Hylas stepped into the courtyard with a a frown and a smile. "What are you doing?" He asked, a little out of breath as he dragged himself and his wares down the powdery stone steps. He dragged down the heap of wood with an exhaustive grunt, and slung off the hare in a careless shrug. Hylas was in need of rest, and the perfect shady spot— previously Hylas' favourite spot —was taken. As he got closer to Cas, his amused theory was proven. Playing with flowers! Of course. He gazed down at the prince with the smile of sarcastic parent, shouldering off his rucksack with a heavy wince. We need to warn the continent about a colossal war and this fool is— Hylas sighed, taking a seat in the long, feathery pelt of grass and looking from the prince's flowers to his still face. Oh, you are a fool. Hearing that thought with such affection in his mind made him consider the cause. What was so tender about a simple chain of flowers? Perhaps it was the imagined delicacy of his hands that went into it. The weak, knotty circled of weeds was unimpressive, but the dedication in those desperately tied stems made Hylas think of Cas' focus. He wanted to know what Cas looked like in such a pure, impassioned moment, almost regretting not being there to witness it. Did he slouch and hunch his shoulders without thought? Did he frown or bite his lip looking down at the frail-petaled wildflowers picked and fashioned into a loop? There was a rare innocence in Cas' expression, a shy indifference that compelled Hylas' look into confusion. "Is your crown back home not good enough?" He dryly teased. His thoughts were still considering the soft strangeness of his work, and he unconsciously lacked the wavering lightness in his tone to convey playfulness.
Cas glanced up to Hylas the back to his chain with a small pout, cheeks turning a soft pink as he tried to explain what he was doing and why he wasn't working. All that came out at first was a quiet, "I got distracted…" He tied the ends of the chain together. The crown wasn't the best, but Cas was quietly proud of it. At Hylas' question, he bit his lip, looking from his creation to the assassin sitting across from him, "No- I mean yes but- I mean- I just-" He shrugged, placing it gently on his head delicately. He probably thinks I'm an idiot now. There was nothing wrong with his crown, maybe a little heavy but he hadn't even paid a thought to it while he was picking the flowers, gently weaving it into the pattern with the alternating colours. Hylas had been off doing actual work, and here he was, doing nothing, again, making an idiot out of himself. Time had gone by quicker than expected, Cas hadn't thought Hylas would have been back so soon. If he'd known, maybe he wouldn't have gotten distracted and written a little more. His cheeks reddened further at the thought, gaze shyly flicking between Hylas' confused face and his hands, with nothing to fidget with, he picked at his nails, both out of embarrassment from being caught and nervousness, "I have- I have written some of the letter," He said quietly, "So I haven't just been, you know." He gestured to the flowers now atop his head. Get it together. He'd get back to it in a minute, he'd just needed more time to think about how to go about it. Nothing wrong with that, right? Cas knew he'd done nothing wrong, but he still couldn't help but be embarrassed.
Hylas studied the circlet of flowers for a long moment, then with a smirk, he scoffed and stood to leave. Silly, frail thing. I'll teach him how to make a proper one that can hold up against the wind. He shook his head as he went up the crumbly steps to the front of the monastery, disappearing around the corner to where he knew the wildflowers grew strong in the shade. He knew the flowers with the yellow, squarish petals had the best stems for weaving into crowns. During the week-long festival of light in the spring, villages in Valthea organized parades of flower-crowned townsfolk to march up the long roads and gather in the square of the nearest city. Hylas remembered the many years of watching blue-frocked girls giggling as they threaded green stems into summery country crowns. It was only after watching them do so from afar that he had understood the clever pattern of creating the tight braid. He stepped back into the courtyard with a smile and a thick bouquet of yellow wildflowers. "I'll— I'll show you how to do it properly," He softly told the prince, sitting down beside him and looking up to meet him with a quick smile. His hands moved slowly as he crossed two flowers and gently loop one stem under and over to the side, mumbling a quiet "Up…over. And…on top of what we just did…mhm," as he gently guided the prince's hands.
