“Heather mead?” he immediately questioned as they took down the stairs.

“It’s a local specialty. I thought you might enjoy it.”

“You thought right, it sounds a treat!”

They returned to their fireside table, a pair of shallow drinking bowls prepared aside a corked, clay pitcher. Donovan took initiative, prying the lid with a low pop and filling their vessels to the brim with dark, amber liquid. Lee raised his bowl to his lips with a grin.

“Travelling with royalty certainly has its perks. Do you always indulge in such vices?” The bite of the spiced drink washed over his tongue with the pleasant and sweet warmth of honey mead, warming his throat all the way down. Unlike the harsh heat of hot soup, it glowed like embers in his stomach, making his whole body feel fuzzy as he finished his first bowl.

“I can’t say a do,” Donovan admitted, his own sips slow and spaced as he gazed into the hearth, a hint of what Lee swore was a grimace in the corner of his eye with each tip of the cup, “I’ve never been so gratuitous.”

Lee hummed thoughtfully, pouring his second serving as he spoke, “Then I’m happy to be your exception.”

Donovan’s attention snapped to Lee with his words, the other unknowing as he indulged in his newly filled saucer. His drink was long and savored, and when he at last set his bowl down, Donovan was again fixated on the fire. Lee searched for something to say to fill the silence, but his thoughts seemed to disperse as he noted the dancing light caught in Donovan's eyes. He took another swig.

Abruptly clacking his saucer down, he said, "Let's play a game."

"A game?" the prince's pupils seemed to burn just like the cinders they reflected, his strong facial features sharpened by the shadows of firelight. A rip of thunder shuddered through the white noise of rain and crackling wood, making Lee shiver.

“Yes, a game. Something simple. Alphabet?”

“I don’t follow.”

“We take turns speaking, but each sentence begins with the next letter of the alphabet. Hesitate or fail, and you drink.”

“Then how do you win?”

“You make it to bed without blacking out!”

Donovan settled into the back of his chair, an intrigued smirk playing on his lips, “Any other rules I should know about?”

“No, it’s very simple!”

“Believe that’s a drink, then, isn’t it?”

Lee startled, brows furrowing as he sparse out the meaning of the prince’s words before raising them in offense.

“That’s hardly fair!”

“Certainly not, but you did say there weren’t any other rules.”

Donovan’s smile could no longer hide in the corner of his lips, a rare flash of teeth showing as he reveled in his quick thinking. A begrudging Lee sipped his drink, his retort ready by the time it was settled on the table.

“Don’t think it will be so easy, your highness, I’ve been playing this game for years.”

“Even a child can sing the alphabet, how hard can it be?”

“Finding good words will only get harder.”

“Good, I’d hope this would be a challenge.”

The exchange was too easy, the both of them leaning in with each turn. Lee scowled at his cocky opponent.

“How did you catch on so quickly if this is your first time?”

“I told you, it’s just that easy,” Donovan laughed, his grin still plastered on his face.

He really loves winning, doesn’t he? Not even a single drink and he’s already…

“Just because you’ve had some beginners luck, don’t think you’ve already beat me.”

“Keeps looking that way.”

“Let’s make it more interesting, then?”

Lee succeeded in quirking Don’s attention, his tone quizzical as he at last hesitated for a way to start his response, “More interesting?”

“Nothing to worry about if you’re so confident you’ll win, right?”

Donovan studied him closely, all too aware of his antics by this point, but couldn’t find a well enough excuse that started with the right letter. And so, the prince said, “Okay.”

“Promise you won’t back down if you lose?”

“Quit dragging this on longer than it needs to be- what do you want to wager?”

Lee savored his answer well before sharing it, a devilish grin spreading on his face as he made his terms. An inkling of doubt settled in Donovan’s gut.

“Runner up shares a room with Callum.”

Donovan immediately ‘tsk’d his displeasure with the arrangement, the uproar he wanted to cause impossible to adequately express with the letter ‘s’. Lee had originally been sharing his sleeping roll with Callum out of courtesy for Donovan on their journey, but had a change of heart in the previous days as it became more and more apparent the boy was a restless sleeper at best. When he mentioned his sleepless nights to Donovan, however, it was clear by the hard stare he got that it was an indisputable ‘no’ before he even tried to ask if they could switch. In the spirit of the game, though… it was a fair stake to play. Unfortunately for Donovan, it was a high enough stake to throw him off of his groove, and Lee was quick to call his failure- his first drink of the game. They were tied.

“Such a serious expression, your highness!”

“The challenge of the game has finally shown itself, so how can I not be serious?”

“Unless you are a master of language, I hope you still have some tricks up your sleeve, my dear prince.”

“Very confident you’ll win, aren’t you?”

“Wouldn’t you be if your opponent had the letter ‘x’?”