smiling lovingly at his horse as he reaches out to pat the mare's two coloured fur before sitting back on the saddle properly.

“Do you know your horse's name, Your Highness?”

Curious, Wooyoung turns his head to look at the royal for the first time since they left the stables. One if his brow raised and his head tilted a little to the side to wait for the other male to speak. San only shook his head. The stable boy didn't state his horse's name.

“His name is Calix” The male cooes at the name. Making him tilt the reigns so that Farren can get more closer to the stallion since the male wanted to pet the other steed's neck. In doing so, his and the prince's leg press together for a good three seconds before Wooyoung made his mare go forward just a tad bit more. The two of them don't comment on what happened as they kept riding side by side in silence again.

Minutes pass by and Wooyoung saw that they were getting close to their destination. He then gets an idea to help left the mood between them.

“See that opening over there, Your Highness?”

San focuses his eyes on where the other was pointing to. The dirt trail that they were on got cut off up ahead, but he notices an opening that was hidden by the long branches and leaves several willow trees. Further in the opening he could make out a clearing on the other side. He nods to silently tell the male that he saw where they were headed to.

“What about it?” He asks, not really giving it much thought into it.

“I'll race you.”

Wooyoung then flicks the reigns to make Farren go running. It takes the prince a moment to realize the situation before he does the same with Calix to try and catch up to the male.

With every gallop Wooyoung's mare took, the more his body bounced in a similar rhythm. His hair and blazer flapped around messily as the wind blew against him. And his growing smile as he felt this sense of freedom overcome him. He turns around when he hears the other horse behind him get close. The male knew that Calix was fast, and his Farren was in the same league as the stallion, so he didn't ignore the spark of excitement in him at the thought of a challenge arising.

Soon enough Wooyoung and San were side by side. Both hunched over their own saddle to avoid getting caught up by the wind and to make themselves go faster. The shorter glanced at the prince to see the determination on his face but it wasn't the serious kind of determination like he was in an actual race, but more like a playful determination. Where it was just the two of them having fun and friendly competition. The royal made eye contact with the other to see the liveliness shine bright in his eyes like those of a child. And then, out of nowhere.

San smiles.

Wooyoung was in shock. The royal's eyes closed into crescents, his pearly white teeth making an appearance, and he could see the faint indents of two dimples on his cheeks. He has never seen the prince smile this widely ever since they met; a few smirks at best, but nothing like this.

It made Wooyoung feel like he had accomplished something better than a happy ending.