Cas let Hylas guide him, cheeks red hot as they worked to make the flower crown. He had never been very good at the practice, but it still brought joy even if the crown fell apart a few moments later. There was nothing wrong with his own crown, but he didn't protest as Hylas hands slid over his and guided his movements to create the ring of yellow flowers. Hylas was surprisingly gentle, Cas hadn't been expecting him to know, or even offer, to show how to make a 'proper' crown. We need to get back to work. He thought, gaze flicking between their hands and the wildflowers before them. He had to get back to the letter. He had to continue to work. He'd wasted enough time making the first crown and now making the second… but words failed him as they worked in comfortable silence. Festivals back home had crowns of silver beads, not flowers. So different and yet still required the same skills needed to make the thread of beads and flowers. When the crown was finished, Cas glanced up at Hylas, smiling softly, "Now we're matching." Hylas' crown was better, his own was far below the standard but he took quiet pride, "Thank you, for teaching me." He wanted to know how Hylas had the skills to create something as beautiful as himself. Has he spent hours as a child making them? When had he had time now to create crowns? Was it a way to relax? His quiet curiosity grew, wishing to learn more about the stranger sitting so, so close to him now.
Hylas shrugged, taking the sturdy flower crown off his head after the moment of Cas' notice. I don't want him to see me as ridiculous or…childish. He had tried so hard to seem interesting and sophisticated at the ball, and between the unappealing strangeness of who he was, he wanted to at least seem vaguely serious. "Of– Of course. Yes," Hylas said, nodding as his hands shyly retreated and his gaze was compelled to the side. The slow spread of embarrassment crept over his nose and cheeks as he realized the stupidity of his attempt of doing something simple. "Thank you for teaching me" He said. Gods, why do I involve myself with every fickle chance at impressing him? Braiding flower crowns…It's pathetic. "How's…the letter coming along?" Hylas asked, hoping to weasel out of his spiralling thoughts, "Written to ready the noose for me yet?" He laughed, but after realizing the severity of the joke, his smile fell. Maybe he has. And how would I know? I can hardly read. I'd never catch it. A silent moment passed. "I'm– I'm just wondering. You don't have to tell me anything, really. But I can help with um, describing… where we are if that's important."
"Right yes, the letter," Cas' thoughts for quickly dragged away from crowns and handsome assassins to the letter he needed to be writing, should have been writing this entire time. He grabbed the letter sitting beside him, handing it to Hylas. His handwriting was neat, delicately drawn across the page in elegant letters conveying their message of urgent action. Well, eventually it would, the measly few sentences only described that he was alive and nothing else so far, "There's um- no mention of you. Well… not in a way that would have you killed or- or compromise your identity." He sighed softly, rubbing his face with one hand to try and clear his thoughts a little more, "It's hard to compact everything we need to say into a short letter. And it can't include too many details in case we get found out which makes things even harder." Cas chewed his lower lip, feeling stress being to build back up before he could stop it. He needed all the help he could get right now, and if Hylas was offering to help then he wasn't going to turn that down. Any chance to spend a little more time with him before he got on to completing his other jobs for the day.
Hylas accepted the letter with intense dread. He nodded as he regarded the ink-scratched page with false interest, trying to catch and pin down the first few dancing words before immediately giving up and moving his eyes in meaningless lines of consideration. With his cheeks warming and embarrassment clouding his thoughts, he hummed and handed the letter back to Cas with a nod of quiet approval. "Mm. Yes. Thank you…for that." The awkward laugh that followed seemed to lighten the mood, and in his attempt to forget his shame, Hylas pivoted to a new thought. "You could say that…I'm— Well, me as Hylas, not the Raven, of course. A merchant or…farmer…a merchant-farmer? Who's granted you refuge in Valthea. Say that I found you in the woods on my journey home and freed you while the Raven was hunting." Hylas shrugged, picking at the squared petals of the flower crown a little nervously. A breeze pushed into the courtyard and tickled the grass with a sway. In a long stretch of thoughtful silence, he considered the current reality of their situation. Cas was a golden prince trying desperately to save lives, and Hylas was a selfish killer hoping to live a little longer. Ouch. Here they were discussing their plan to lie to the King of Eirus. Here I am braiding fucking flower crowns. Hylas tried to smile, but he couldn't bear to look Cas in the eye while he was thinking of the mess he'd dragged him into. "Look, I know it's hard, protecting a murderer and all, this— lying is is unfortunate but necessary." Another shrug. Hylas wanted to kick himself for shrugging. It wasn't as if this was something he could be indifferent or ignorant about, and again, he sighed with the wind. "But I'm just…sorry, I suppose."
