BUMP! BUMP! BUMP!

Joseph was sound asleep when he noticed the window nearest to the prince being hit.

"Oh no!"

He went to the kitchen, grabbing a knife. The prince was motionless despite the noise. The doctor went closer, his adrenaline rushing.

BUMP! BUMP! BUMP!

When he got closer to the window, he noticed some sort of black ball rubbing against the glass. There was no sign of anyone.

CAW!

It was a crow. A huge, insistent one. The creature kept throwing itself against the window.

Poor thing might be searching for shelter from the cold.

"Fine! I'll let you in! Stop with this drama or you'll get hurt, too. I already have a lot on my plate!" Joseph said as he opened the window.

The bird flew in a circle three times and landed on the headboard of the prince's bed. Joseph noticed that the crow's left eye was gone, with only a huge scar left in its place.

It's surely an old troublesome boy! I can't let it defecate on my bed, though...

"You can't stay there! Shoo! Shoo!" The doctor approached, trying to scare the bird with a little pillow.

"CAW! CAW! QUACK! CAW!" The crow flew into Joseph and flapped its wings violently, trying to bite his nose.

"Hey! No violence, good fellow!" Joseph dodged the crow, protecting his face.

"Munin...stop..."

Joseph's eyes widened. The prince was talking in his sleep. And for whatever reason, the crow went back to his headboard and remained still, staring down at him. The prince's mouth was half open and he mumbled a bit more. The bird kept staring at him, tilting his head as if he was considering the sleeping boy's words.

Good Lord... Was he talking... to the... bird? No... that's impossible. It was just a coincidence.

The doctor shook his head. He put some dry corn in a cracked saucer and some water on his desk in case the bird was hungry or thirsty. He decided to let it alone since it was being so quiet now; he was too sleepy anyway. He lay in his hammock and soon the house went silent, save for the sound of the wood crackling in the fire.

***

Joseph opened his eyes when the sun kissed his face. His clock said it was around 8 p.m. Looking over at the prince's bed, he noticed the bird was gone. The plate with the corn was empty as well.

"I told it to leave..." The prince was sitting halfway up in bed, trying to push the blankets aside. His wounds were still inflamed, but...he seemed so energetic... "There is something I want to ask you, Doctor..."

Wow! He’s healing so fast!

"Of course, Your Highness." Joseph went over to help him move the blankets away when he felt a tight grip around his shirt cuff.

The prince moved his hands to hold Joseph's elbows. His arms were like stone, refusing to let the doctor go.

Joseph swallowed and looked down. He was still in his night gown, with his long, blonde hair down, and he was completely naked under his shirt.

The prince's hands went from his elbows to his waist, and he tightened his fingers around it.

"Aah! Y-Your Highness!" Joseph’s face burned again and his eyes almost fell out of his head.

"Sit here with me, Dr. Selden." The prince gently urged him to sit, pulling down on the blonde boy's waist.

The prince's body was completely exposed, save for the bandages on his shoulder and head. His body was glowing, made golden by the sunlight. His lips had regained their softness, and the colour had nearly completely returned to his face. His nipples were rock hard, the peaks unmistakable against the morning light. Joseph avoided looking at his manhood, instead swallowing and turning his eyes towards the prince's face.

"Did you feed that crow?" the prince asked.

"Ah... yes."

“Why?”

Joseph remained silent for a moment, then shrugged.

"Well... it's winter... It's hard on the animals. So if I can help...why not?"

The doctor stared out the window, the sun bathing the snow in little drops of pearl.

"We're all God's creatures, after all."

The prince smiled, his forehead wrinkling inquisitively.

"Are you always this kind to everyone?"

"Eh...?"

The dark-haired boy was ogling him again. His eyes were pure gold now. His lips were slightly open and flushed a deep red.

Like a falcon landing to grab its prey, the prince’s right hand touched Joseph's face right under his eye. His gaze travelled from the doctor's face, down his chest, and finally stopped at his groin, which was barely covered by his shirt. The young doctor trembled, letting his jaw drop in disbelief.

M-My G-God… Doesn’t he realise...he’s touching another man...naked?

Joseph suddenly remembered that a royal was usually dressed and bathed by his servants, and even welcomed guests into their bathing chambers. They're used to being naked in front of other people.

