The lost prince.

Hunting.

"I actually like it here." Arthur speaks as soon as he walks into the first floor of the blacksmith. "I got to make a snowman with the kids."

"That's great, sweetie." Pascale tells him half-heartedly, not even listening to her son who is rambling on about the snowman and how much he enjoys the snow since in Monaco is doesn't snow.

For only brief moments around dinner time or in the morning did Charles or the others see Max. The alpha was either always with an excuse of going out hunting or busy with the blacksmith. As if the conversation of a week before had him still fuming about since his mother had refused to elaborate on the subject.

"I'm out hunting!" Max shouts.

"Take the men with you!" Pascale shouts as she starts to get annoyed and needs more peace in this room since Lorenzo and her husband are in a heated discussion while Arthur is still bugging her about the snowman while Charles is well, doing his usual, reading in a corner and ignoring the rest of the world.

"Mom!" Arthur and Charles shout at the same time.

"Fine, up! Let's get moving!" Max says before he is out of the door in nothing but his long sleeved green shirt, some leather boots with fur stuffed in and leather pants.

Charles groans as he gets up from his seat. He hates going out hunting. He's not gifted at any of those things. But surely he gets up with Sophie handing him two jackets. "Take care of Max for me. He's as stubborn as a mule."

Charles nods his head as he is the first to head down the stairs to find Max with a couple of bows and many arrows. Sharpening the ends of the flints while looking down. His body not indicating to anything that it is cold in the shop since Max hadn't lit the fireplace at all.

"Wear this." Charles says as he holds the jacket out to Max.

"No, it restricts my hunting besides I'm used to the cold." Max says before looking up at the shivering prince. "You should put on the jacket, before you turn blue."

"You're so annoying, you know." Charles says to Max.

"Like you're a saint." Max says before turning around and heading out of the shop without Charles or the other men.

"Wait! We're suppose to go with you!" Charles shouts as Max shakes his head.

The dutchman gives him a smirk at the door opening while leaning against the doorpost. As if he is taunting the young prince with the smile on his face which almost says that it's not gonna happen that they are coming with. Before Charles can say anymore, Max salutes him and walks out of the blacksmith.

"Max!" Charles shouts before running after the mule like man. He just in time catches the dutchman before he could disappear somewhere within the crowd. "We have to go with you!" Charles shouts louder.

For some reason, Charles can see the people starting to pause at what they are doing, looking with pity at the prince. Which he doesn't seem to get, what had happened for Max to be this cold and incredibly rude to everyone.

"What is wrong with you?! You shut us out like we're a plaque! Like you're above royalty and that we aren't good enough for you!" Charles shouts out for everyone to hear.

Unknown to the two is that both their families had heard Charles starting to shout at Max. Not that Max cares that Charles is causing a scene in the middle of the village. Everything leaves him cold, he doesn't care about anything.

"Me? You wanna know something? You're desperate, so desperate about having a mate, it sickens me. Get it through your head, prince, i don't want you. Not now, not ever." Max says bitterly.