Cas opened his mouth to reply, however closed it a moment later, turning his attention to the letter in hand. The prince chewed the inside of his lip, thinking over his next words with careful consideration. Sorry? He was sorry? He'd never thought to hear those words sound so sincere from Hylas' mouth. An odd feeling rose inside him and he tried to ignore it as he scribbled down the next couple sentences of the letter, using Hylas' suggestion.
I was lucky enough to escape with the help of a wandering merchant who found me in the woods. The Raven was off hunting at the time and fortunately, we were lucky to cross paths. He had given me sanctuary until I return home. War is coming. A war greater than the last and we are running out of time.
"I-" Cas glanced sideways at Hylas, then down at the letter, "I can't say I know what it's like to- to be in a position such as yours." He said quietly, "But… I know you did what you had to, to survive. To make a better life for yourself." Cas' head was the best chance Hylas had been given at living a life away from murder and blood and a ledger coated in red, "And I suppose, the war was coming whether I was alive or not so, I guess I should thank you for not killing me." Cas fiddled with the soft grass beneath him, needing something to do with his hands, "And helping me with- with the letter and-" He gestured to the sanctuary around them, "There's no need to say sorry, Hylas, truly."
"The last time I said sorry—" Hylas thought of their journey through the forest; the silence and shame that drove them apart when Cas found out who he was, "—You said you should kill me where I stand. That fact still remains." A part of him couldn't take the kindness that was being offered to him. It felt unsafe, like holding poison in his mouth and wondering if he should swallow. He hated the soft, sympathetic look that graced Cas' perfect features, and was disgusted by how unguarded he felt by looking at him. Was this pity? Or a snobbish fawn over the perils of poverty? Even if it was a genuine kindness that prompted the reply, Hylas refused to believe the prince was thinking with a clear head. He stood with a frown, his eyebrows threatening to quiver into a pained expression. "You're…You're letting empathy get in the way. How can you thank me? For…" He tore a hand through his hair and took a few steps back. For not killing him? Is that so much that he has to thank me? And his gratitude; he must feel…indebted to me. Me, a killer. That's horrid. This was wrong. He was being swallowed into a trap. Hylas turned to face the hall, thoughtlessly moving away from Cas as if he could escape the feeling by physically leaving the source. "Of course there's a need to fucking…say sorry," He breathed as he marched down to the bedroom that housed the heavy logs and shut the door.
Cas watched him leave, stuck to his spot on the ground in silence as the echo of the door shut and disappeared within moments. Stubborn ass. Knowing Hylas better now, hearing at least some of what he had been through had prompted the sympathetic reply. Before, he'd known nothing, raging with raw emotion over who Hylas was, simply forming opinions from stories and not facts. Hylas had shown kindness. He could have killed him days ago, could have killed him then, instead, he'd offered food, clothes, a place to sleep and was helping him, nothing like the merciless killer Cas had thought him to be days ago. A part of him was still reeling over the idea that Hylas was The Raven, that this was all a trick to find out what he planned to do before he finished the task assigned, stealing the plans away and running - surviving - the war coming their way. Cas hadn't lied when he'd spoken in earlier interactions, he should kill Hylas. After all, he'd done, the years and lives were taken from those even Cas knew, he should kill him or turn him in. He'd be a hero. But thinking back now, Cas couldn't do it, not now that he knew Hylas, if only a fraction more, from when they had first met. Maybe he was being unreasonable, too kind. Cas leaned his head back against the tree and closed his eyes, drinking in the afternoon sun as he thought over everything. He did have a need to thank Hylas, not being dead and buried was enough to thank him. He could ve six feet under and instead, was basking in the sun worrying over what an assassin thought of him. Gods, it's too fucking complicated. Why couldn't things be simple? To drag himself out of his thoughts of Hylas, how the rest of the day would go, he turned back to the letter. Get it done.
