The Two Princes [Legendless & Highlander]

"The path continues for another twenty minutes or so unless you're feeling daring?" Andrei tried not to phrase it as a challenge but he was feeling the urge to show off. "The path onwards is wide enough for both of us so I was thinking a race maybe?"


Maybe it wasn't the best thing to do challenging your new betrothed to a horse riding race when you don't know if they are a sore loser or whatever but he found the idea fun and he hoped Rhys did too.
 
Rhys looked over at Andrei as he seemed to challenge him. He wasn't really competitive, but he could be if he wanted to. So he smiled a bit more, not caring that it was completely strange to be racing someone you just met without any knowledge of who they were. Or little knowledge anyway.


"I'd love to race." He said.
 
"Ha. Well I won't go easy on you just because we are going to be married." Andrei pointed down the path ahead. "The path is clear enough that you won't get lost. Cinder has been down it enough times she'll make sure you don't go crashing into any trees." Hopefully. "First one out of the woods win."


Andrei smiled at Rhys. "Ready? Go!" Andrei took off down the path going fast but not all-out yet. He laughed in joy as he flew down the path.
 
Rhys smiled. He wasn't planning on going easy either, so this was good. He nodded a little when he told him that he shouldn't get lost and that Cinder should know the way too. That was good to know. He didn't want to end up seriously lost or anything. Then the terms of winning were agreed upon.


The moment that Andrei shouted 'go', Rhys took off. He didn't push too hard, he'd save that. Still, he stayed right behind Andrei, he knew how these things worked. Or at least how his brothers worked. He'd see if Andrei was the same or different.
 
Andrei kicked Luna a little making her go faster. He watched as they turned the corners, weaving down the path. He let out another cry of joy from the thrill of racing. He looked back and smiled at Rhys. He moved a little in front of him and then moved back to his own side.


"Can you keep up," he teased at his betrothed.
 
Rhys continued to smile as Andrei went faster. So he was the kind to just go faster. Rhys could do that too. He made Cinder go a little faster. He definitely felt any nervous energy that had remained fade away. He was glad that he could feel completely relaxed with him, well at least enough to not feel nervous.


"I can do more than that." He said with a laugh before he deftly passed Andrei and kept going.
 
Andrei started laughing and pushed Luna a little more. He knew the path wasn't going to go on for much longer. He saw the last turn into with was a straight path two miles long. If he didn't want to lose he had to go as fast as Luna could handle.


He closed his eyes pushing his horse and wondering what would be the result. Deep down it didn't matter either way but a part of him wanted to win. To show-off.
 
Rhys heard him laughing and started to laugh himself. He didn't care if he won or not, but he had been given a slightly competitive side from his brothers. Meaning that he, of course, was going to try and win. He pushed Cinder a little harder, trying to put distance between him and Andrei. he didn't bother to look back. He didn't know the trail very well and would like to not ram into a tree or anything. However he listened to the other set of hooves instead.
 
Andrei opened his eyes in time for them to break back out into the open. Rhys has won the race. Andrei slowed down Luna to a stop. He mocked bow at Rhys. Luna snorted clearly not liking to lose.


"Congrats Prince Rhys. You have bested me." He smiled at him. "It was not an easy feat but I am impressed."
 
Rhys seemed to smile wider as he realized that he won. It didn't matter exactly, but he rarely won the races with his brothers. He had stopped and now turned to Andrei. He laughed a little bit, knowing part of it was likely luck. Unfortunately, in that moment, his mind thought of his secret. Guilt settled itself into his stomach. It always came up when he wished it wouldn't.


"There, um, there is something I should tell you" He said, his smile had faded and he looked and sounded nervous.
 
Andrei was still smiling from the rush of the race. But he saw the smile on Rhys' face fade away. He moved closer to him concerned. Something was troubling the other man. He could almost hear his friend's voice saying be careful but he didn't pay it much attention.


"What is it?"
 
Rhys looked down. He couldn't do this. No. He had to. He couldn't hide forever. There was no way he could just not tell him. Besides, what if he got really nervous at some point? He couldn't just wait to explain it then.


"I, um, I'm not normal." His mother always said 'special', but for some reason 'not normal' seemed to fit better. "I, I--" He couldn't say it. He didn't know how to say it. "Please don't freak out." He begged before he closed his eyes. He lifted his right hand and created a tiny orb of ice. He really hoped that Andrei wouldn't be like the people who knew and freaked out.
 
Not normal? Don't freak out? Andrei was tempted to start getting very worried. Maybe he shouldn't have gone off with Rhys alone. He didn't seem like he was going to hurt him but Andrei was concerned about what Rhys was trying to say. When he saw the ice though he went wide-eyed. It was something he hadn't seen before but he knew what it was.


"That's amazing," Andrei said in a hushed voice reaching out to touch the ice. He shivered upon contact but gave Rhys a small smile. "How do you do that?"
 
Rhys waited, eyes still closed, for some horrible reaction. He wasn't sure why he always assumed people would be scared of him after they knew. Maybe because it was easier to prepare himself for the worst than think it was okay and end up hurt. However, Andrei didn't seem to be all that scared. In fact, he seemed more curious.