Still...I’m not sure if they’re also this touchy...

The prince kept caressing his face, his eyes still on Joseph's bare legs. Joseph closed his eyes, feeling like his head might explode from the heat in his cheeks. The prince's hands were heavy, with a rough texture. The doctor could feel calluses on his index and middle finger.

Swordsmanship classes... All noble boys take them...

His thumb moved in small circles on his cheek, making Joseph tremble.

How could such masculine hands be so...tender?

Every time hands like that touched him...it was to beat him. Hands like his father’s.

The boy felt his eyes watering again. He kept them shut, his mouth twisting into a frown.

"Who did this to your face? Those guards?"

Dammit! I forgot about the bruise... It must be glaringly obvious today.

"Y-Yes, Your Highness..."

"And your hands, too?"

Joseph's eyes went wide. Swallowing, he felt a wave of shame for the state of his hands, and tried, again, to hide them under his arms. The doctor turned his face away, shaking his head.

He felt the prince's hand grasp his chin, softly tilting his head, and Joseph met the prince's eyes. His hand released Joseph’s chin and found his hair, moving it from his face and placing it behind his ear. The boy shivered.

"Who did it?"

Joseph opened his mouth a bit, but again, he made no sound.

He lowered his eyes, his chest feeling tight.

A part of him wanted so much to let it all out... To have another person know about...it. Even if it was only to share the burden for a few minutes.

But a dignified man should push through and deal with his own matters himself. He should never be a burden to anyone, as his father had said so many times.

This was a losing battle anyway. No one ever had nor would give credence to Joseph in such a quarrel.

If I tell him...he'll think I'm a delinquent, or a coward, and the situation will backfire on me.

Joseph remained silent for a few moments, refusing to meet the prince's eyes, although he could feel them scrutinizing him.

"It's alright. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." The prince turned his face away from the young doctor and grabbed his clothes, which were resting on the nightstand, in a hurry. Then he stood up. "Could you help me, Doctor?"

Joseph blinked, confused.

He realised the prince was preparing to leave.

Already?

"Your Highness! You need to rest for a little longer! Your wounds-"

The young man had already put on his undergarments, and now, with a grimace, he was trying to put on his shirt.

"I'm feeling better enough to walk. I'll finish resting at home."

"Please at least accept some breakfast. I just need to go to town and-"

"There is no time. Also, it's January 1^st. Everything is closed."

Joseph swallowed, staring down and nodding resignedly. He stood up and proceeded to help the prince.

When he was finished, his chest felt heavy. Of course the prince wanted to go home, rather than stay in a rotten hovel in the middle of nowhere, in the company of a broken medical student. His family might be worried about him; he’d been missing for all of New Year's Eve, after all.

He was right... It would be hard for Joseph to get food on a holiday. At the prince’s home, he surely had everything.

Well, it was good to have another person around for once, at least for a little while...

He accompanied the prince to the halfdoor, still dressed in his night gown. The prince held back a grimace of pain, but Joseph didn't insist on him staying.

Suddenly his gentle words felt so empty. He’d called him a hero, just out of courtesy. His true desire had been to flee from this shack as soon as he could walk.

The cold wind engulfed Joseph's legs, groaning through the door’s aperture. Taking a deep breath, the prince crossed the threshold, walking a few steps.

Then he stopped, turning back to the young doctor. He stared at him for a while before walking back. Slowly, he rested his hand on Joseph's right shoulder and smiled.

"You did a lovely job, Dr. Selden, and I couldn't be more grateful. We'll meet again and I'll pay you a fair price for your kindness. You have my word."

Joseph's eyes were vacant as he stared at the prince.

Bollocks. Spare me your pleasantries. You can't even stand it here… You'll forget about everything before you reach the lake.

"You don't need to pay me, my prince. Just return the favour to another person when you meet someone in need of it."

The smile on the prince's face was gone. The doctor knew it was because of his curt answer. The other boy stared at him seriously for several long moments. Then, nodding his head, he turned his back on Joseph and resumed his departure.

Joseph didn't wait for him to disappear into the white horizon, closing the door to his home right away. He had to find something to eat today, for his last provisions had been the dry corn he gave to the crow.