Hylas let out a heavy exhale as he stood behind the door, staring at it with a pained intensity. His worry had curdled into anger towards himself, and he took a moment to rub his face and settle. Gods. It was all so painful; the truth. He didn't like facing it and disliked feeling sorry for himself even more. Now would be a good time to cry, He thought, helplessly focusing all of his energy onto the specific wound in his mind. Come on. His frown was deep and determined, but he knew that nothing would happen. With an exhausted sigh, he leaned back on the dusty rock walls and quietly sulked until his mind was clear enough to move on. This was childish. Normal people didn't run away from kind, beautiful princes when they got too close. "Just…fucking…" He whispered to himself. Get over it. Hylas turned to the tarp cloaking the heavy logs. The far wall of the bedroom had crumbled out into the fields, and with what he thought of as calming breaths, Hylas rolled the heap of wide logs out onto the grass. Panting, he dragged the cloth-wrapped axe out of the bottom of the pile and carried it with him as he hopped outside. Now he was determined to work and get his mind off of Cas and himself. Just have a bit of quiet time. Yes. He nodded to himself as he brought all the wood outside of the monastery, where a wide stump waited to steady splitting wood. Hylas tossed away the knives on his belt and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, overwhelmed with simmering emotion. He fought off every thought he had about Cas, trying to do with every memory of his gentle smile and worried eyes as he looked at him. Remembering to count, he readied a log and brought his axe down hard, splitting the wood into three and wrenching the axe free with a rough breath.
Cas discarded the flowers on his head, placing the one Hylas made gently to the side with a sigh before picking up the quill and ink. Write, Caspian. Write! The next hour or so passed with the prince lost in his thoughts, scribbling down on the parchment sitting in his lap words of strategy and politics. He'd need to go home soon. There was no time to wait around in the monastery. He- they if Hylas chose to join him - would need to make the few days journey home through the lovely Valthean countryside and into Eirus, and Cas knew if they wanted to make it back a day or so after the letter got there, they would have to leave Hylas' secret hideaway sooner than he knew they both wanted. By late afternoon, Cas had finished, not exactly happy with what he'd written by satisfied enough that it included the necessary information. The sun had sunk further by down, casting the court in the shade of the plum tree, the gentle wind rustling the leaves as he stood and stretched, bones creaking from sitting for hours. There was still ink and parchment left if they needed. Cas hoped they didn't, but just in case. The prince sighed, running a hand through his tangled mess of curls as he reached to pick up the letter and supplies, wandering back into the living quarters to place them back on the desk. He'd been so caught up in politics that he'd forgotten all about Hylas and their last conversation, until now. Cas hoped he was alright. He hadn't looked alright when he left but.. boundaries. He sets the boundaries. Even though he wanted to check up on the assassin, decided against it. No need to make him angry or fuck up now they had made it this far.
Hylas felt comfortably detached as he slammed down the chiselled edge of his axe, keeping himself in reality with his counting while letting his thoughts smooth into a worriless hum. His anger had dissolved into a nameless ache, and with every swing and crisp split of a log, he could feel the severity of the conversation melt away. Now he could calmly think of his next steps between the violent crashes of iron and wood. Fuck it, He thought with an itch of restlessness, I'll just walk into the courtyard and…talk. Impulsively, he left his post and jogged up to the front steps. "Cas?" Hylas quietly called, though saw that no prince sat under his plum tree. With a soft frown, he shook his head and jogged back. What was I thinking? He knew he was bad at speaking to people, but how could he have wanted to improvise as well? It was that strange, fluttering urgency in his chest that told him to act and quickly think of clever replies when Cas was near. Hylas scoffed at his own pathetic need to impress and stopped in his tracks. Cas is probably inside. He looked at the windows of the living room, though couldn't see in with the light reflecting off of it. Probably busy with actual, important work. Probably forgotten the whole conversation by now. Probably wondering when food's gonna be on the table. Hylas sighed and combed a hand through his sweat-slick curls, turning back to his woodpile with a pensive look. Hmm. He rolled his sleeves back up and cursed the relentless afternoon sun as he took the axe in his strong hands and readied his next swing.