Rhys opened his eyes to see a small smile on the other's face. He wasn't freaking out at all. "One child each generation on my mother's side has the ability." He said. "I was born with it, just like my mother."
 
Andrei nodded, still looking at the ice that had formed. He was tempted to get off his horse and onto Rhys' to get a better look. He knew about magic but no one he knew was able to use it. Andrei was also a little envious. He wished he was able to do something like that too. But he could see why he had been nervous before.


"I guess you got lucky then."
 
Rhys could see that Andrei was still a bit curious about the ice. He had that look in his eyes that all the people had who actually accepted him. So he made the ice float a little and it moved closer to Andrei, slowly so it wouldn't really scare him. He managed a small smile at what he said, but he shrugged as well.


"Sometimes I think I'm lucky." He said. "Other times it's more like a curse. My eldest brother's wedding, I accidentally froze the entire ballroom. It was really bad."
 
Andrei touched it again, shivering against the sudden cold but not drawing back his hand this time. He looked at Rhys for a moment. It could be a curse too couldn't it? Not just with freezing things but what if Andrei had rejected him for it? That would have been bad. Really bad. But he was glad that he knew now.


"Oh wow. I can't imagine he was too happy about it. Did you not have good control over it at the time?" He couldn't imagine freezing his own brother's wedding. He hoped that it wouldn't happen at their's although it'd be an interesting tale to tell.
 
Rhys managed to laugh slightly. "Actually, he thanked me." He said. "Apparently he found the whole dance too boring." His brothers were also very supportive of him and never got mad when he sort of lost control. He was thankful for that much, at least.


"I have good control most of the time." He explained. "Except when I get really nervous. That's part of the 'curse' side of it. With one extreme emotion, you lose control. For me, it's nervous." He looked down. "I actually felt like I was going to freeze, well, everything earlier." He admitted, talking about when he met them the first time."
 
"Well I guess it can be useful to get out of certain situations," Andrei said. He tried to imagine a ballroom covered in ice, people slipping and sliding around and he fought back his laughter at the idea. He could only imagine the look on his brother's face. He was glad that his brother wasn't mad at him. Not having good control it couldn't be easy for Rhys.


"Ah due to my handsome good looks right," Andrei joked, winking at Rhys. "I know. They make everyone nervous but don't fret. You'll get use to them eventually." Andrei was one of those people who used humor to diffuse situations. He just hoped Rhys wouldn't mind.
 
Rhys shrugged. He didn't think it was useful to get out of anything. It just made a great big mess. However, he had learned to deal with it so it was easier now. Then Andrei started to joke with him. He did smile a little bit at it.


"Actually because I was nervous that I would freeze everything and it was this growing cycle that could have ended badly." He explained. "That's sort of why Anna came with me. She seems to be the only one who can help me not turn everything into a giant icicle."
 
"You were nervous about getting nervous enough to freeze things," Andrei asked, a little confused. He could understand why. Even if he didn't have the power to freeze the ballroom he had been plenty nervous. Adding a magical power that happens accidentally when nervous and yeah. He reached out a hand moving as close as he could on the horse and placed it on Rhys' shoulder.


"I meant it. Do not fret. I am sure with Anna and time you'll be able to control it fully. Just...if you are in a situation that you think it might happen let me know. We are to be married. I am here for you now as well."
 
Rhys nodded a little bit. It was awful, but he was better now. He smiled a bit when Andrei put his hand on Rhys's shoulder. "Thank you." He said. He was glad that Andrei seemed okay with it.


"It's not that I can't control it." He said. "It's that I'll never be able to. Everyone who has had it has had this weakness. For my mother it's when she gets mad. My grandmother's was sadness." He explained. "As long as I'm not nervous, I have perfect control of it."
 
Andrei nodded. He would have to remember that then. It would add another challenge to their marriage, but the young prince was confident that they could make it all work in the end.


"Ah well then I will have to make sure that you are not in situations where it might get out of hand. If you get too nervous just let me know. Although with our impending nuptials I don't think it will be easy." He glanced back at the castle. If they didn't return soon he wonder if Kiel would begin to worry. How long have then been out here? "Do you want to return or keep on riding?"
 
Rhys started to feel bad. He always felt like he was burdening people when they found out that he would never be able to control it when he got nervous. He felt his heart skip a beat when he brought up the wedding again. Right. There would be a lot of people there. This was going to be just...perfect.


Then Andrei asked if he wanted to go back or keep going. Rhys wasn't sure what he wanted. He looked back at the castle and then sort of up at the sky. "I guess we should go back." He said. "Before we end up worrying anyone."
 
Andrei wagged one of his fingers making a "tsking" noise. "Don't worry so much. I've spent longer out here. If anything they probably think we are getting to know each other. Who knows Kiel might be saying that we snuck off to make out."


Cinder tossed her head as if she dislike what Andrei had said and he laughed. "I'm sorry. I have a poor way with words. My teachers always said I need to filter more. But still I don't think they have begun to worry. I am hungry though and dinner is soon. We shall head back."
 
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