Water filled his nose and slid down his throat. Panic gripped him like a vise. Was he drowning? Was William trying to kill him?

Alex kicked out, and the hands on his shoulders suddenly let go. Something—or someone—pulled him out of the water.

"Are you all right?"

Alex gasped for air and collapsed against the edge of the bath, coughing up water. His senses were foggy, and his lungs burned as if he had swallowed fire.

"Your Highness?"

The prince snapped his head up. A pair of poison-green eyes studied him with faint concern. William? Why was he looking at him like that?

He blinked and rubbed his face. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Actually, I'm saving you." William placed a hand on his neck, and Alex held his breath as those slender fingers brushed against his skin. "Your heartbeat seems to have returned to normal."

Alex grimaced and rubbed his cheek. Along with the headache, his face pulsed with pain, and his memories were all tangled. "What do you mean?"

The mage lowered his hand. "You had an unpleasant encounter. Don't you remember anything?"

"No, I just… Everything's confused at the moment." He glanced down. "Well, at least I'm not excited anymore."

"It's not your fault. It was some sort of drug." William stepped closer again and laid both palms on Alex's shoulders. "Stay still so I can make sure the water washes it away completely."

Alex's eyes widened. "Drug? On my skin?"

"Yes."

"The prostitute's ointments."

William nodded, as detached as ever.

The prince bit his lip. How could he stay so calm? "Did I… do anything to you?"

"You grabbed my wrist and begged me to… take you, but you didn't do anything inappropriate."

Alex rubbed his forehead. "I'm sorry, really, I shouldn't have even touched you."

William sighed and let his arms drop. "You weren't yourself, and I had everything under control. You've nothing to apologize for. And I'm not as defenseless as I look. If you had become dangerous, I would've stopped you with much more than a slap."

Alex stared at him in confusion. "You slapped me?"

"You're stronger than I am—it was the only way to catch you off guard and push you underwater."

Guilt pricked at Alex. "I'm sorry. You must've been scared."

"I've been through worse, Your Highness, and as long as I'm in control, everything's fine. Besides…" A faint blush colored William's cheeks. "It was mostly embarrassing. I didn't need to know your… preferences."

"I'm sorry." Alex ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, I…"

William placed his hands on his shoulders again. "It's all right. Take a few deep breaths. You're still disoriented."

Alex inhaled deeply, and the fog in his head began to clear. His memories returned, and shame washed over him at how he'd behaved. And William…

"You really weren't afraid of me?"

"No." A small smile tugged at his lips, and something twisted in Alex's chest. "Even drugged, you're still a good man. I don't think I could ever fear you."

Alex rubbed his eyes. They stung from the tears threatening to fall, and part of him wanted to cry on the mage's shoulder and be comforted like a child. "I feel awful."

"It will pass." William guided him to sit on the edge of the bath and sat beside him. "I will stay with you until you feel better."

"I'm a mess of a prince. I don't even know why my father insists on me." Alex rubbed his cheek, still burning from the slap. "I'm an idiot. I bet you think so, too."

"You're not an idiot—just a bit naive. You trust others more than you should, and sometimes that puts you at risk. That's all."

Alex lowered his gaze to the steamy surface of the hot water. "Do you hate me?"

"No. To be honest, I think I'm starting to find you agreeable."

"I don't dislike you either." He looked at him again. "How did you know it was a drug?"

"The smell of the ointments was familiar."

"It was violet and jasmine."

"Not exactly. It was Idillio flower—the scent resembles a mix of violet and jasmine, but it's much sharper. It's a psychotropic substance and can be absorbed through the skin. In the Empire of Xia, it's used as a tonic to… increase sexual vigor."

"You sound very knowledgeable."

"The infusion, on the other hand, is harmless and can be used to restore the body after an illness. That's how I use it. I do not frequent brothels, Your Highness."

Was that a jab? Well, Alex deserved it. He'd let himself be fooled by those doe eyes and had been played. "Is that why you drove him away?"

"I didn't realize it immediately—otherwise I could've stopped him much sooner. I'm sorry, that was my mistake."

Alex shook his head. William'd done more than enough—it was his fault for letting his guard down. He shouldn't have, not after the ambush.

"We're not safe even here in the castle. I doubt that man only wanted to have some fun."

William nodded. "This seems more complicated than the king believed. The prostitute may have been unaware, or he may have known exactly what he was doing."

"From now on, we should trust each other." Alex hesitated. "William, if it happens again, I authorize you to stop me by any means. Including death."

"It won't happen again, I promise. And from now on, it's safer if we stay together."

"I agree," Alex murmured.

For some reason, he felt safe with the mage, as if he could entrust him with his own life. Maybe binding himself to him through the Crown Pact wouldn't be so bad.

William cleared his throat. "As a precaution, I'll send a message to the king through Caedos later asking for reinforcements. But there's one problem."

Alex looked at him in surprise. "What is it?"

"Until he returns, I won't be able to use magic. You'll have to protect me until then. Can you do that?"

He hesitated. He was a skilled swordman, but what if he failed to save him? What if the enemy caught him off guard? What if William died in his arms because he was an incapable prince?

"Your Highness?"

Alex let out a breath. "All right. Send Caedos to my father. I'll watch your back."

No one would die. Not while Alex was still breathing.