From his spot in the living space, Cas faintly heard Hylas calling his name, but by the time he had fully registered it, Hylas had already returned to his post. A small frown etched into his features as Cas walked back into the courtyard, chewing the inside of his cheeks as he glanced around to find the assassin. Why'd he call me? Was something wrong? Did he just want to talk? Cas contemplated turning back around and heading inside, but the fluttery feeling and the quiet want to talk to Hylas compelled him to trace the steps of the assassin, making his way quietly through the monastery where he could hear the faint sound of Hylas working. Cas prayed that they were okay after their last conversation. Writing had distracted him for a while but now with nothing to focus on, he was quietly worried Hylas was going to yell at him. Hylas wouldn't just call him for no reason, right? At least he hoped they could talk, or even just enjoy each others company again. The sight of him in the sun, hair glistening with the light and the sweat from chopping wood, muscles working hard to split the logs, had Cas stuck to his spot in the soft grass for a good few seconds before words came back to him. Gods. Gods he looks so- The prince cleared his throat, glancing away from Hylas to the side to hopefully hide the red on his face, maybe he could blame it on the sun, "You called?" He said, scratching the back of his neck as he turned his gaze back with hopefully a little more composure than he had a moment ago.
Hylas flinched mid-swing, his axe falling weakly and clumsily notching itself into the stump. The voice broke his unguarded focus and as he turned, he softened his raised shoulders. "Cas," Hylas sighed, pushing his hair out of his face as he recovered from the quiet shock of his noiseless presence. He managed to sneak up on me. Or…how long has he been there? "Uh. Yes." Hylas stepped away from the axe, shyly folding his arms on his chest as he neared the prince. Perhaps it was the all blood rushing around from his recent activity, or maybe it was the quiet scare of hearing a voice behind him, but Hylas could hear his heartbeat in his ears before the waiting prince. Where was that swell of impassioned impulsivity? Now that the prince was actually here and facing him, Hylas felt a flutter of nerves and the thought of dragging up their petty disagreement was mortifying. He wanted things to be teasing and lighthearted again, like their dinnertime banter of freak accidents and replacement assasin-cooks. It had been a childish swordfight of clever comebacks and shy smiles, and because of his own complicated sensitivity, things escalated. Now, he wore a look of regret, dark eyes dropping to the ground as he mulled over the current of feeling flooding his chest. What had he planned on telling him? He could ask him if he was angry, if he'd bothered Cas by calling for him, if he might carry in some firewood, or if he wanted some space. Should I apologize? But he couldn't handle any more pity. He wanted to do right by him, but Hylas would not have the prince smiling sadly at his inability to accept kindness. "What I was going to say is…" He began, shifting on his feet as his gaze flickered around. His shoulders raised mid-shrug, and he wore the faintest smile of hope as he asked "Are you…hungry?"
Cas raised a brow slightly, looking over Hylas as a smile twitched his lips. Was he nervous? Wasn't like him to not make eye contact. He'd even seen surprised to see Cas standing there. Did he not think he had heard his quiet call? Hylas always seemed so present, so aware of his surroundings that Cas presumed he'd just caught him in the split second he wasn't focused. He quietly wondered what was flicking around in his head before he managed to speak, and the prince was glad to see a smile, albeit small, back on the assassins features, "A bit, yes," He motioned back to the monastery behind him, "We could get some lunch?" He'd make a note to tell him about the finished letter later. It wasn't the time to bring it up after the note had been the source of their little disagreement anyway. Besides, it wasn't important right in the present moment, Hylas' raven didn't seem to be insight and Cas knew he would have to give the letter a couple more minutes of his time to make sure everything made sense and contained all the necessary information they needed to convey. Now he was focusing on something other than strategy and politics, he realised he hadn't eaten in a good while and felt his stomach grumble softly at the thought of something to eat. After last nights dinner filled with laughs and jokes, he wanted that again, to put their disagreement and his words behind them and move on, "That is if you're not too busy." He wondered what Hylas would have looked like while working, disappointed he didn't get to see him work and only witness the aftermath. The prince rocked on his heels, smile growing ever so slightly as he gave Hylas another once over as subtly as possible.
