I adored the sound of his piano through the hallways. Piano was soothing, comforting, and inspiring for me. the thought that he, in all his brilliant talent, was the cause behind it, made my thoughts about him run wild. I knew he was happy to play, but I also knew his playing wasn't always from a place of joy. His playing would also remind me of the happiness and peace he brought me as my best friend, only to be coupled with the crushing disappointment knowing he would only ever be just that.

Eli loved an audience as most musicians would. In his words, what's the point in creating an audible art that no one would hear? I also knew music was his therapy. I always approached him carefully when he played to assess his current mood: Either he was playing to share or playing to process. For this reason, I was hiding around the corner from the music room. Our rooms were just further down the hall to my left, while to the right around the corner was the music room door and the main pathway to the foyer. I passed the archway quickly when I heard his playing down the hall.

I loved listening to his music too much to have the courage to interrupt him. My original intent had been to head to my room and paint, but upon hearing him play I couldn't help but stop myself and listen. He was so talented, and he always had been. He had been playing piano and learning music for as long as I'd known him, which was our whole lives.

Eli's full name was Elijah Noble. He was the youngest son of my father's best friend, and military advisor, Dacian Noble. He was also the younger brother of the Royal Guard captain, Cronin Noble. Cronin's accomplishments were something to behold, but it was a thought for another time. Our fathers had known each other for nearly three decades, and their sons were raised together. I had known Cronin and Eli my entire life, and because of their father's close kinship with mine and their significance in the security of the country, the family was respected and treated similarly to that of the royal family.

With a father like Dacian who would need an heir to his career, it was expected that one of his son's would follow in his father's footsteps. Both his sons shared their father's passion and took an interest in military, swordsmanship, and discipline, but it was only Cronin that stuck with it. It became his dream and passion to be a part of the Royal Guard. Eli, who shared the same love for it as the rest of his family, wanted to be a musician instead. He was just as skilled with his fists and swords as he was with music. He became an accomplished musician, publishing music and performing in orchestras. He did what he loved, and he made a name for himself that wasn't in the shadow of the accomplishments of his family. I knew with certainty that his entire family couldn't be more proud of him for it, and also knew Eli struggled with his self-worth, feeling his passion for music was a disgrace on the rest of his military focused family.

It couldn't be further from the truth. Eli's mother was an accomplished musician as well and he was well on his way following in her footsteps. Dacian had loved her talent and couldn't be more delighted to see Eli doing the same. She was the cause for his love of music and she taught him everything he knew, from instruments to singing and performing. Unfortunately, since her abrupt death nearly eight years ago, no one had heard Eli sing since. For the first year since her death, everyone feared Eli would never play music, especially piano, again.

The death of his mother changed my best friend forever. I was aware of his depression and frequent depressive ruts, something he's lived with most his life, but they only worsened in duration and severity since her death. Genuine joy on his face was a rare feature. It was why I tried so hard to keep him company and do anything I could with him. I knew my presence brought him joy. I knew my smile, and only my smile, made him happy.

My thoughts were silenced when I realized I heard just that, silence. My worries and memories had been so thick I hadn't heard him stop. I was unsure what it meant, but the silence reminded me of my original intent to paint. If he had finished playing, perhaps he would join me? The thought sparked excitement. It took me so strongly I rounded the corner to enter the music room without possibly considering he wouldn't want to, or he had other plans.

Or perhaps because his boyfriend, Blake, had taken his attention.

I stood in the doorway of the music room. A moderately sized square room, chairs and cabinets of various instruments lined the walls to my right while the left was relatively open. In the corner of the room was a small stage of which the piano sat upon. While Eli was capable of playing many stringed instruments, he usually sat at the piano in this room. My gaze fell upon him seated behind the piano, facing the rest of the room, with his boyfriend seated next to him.

Even while sitting behind the piano, I would know his features anywhere. He was short, which made it difficult to see him behind the open cover of the piano. His smaller frame didn't help either: He was androgynous with less broad shoulders and a slightly curved waist. Even his facial features were softer, but still masculine. His skin was lightly tanned, and I knew very faint freckles dusted his cheeks. His hair was auburn, in which he dyed his slightly curled bangs blond. His hair was usually ruffled and longer on the top than sides, and somedays the curl in his hair was more present than other days. But above all, and the most attractive piece about him, were his piercing light blue eyes, the color of which I could make out from across the room and even behind his thick black glasses.

"Are you alright, Sonjay?" I heard his voice. His soft, delicate and gentle voice. It snapped me from staring at him across the room, of which he and his boyfriend were also doing.

"Oh, yes!" I quickly responded, snapping out of it. "Sorry to interrupt, I didn't realize you were with Blake at the moment." He waved his hand gently in a gesture meant I shouldn't worry about it. "I wanted to ask you something, E, if you aren't busy. Would you be interested in joining me to do something creative? Perhaps I paint while you play something? Or we could tomorrow, if you're busy now." I gave him a hopeful smile, something I hoped would convince him.

I could sense the hesitation in him. I was unsure the exact reason, but I knew there could be a variety of reasons for it. Since Eli's mother passed, he had become very reserved and distant from people in his life. Everyone knew it was because he was afraid of losing us too. That could be one reason, but with time he had started to open up again. It was likely because of the current rut he found himself in. Since the announcement of the Arranged a few months ago, Eli hadn't taken the news well. While unsure of the exact reason, we all assumed it was because I was going to become occupied more so than I already was. Eli probably felt he would be losing his best friend with the presence of the Arranged at the palace.

