Out Of The Woods

Four

Ambrose makes his way to his bedchamber after dismissing himself from the dining hall. He couldn't find it in himself to eat, his nerves making his hunger dissipate.

He didn't know when the carriage was arriving, but he hoped it never makes it to the palace.

He didn't want to face Johnathan, especially after the man treated him. The last thing Ambrose wanted was to hurt any more than he already was hurting.

It was like Johnathan was a completely different person at that moment. But perhaps he was right about one thing. This was Ambrose's fault. If only he had shown more affection to his lover, maybe Moon Goddess would have paired them together as mates.

As Ambrose rounds the corner to the next stairwell, he catches sight of a man with red hair disappearing down another hallway.

Levi...

Curious, Ambrose follows the man. He creeps close behind, making sure he was quiet enough so that he doesn't get caught. He sees Levi stop, making him hide behind a pillar.

"Do you intend to sneak behind me forever, Your Highness?" Levi says, making the younger boy gasp. "Or are you going to show yourself? I am a wolf too, I could smell you even though I could not see you."

Ambrose steps out from behind the pillar, hanging his head in shame.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to follow you. It was just strange seeing you wander around the palace on your own."

"So you think I am up to no good?"

"No! No, not at all!" Ambrose replies, his face losing color. Was Levi going to hurt him as well?

Levi was also a prince. Surely he wasn't looking to steal or destroy anything. He felt so ashamed of himself. He had no right to chase after the man. He deserved to be punished. Following someone without their permission was a terrible thing to do.

After what happened with Johnathan, he wanted to avoid confrontation. It terrified him, the way Johnathan's eyes looked as he stared down at him. A mixture of rage and contempt.

Would Levi look at him the same way?

"I am only teasing you," Levi reassures, noticing the young prince's pained expression. "It is alright. This is your territory, after all. I have no right to wander around without permission."

Ambrose releases a shaky breath. His emotions build up until they spill over the edge, bring on another round of tears.

This was the most he had cried in a long while. It made him even more embarrassed that he was breaking down in front of an audience and not alone in his bedchamber.

Ambrose sobs suddenly, his chest jerking with heaving sighs as he sinks to the ground. His legs, unable to hold his weight any longer.

"Oh, my," Levi's eyes widen as he kneels before Ambrose, taking hold of his shoulders.

"Here, let me take you to your bedchamber. Come now, I will carry you. Then we will have a conversation as to why you are so upset. If it is about you following me, I am not angry. Truly. I apologize for coming off so accusatory."

Feeling defeated, Ambrose allows the older man to pull him into his arms. He holds on tightly, not wanting to fall.

He trusted Levi would find the way to his bedchamber, as he could easily follow the scent to his bedchamber. 

It doesn't take long for Levi to find Ambrose's bedchamber. He knocks twice with his foot, tapping it gently against the bottom of the door, knowing that the Fae resided within the room.