"We could," Hylas said with a shy nod, smiling though his gaze avoided the figure of the prince, "I'm not busy at all." His coyness was out of his control, and though he knew he needed to ease into an explanation, he couldn't resist the chance of pleasing the prince with his cooking. It's all I can do that isn't killing, I suppose. He sighed and looked to his stacked pile of wood, feeling an idea brewing. More than a chance to apologize for his entire existence, Hylas wanted time with Cas uncoloured by war and the horrifics of his deeds. They needed to find a way to speak to each other without going into the emotional side of things. If Hylas wanted to be seen as anything else but the Raven in Cas' eyes, he'd need to put in effort. "I've chopped…plenty of firewood. I thought that maybe we could…take it in and…use the hearth to start a slow-cooking stew for dinner." A way to soften the tension between them and prepare their dinner in advance. Cas had proven more than willing to find a place in the kitchen, and Hylas thought that Cas might even enjoy having company while he learned something new. "I could…teach you something. If you like. After I—" His gaze fell and he bit down a smile as he shrugged, "—Or…we prepare lunch?"
Cas smiled, nodding softly as he closed the short distance between the two of them, "Sure, we can prepare lunch." Together. He wasn't as strong as Hylas, but he could still carry his weight in wood inside. Teamwork, they'd proven to be an efficient team from last nights dinner preparation, and maybe this afternoon would give Cas a chance to learn a little more about the dark-eyed stranger before him. Picking up a couple logs of wood with a small grunt, Cas bit his lip, head backing towards the monastery and hoping Hylas was following behind. He hadn't cooked in a long time, at least not properly. Chopping vegetables and stocking fires were as far as his cooking expertise went. Compared to Hylas he had the skills of a child just learning what a stove was. He was eager to learn, though hoped Hylas had a little patience with him when it came to domestic chores. Normal life skills weren't a common practice when it came to being royal, a fault Cas could point out when he got home. If he ever had kids he'd make sure to remember so they wouldn't end up like him.
Hylas carried his axe in one hand and a few split logs in another. He'd come back for the rest later. Now, he could only think of what might come out of their shared time in the kitchen. Could he make him laugh? Or make his eyes light up in casual wonder? Hylas thought of Cas and his delight all the way back to the living room, where he leaned his axe on the wall and dropped off the wood near the wide hearth some steps to the left of the stove. "Right," He sighed, heading back out to retrieve the last of the logs; his smile growing at the anticipation of getting to work with Cas. The living-kitchen room was warm and soundless as gathered a few tools and dusted off a small cauldron. It's been a while since I've had the means to make a long-lasting meal. He was suddenly aware of the silence that had formed in his animated focus, and he paused to settle back into his bashful self-awareness. "Lunch is going to be simple," He said with a nod, resting a heavy pan on the flat top of the furnace and turning to Cas with his quiet smile, "And you're the fire man, so build me a fire, won't you?" He dashed away to a shelf of his near-depleted supply of ingredients and picked out all he needed to make their midday meal. Sweet dough, kerol leaves, hmm hmm, thyrr bark, that spice, yes. "Then I'll tell you all about my plan to poison you through my fantastic cooking."