"Sure." Eli said softly after a short pause, much to both Blake and I's surprise. "I'm... Not quite myself right now, as I'm sure you've noticed." He continued nervously. "But I think that's why you're offering we do something. As exciting as it sounds, I can't promise anything. I will try, I will really try, but I might struggle to. Is... Is that alright?"

"Of course." I responded immediately. I didn't want him to think a pause would mean something. "I won't hold you to anything, but I will always offer in hopes that you're interested in doing something together. Anything to make you smile."

I watched, alarmed, as Eli chuckled weakly and rested his forehead on Blake's shoulder, a soft sob escaping him. A cold jab of fear struck my chest as I worried I had been the one to set him off. Clearly, he had been playing piano to feel and I was thankful I hadn't interrupted initially. Now that I was, guilt overcame me. I only wanted to make him smile, and here I was making him cry. When he lifted his head to address me again, however, a soft smile on his face, perhaps I had jumped to my own conclusions. Maybe my kindness had finally sent him over the edge with a happy emotion that overwhelmed him.

"Thank you, Sonjay." He said, his voice steady for the moment. It eased my fear only slightly. "I really appreciate that. How does before lunch tomorrow sound?"

I gave an eager nod, surprised and excited by his willingness to join me. "Sure! You know me, a morning person."

He gave a weak smile. "See you tomorrow. I'll probably pass on dinner again tonight."

"Oh, alright. See you tomorrow then, E."

I hoped the disappointment in my eyes wasn't apparent to him. I never wanted him to feel guilty for feeling down, but he needed to know he would be missed. He was loved and adored by me and his entire family, whether he liked it or not.

Our conversation ended as quickly as it began. I found myself desperately wanting to say more, to go over and console him. With Blake's arm around his shoulders, however, I was unneeded. I didn't even know if I was wanted. Seeing him turn back to Blake with a shuddering breath, I knew my presence wasn't helping him for one reason or another. I gave him a nod and turned on my heel to give him space, leaving in favor of my bedroom.

I had hoped his favorite nickname would have cheered him up. His full name, Elijah, had become a sensitive name since his mother's passing. It started as a joke and I had taken it upon myself as challenge to find a nickname of a nickname. If Eli was short for Elijah, what was short for Eli? Since that day I had only ever referred to him directly as E. It was something I knew he cherished. A special name for him and only him.

As prince, I was fortunate enough to have a large room to myself. Upon entering the room I was faced with a wall, with my office to the right and the rest of the room to the left. The room was a fairly open concept. A couch and table sat in the center of the room with a balcony door on the far wall behind them. The left most wall had a set of doors, one for my walk-in closet and the other my personal bathroom, while the right wall was a small alcove that my bed called home. There was a sliding divider that could separate the bedroom alcove from the rest of my room that I used very infrequently.

The room was my safe space. My own place that I could find escape from the outside world and the gravity of my birth-given role. My bed beckoned me closer when I further stepped into the room. The original desire I had to paint was still present, but after my brief interaction with Eli, I found myself needing a moment to collapse. He always brought out my best energy but could just as easily drain it. I did collapse, falling in bed on my back with my feet on the floor and arms spread wide.

I had always known Eli to be an independent person, rarely seeking console from others. It was probably because he had been happier in the past, and his mother served as the only console he needed. With her gone, and the rest of his family becoming just as reserved as him, he kept to himself more so than ever. But sometimes, when things were especially bad for him, I had become his comfort. He sought me out to cheer him up, to talk to and take the weight from his shoulders. After the interaction we just had though, I had never felt so unneeded in his life before.

Why couldn't I have been Blake? Why did Blake have to come into his life almost three years ago now? Maybe if I hadn't been so scared and spoken sooner, perhaps things would be different between Eli and I, but with how reserved Eli had become after his mother's death eight years ago, how could I have said something to him? He was grieving, and still was, and the weight of his best friend having a crush on him wasn't what he needed.

Granted, it was only about three years ago, when I was twenty or so, when I fully understood and acknowledged my feelings for him. It was a combination of things that led to the conclusion. After Eli's mother's death, he distanced himself from everyone during those years. He spent those years advancing his musical talent, as well as a few years of hardcore training with Cronin. During this time, I tried to connect with him, to no avail. Instead, I occupied my time taking my royal training seriously. I also began training with Cronin and advanced my lessons with my father. It wasn't until a year or so ago that Eli approached me and apologized for his lack of presence in each other's lives. It took a few months, but we found console and friendship in each other again. It was then that I realized I didn't feel friendship towards him anymore.

Eli's absence made me question why I missed him so terribly. At first, I thought it was just loneliness and missing my best friend. Over time, it became more than that. I watched Eli from a distance, and each time I found something more and more appealing about him. The way he dressed, the way he talked, his actions and mannerisms, and especially when he played music or when he practiced with Cronin. Everything he did was... Attractive to me. It didn't fully click what it meant until Eli came out by introducing us to Blake, his boyfriend.

I realized then that my loneliness was jealousy. I had a crush on my best friend, who had just come out as gay. In other words, if I had realized sooner, Eli and I could have...

I abruptly sat up from my bed and pressed my hands to my face, rubbing it gently with a heavy groan. These were the kinds of thoughts I needed to stop having and the kind that my father had tried to relieve by offering his advice. Eli had no way of knowing my true feelings, especially considering I hadn't even known my own emotions. He was still my best friend, and always would be, and it was entirely possible Eli would only ever see me as just that. If I had realized and said something to Eli before he was in a relationship, there still was no guaranteed outcome.

Considering the two had been together for nearly three years now, it was time I moved on. My father knew it, and deep down (whether I liked it or not), I knew it too. The Arranged arriving on Monday would do just that.