They were approximately the same height, and Rayne hated to admit how much he enjoyed being able to look directly into Shey’s blue eyes when they spoke.
Dating him…well, that had happened quite by accident, and Rayne cherished every second they’d been able to steal together, but their time had always been tainted with a dark cloud. They had never escaped the tacit understanding that Rayne would return to Erya at the end of his studies, and Shey would go on to be the ruler of Caspagir. But for the one brief crossing during their university years, their lives were headed in opposite directions.
Years later, Rayne stood with Shey on the deck of a Caspagir battleship, and the prince was fighting fate.
“You look exhausted,” Shey continued.
Rayne narrowed his eyes on him, trying to give his most repressive stare, but those glares rarely ever succeeded in swaying the man from his course, no matter how dangerous the waters he swam in.
“I don’t recall you ever being quite this charming. You must have admirers dropping at your feet wherever you go in Sirelis, Your Highness.”
Shey laughed deeply, but the sound was partially carried away by the wind and the waves. He leaned against the railing next to Rayne and bumped their shoulders together. “I believe I managed to charm your pants off a time or two.”
Quite literally, in fact.
Rayne cleared his throat and stared out at the water while mentally ordering his cheeks not to burn. It was only now that they were standing together that he realized he’d forgotten to bow to Shey when the man spoke to him. He rolled his eyes at himself. He’d grown too relaxed around him, treating him as an equal.
Just as he would Caelan, in all honesty.
Who would have thought he’d reach a point in his life where speaking with royalty would be commonplace?
“What can I do for you, Your Majesty?” It was best if he tried to step back behind the strict boundaries of propriety. It was safer there.
“Stuff it, Rayne.”
So much for that attempt.
Rayne glanced over to find Shey resting his hip against the railing, his eyes firmly on Rayne’s face. “I’m worried about you,” he admitted. “You truly do look exhausted. Did you give Drayce another treatment today?”
“Early this morning and only briefly. I’m fine. There’s too much that needs my attention in regard to Erya, the Empire, and even the gods.”
“And it’s not your job alone. I believe I even heard Caelan state that you need to be holding their hands less in Stormbreak for their own good. The King chose General Morgan to watch over Erya because of her experience. Let the woman handle things.”
Rayne huffed. “Yes, but if my experience and knowledge can ease the way for her, shouldn’t I be helping in any way I can for her benefit and for the benefit of all people in Erya?”
“And what happens when you are just a few days outside of Sirelis and your cell phone no longer has service? Which of you is going to be panicking the most?”
Rayne had little doubt in his mind that he was going to be the one hyperventilating over his inability to check in with General Morgan. The commander was going to do fine without him.
Shey smirked, accurately reading his mind again. “That’s what I thought.” Shey reached out and tapped Rayne’s chin lightly with the tip of his finger. “The road ahead of you into and through Zastrad is going to be a hard one. You should be resting as much as you can right now, not stressing yourself out more.”
Except part of Rayne’s stress was standing right in front of him.
“Thank you, Your Maj—”
“Stop it,” Shey snapped. His brow furrowed as he turned to face the railing, his arms folded tightly across his chest as he glared at the ocean. “I hate when you call me that.”
Rayne stood there with his mouth hanging open, unable to pull together a clear thought at Shey’s sudden explosion. He’d never complained about Rayne as much in the past, though he had to admit that he was using the honorific a tad more now than he might have previously.
“Why?”
“Because when you say it, I feel as if you’re stacking another brick on the wall you’re building between us.”
Rayne started to place his hand on Shey’s shoulder but caught himself at the last second. Not so much because it was improper for him to touch a prince, but rather, it opened a door to things he was very much trying to avoid.
“Your—Shey,” he corrected. “We will always be friends. I treasure the time we spent together.”
“It’s not enough,” Shey declared with a shake of his head. He turned his scowl on Rayne, the muscles in his jaw ticking. “I thought it would be, but we were both stupid and deluding ourselves all those years ago. I’ve never stopped thinking about you. And when you finally returned to Sirelis…” He paused. The glower transformed into something else, something filled with both pain and hope. Reaching out, Shey cupped the side of Rayne’s face, rubbing his thumb across his high cheekbone. A frisson of awareness tingled through Rayne’s entire body, catching his breath in his chest. He couldn’t have looked away even if his life depended on it. “I know I couldn’t let you leave again without at least trying.”