Demons, Witches, and Toads (BoyxBoy)

The Pretty Advisor

It had been ridiculously easy for Emeric to convince his father that a royal hunt would be a good idea. He'd lied, saying it would be the perfect opportunity for him to bond with Wheeler. His father had instantly agreed, clearly thrilled by the prospect of his two favorite sons finally growing closer.

Little did the Grand Emperor know that soon... Emeric would be exposing Wheeler for the spineless child he really was.

Emeric made it clear to his other irksome brothers not to come along.

This was between him and Wheeler.

A base camp had been set up deep within the forest. Tents of royal gold were being hoisted into the air as servants rushed back and forth, carrying hunting equipment and tending to the dogs and horses.

"It's an absolutely beautiful day for a hunt!" the redhead behind Emeric squealed so loudly it nearly startled him. The words drew out a slew of annoying chippers of agreement from the swarm of girls behind him.

Bringing them had been a huge fucking mistake.

Emeric had thought having them around would make him seem even more dominant when Wheeler returned from the hunt in tears. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten just how irritating women could be. God, and to think Wheeler willingly hung out with one. Was he at least sleeping with her? Emeric made a mental note to look into that later.

"Your Highness," one of the girls cooed, clinging to his arm, "what are you hunting today?"

"Griffin," Emeric replied flatly, not in the mood to even pretend to be charming. It didn't matter how he treated them. Perfect prince or not, they only adored him because he was handsome and the heir to the throne. His chest tightened slightly. Well... at least he was supposed to be.

The girls continued to chatter on, trying to humor him as if somehow that would help them actually gain his affection. Emeric wasn't listening, his gaze now glued to Wheeler who'd finally emerged from behind one of the tents.

As he'd expected, the boy's face was ashen, his mouth pressed into a tight line. It's not like Wheeler could refuse the Grand Emperor's invitation, but clearly the prospect of having to kill a wild creature was eating him up inside.

Emeric smirked.

Good.

It was only a matter of time until he crumbled.

Following behind Wheeler were those two advisors of his, engaged in some sort of bickering argument. God, maybe they were the ones sleeping together.

The girl was wearing an outfit completely impractical for a hunt, her hoop skirt bouncing as she walked, buried beneath at least several layers of pink frills. His gaze fell to the second advisor next. The white-haired boy's face was blank, countering whatever the girl was saying with monotone responses. The advisor reached up now, absently brushing his hair out of those large purple eyes.

Emeric had never noticed it before, but Wheeler's advisor was unnervingly attractive. Despite being a man, he was far prettier than any girl at court. With his slender shoulders and delicate features, Emeric couldn't help but imagine how easy it would be to forget what was between his legs in the throes of passion.

The prince glanced back at the swarm of girls surrounding him, a nameless, faceless blur to him at this point. It had been a long time since someone had actually grabbed his attention like this.

Wheeler stepped in between the advisors now, breaking up their ongoing argument. Soon, the three were chatting, a far softer expression resting on the pretty one's face in Wheeler's presence. It was a cruel reminder that just like everything else, he belonged to his brother.

Emeric's chest grew tight again. Why the hell did everyone adore that goddamn bastard so much?

As if to drive the point in further, his father appeared. In the past, the Grand Emperor would have immediately greeted Emeric. This time, however, he bounded over to Wheeler, playfully wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Wheeler laughed in return, clearly attempting to hide the unease he felt about the hunt.

Emeric's lip curled, his blood starting to boil. Soon, he swore, soon people would finally be reminded who the superior prince was.

The emperor pulled Wheeler along after him, excitedly showing the boy the hunting dogs. In typical Wheeler fashion, the boy's face lit up, eagerly petting the animals who seemed to love him instantly. The sight made Emeric's anger grow even further, the hatred feeling like it could burn a hole in his stomach.

Lingering near the tents was that pretty advisor, keeping an eye on Wheeler as if he was a mother monitoring her children. Emeric swallowed hard at the thought of mothers; his would be rolling over in her grave if she could see this.

He looked at the girls who were still blabbering on, giving them a tight smile. "Ladies, if you'll excuse me for a moment." He managed to fling off the girl who'd been clinging to his arm. "I'll be right back."

Slowly, Emeric approached the pretty advisor, leaning against the pole of the tent beside him. "Hey," he said, crossing his arms. "What's your name?"

"There's no need to trouble yourself with learning it, Your Highness," the advisor replied. Despite the politeness in his tone, Emeric could sense the disdain beneath it.

"If I ask a question, I'd like to receive an answer," Emeric shot back, stepping up next him.

The advisor didn't even bother to turn to look at him. "It's Mulock."

"An interesting name," Emeric murmured.

"I find it rather ugly."

Mulock clearly couldn't care less about the conversation, his gaze never once leaving Wheeler.

"So," Emeric said. "Explain it to me."

"Explain what?" Mulock asked flatly.

"What's so special about him?"

The advisor's expression remained blank, but Emeric noticed he'd tensed ever so slightly. "Who?"

"You know who."

The hunting dogs had begun licking Wheeler's face. He was giggling and the Grand Emperor was laughing along with him, happier than Emeric had ever seen him. The sight made Emeric want to vomit.

"I just don't understand it," Emeric said slowly. "Why does everyone like him so much?"

"He's kind," Mulock replied, his face betraying nothing. "He cares for everyone he meets and does everything in his power to look out for them." His expression hardened. "Even those who don't deserve it."

Kindness? Emeric nearly scoffed at the thought. Kindness was just a weakness, something to be exploited. Wheeler would learn that soon enough.

This was a hunt, after all

He moved past Mulock, making his way towards Wheeler and the Grand Emperor with his head held high. "Father," he called, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I just had a wonderful idea to make this hunt a little more interesting."