Cas dropped the logs by Hylas' letting out a soft chuckle at his comment, "Yes Hylas, as you wish Hylas." He joked, though went to grab some kindling and matches to get the fire started, "I'd sure hope you don't poison me, though I wouldn't be opposed to dying from a meal as good as yours." Better than being stabbed, anyway. He knelt before the hearth, placing the logs meticulously while combing it with the kindling. Shouldn't take long to start the fire, hopefully, it wouldn't take long to make lunch, too. But, Cas supposed for cooking as good as Hylas' he could wait. As he stoked the fire, sitting crossed legged as he waited for Hylas, Cas watched him move with a smile, "Wouldn't it be counterproductive to tell me your plan though?" The prince tilted his head to the side, "Sounds like bad assassin work to me." He teased. It was still a wholly real possibility for Hylas to kill him, but joking around like this, it felt like their past lives slipped away into nothing. Let's just hope that we can stay like this for the rest of the day. They were just two men, having lunch together. A strange thought, but Cas found himself liking the idea a little more every time it popped up in the back of his mind. Cas brought himself back to reality, blinking a couple of times to pull himself out of his impossible thoughts.
As good as mine? Hylas' mind echoed, Did I hear that? and he half-turned over his shoulder out of reflex. It was a compliment, and Hylas stood still as he tried to compute the fact that the prince had chosen to say something kind and humorous without a branching path of ill-meaning plans; to add to the conversations and make Hylas feel better about himself was all he aimed for. It was a new feeling to unconsciously accept kindness; it felt good. No one had ever said something as simple and kind as that passing remark, and Hylas knew he'd be lingering and analyzing the moment at night, or for a number of nights. For now, his feelings warranted a blush and a forced break from his hesitation. Focus. Water for the cauldron. Dinner. Fire for the furnace. Lunch. He exhaled a breathy laugh, combing a hand through his hair nervously as he moved to ready the furnace's fire. He unceremoniously stuffed in a base of straw and twigs, crossing it with denser wood until it looked strong and ready for fire. "But…wouldn't you like to know what poison it is?" He asked, meeting Cas' smirk with his own, "How much I plan on giving you?" With a daring quirk of a growing smile, he raised an eyebrow. "Where I've hid the antidote?" He swirled some oil in the pan above the flat furnace, leaving to bring over the clay jug of water to Cas and the cauldron. "Pour this in? Hmm." Jumping back into his teasing tone, he lit a long half-handful of hay with Cas' fire and moved to throw it into the waiting furnace. "Who says this is counterproductive, princey? I wouldn't be telling you this for nothing." He watched the fire take to the furnace's supply and closed the little iron door with satisfaction. Hylas sighed, his smile twitching as he wandered over to his ingredients, mumbling "After all, I always get the job done."
Cas fought hard to hide the growing redness in his cheeks. Princey? He ignored the fluttery, light feeling that bubbled around in his stomach at the name and that stupid good looking smirk. Could they always be like this? So carefree and not thinking about the damned war or politics or misspoken words left in emotional exchange. Three days they'd spent together and yet from the night Cas had spent with Hylas at the ball he was more drawn in than anyone else he'd ever met at one of those useless events. He didn't know whether he liked it or not, but it didn't stop that fluttery feeling from going away, not even in the slightest. Swallowing, he nodded as he readied a reply, pouring the water into the cauldron as told, "So what's the point in poisoning me if you're just going to let me know where the antidote is anyway?" He hummed, head tilting further to the side, "Just when I thought you were starting to like me too." He sighed dramatically, resting back on his hands. Cas watched the soft light of the fire dance off of Hylas features, combing in the sun until he looked like some fallen God standing in the kitchen. Dangerous and yet so beautiful, "Guess I'll only get to annoy you for a little while more then, huh?" He barely took his eyes off of Hylas as he spoke, watching him so intently he had to stop himself from staring, knowing he was probably coming off as crazed, "But who else would keep you entertained out here in the middle of nowhere? There are only so many rabbits you can talk to before you become at least a little delusional."
"The point is…" Hylas started, looking to the side with a smile as he tried to come up with something, "I'd tell you a riddle." His returned gaze was twinkly and almost sarcastic as he leaned back on the counter and looked down at the prince. Like me…too? He swallowed, painfully lingering on the quiet addition. Too…as in, he likes me, and wants me to like him…too? Or… Gods. What is it with him and wanting to know what I think of him? The realization that Cas was stuck in his head released a weak determination to stop the constant input of mental and emotional remarks. The prince's cheeky quips and comebacks were amusing Hylas to the point of distraction, and in hearing the oil behind him begin to sizzle, he shook his head and clicked his tongue in mock exasperation, his words tapering into a laugh as he turned to the counter to hide his growing blush and ready some vegetables for Cas. "Get off your royal ass, you royal ass. Come up here and help me." It was getting harder to hide a smile around him, and keeping his gaze away from Cas was all he could do to not give himself away. A new part of him wanted to answer all of Cas' casual temptations of answering genuinely with bashful, honest replies. "So what if I do like you?" He imagined saying, picturing the wicked blush that would spread over his cheeks, "It's a shame; poisoning you. A part of me wants you to annoy me some more." Still. He didn't want to seriously investigate his feelings. Years of hardening had taught him that following emotion was to walk blindly and without the safety of logic and instincts. And cautionary instincts had never failed him before. "I've managed over fifteen years without someone to keep me entertained, and yet, these three days have been a lifetime," He teased, looking over at Cas with bright, sarcastic eyes that wanted to seem devilish. "And as for talking to rabbits…you're right," Hylas said, dropping his smile for dramatic effect as he gazed forlornly at the two dead hares he'd brought in, "Perhaps I'm too far gone."
Cas snorted, pushing himself up off the ground with a laugh, "Could you get anymore dramatic?" He nudged Hylas gently, standing next to him as he looked down at the vegetables, "I'm awful with riddles by the way, so if that was your plan you'd definitely get me there." Politics? Easy. Negotiating for days on end? No problem. But riddles? Cas would rather drink the poison so he didn't have to answer. It was always the easiest answer that confused him the most, the answer staring him right in the face and yet every time he seemed to miss it without fail. It irked him more than he wanted. Standing next to Hylas now it was hard to hide the redness and the smile growing on his face, enjoying the company and banter in the early afternoon. Compared to back home, the company of nobles and high ranking men bored him to sleep. Superficial. The arrogance of the men seeping through with every conversation trying to impress at every turn. It didn't feel that way with Hylas, it felt natural. Conversation came easy when he wasn't focusing on the way his stomach flipped every time he laughed or smiled at him, "Besides, where would you find another willing helper to cut vegetables for you?" Hylas was more than capable of making food on his own, he'd already proven that, but a small part of Cas hoped he liked having him around to help and to talk with. He loved the banter, the teasing, the quick comebacks and shared laughs, but the prince was still quietly worried it was all for show. He hoped it wasn't, prayed Hylas didn't mind his company, but he knew if Hylas wanted to, if he changed his mind about keeping him alive, he could easily fake it to lower Cas' guard. Please don't let that be the case.
"Good. Because…I don't know any riddles," Hylas said with a bashful laugh. After a life of solitude, jokes, metaphors, and riddles were all unknown to him. At their sudden closeness, Hylas felt the fevered need to put distance between them. As subtly as he could, he moved a cutting board with sweet dough to the counter on the other side of the furnace. Hylas didn't know if it was the two fires burning in the small room or the lack of a breeze pushing through the only open window, but the warmth on his and the prince's face was unmistakable. It's nothing. I'm not blushing. He's not blushing. It's just…very warm. Hylas swallowed a little nervously and tried to focus on the task at hand. He sliced the sweet dough into wide pieces no longer and thinner than a finger before dusting both sides in sharp spice. But Cas' voice was a wonderful distraction, and he couldn't help but add to their shared amusement. His exhale was long and sigh-like, and he shook his head in playful solemnity "You…are…right. I'll starve without someone to cube this whiteroot and mince this wild sondil." Though he couldn't understand it yet, the lingering feeling of quiet protest was one that desperately wanted someone— Cas —to share a space or a few words with. Hylas held his happy memories of home life with an analytic detachment, as the following confusion and hopeless search for answers had turned the five years into a case study of how broken his memory. But in these moments with Cas, he could let the laughter and sarcasm be as real as he pleased. Hylas risked a smile in the prince's direction and tilted his head with the thoughtless air of shy tease. "So please, I need you and your masterful skills for these meals."
