The night was quiet, disturbed only by the soft sound of the wind rustling the leaves in the trees, yet something was amiss. A shadow slipped past the guards, leaving behind a trail of blood. Chasing it, a hoard of serthis slithered, comming face to face with the guards.

In the building, nothing of the fight happening outside could be heard. It was a haven of peace and quiet, that a sudden dripping sound broke entirely. Slumping on the walls of the hallway, the shadow continued its advance, reaching the open door of a room before collapsing to the floor.

The loud thud of a body hitting the floor resonated in the room, waking its occupant. From the cover of richly ornemented blankets rose the shape of a blonde head. Still half asleep, a young man got out of bed and walked to the collapsed shape on the floor of his bedroom.

In the moonlight, the young man could barely make out what was lying in front of him. He crouched down to have a better look, only to find out there was another young man in his bedroom!

Surprised, the room's owner went back to his bed and fetched a candle from his nightstand, lightning it with a match before returning to the collapsed stranger.

Luckily, he could see him breathe. He seemed to be in terrible shape. His breath was raspy and laboured, his clothes were soaked in his own blood and he didn't look like he'd survive much longer.

Without hesitation, the blonde prince gently put the candle holder on the floor, next to him and turned the stranger on his back before picking him up.

Long, messy hair covered part of the strange man's face and glasses had fallen to the ground. Holding this stranger in his arms, the young prince closed his eyes, focusing his magic.

With the strength of his will, a soft glow began to spread to the injured's body. The pale light moved over each of the wounds, healing them completely. The blood dissappeared from the floor, from the man's clothes and from the prince's hands.

Only then did he lift the stranger up. The intruder was unconscious and still very weak. A normal person would not have helped a possible attacker, but the prince felt there was something special about this unconscious man and he wanted to give him a chance.

Slowly, his frail arms trembling under the weight of his burden, he lowered the man onto his own bed, allowing him to rest on a more comfortable surface.

The prince was worried about what had happened and proceeded to his balcony, where he witnessed his guards fighting the horde of Serthis soldiers and alchemists. The prince's pale hair glistened in the moonlight, attracting the attention of some of the enemies. Frightened, the young man retreated to his room and sat on the edge of his bed, on the opposite side to his temporary guest.

After a long sigh, the young man got up again, picked up his candle and proceeded to blow its flame out. There was no use in wasting light. He could've gotten back to his own bed, but he refrained from doing so. He didn't want this stranger to wake up next to him.

Instead, the prince chose to sit in a chair that decorated the room. There, he gently reclined, covered himself in a small blanket and fell asleep.

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When morning came, sunlight silently drifted into the bedroom, illuminating the massive bed. On it, the stranger had not moved an inch. It was the warmth of the sun on his dark skin that woke the man up.

At first, he sat up abruptly. He did not recognize the room he was in. Stressed and wary, he looked around and saw the young prince. His memories from the night before were blurry, but he could remember the smell of this room. He could remember the fresh, gentle feeling of his wounds healing up. Was this sleeping young man with golden locks responsible for his survival?

Carefully, the dark-skinned intruder got out of bed and approached the chair, casting the shadow of his silhouette over the sleeping prince.

The Prince's eyes fluttered open as he noticed the change in light. Upon seeing the fabric of his guest's clothes, his eyes opened wide and he gazed up at the stranger's face. Completely unconcerned about himself, the prince said:

-So you're awake. I'm glad. I wasn't sure you'd make it.

The intruder's lifted his eyebrows in surprise, then burst out laughing. What kind of a reaction was that? He could've been there to kill this guy and he was glad he was awake? The man's hilarity did not confuse the prince however, for he knew his own behaviour to be odd.

Instead of interrupting the laughing stranger, the blonde man took it upon himself to introduce himself.

- My name is Kheelan, what's yours?

As he spoke, his guest's attention shifted towards him.

- Orpheus.

One word. One glimpse of this mysterious intruder's voice and it was enough to convince Kheelan. This was the man he wanted by his side. This was the one who would protect him.

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As it turned out, Orpheus had hid in the Prince's personal residence to try and survive the Serthis attack that had started in his hometown. Gravely wounded, he had headed for the home of the man rumored to have powers great enough to bring back the dead. With no ill intentions, he had intruded into the property and collapsed in the prince's room. A couple of weeks later, this same man that had been a mere intruder had become the Prince's most loyal and dedicated knight.

In a way, they owed each other their lives, for, without Orpheus' actions, the kingdom guards would not have seen the attack coming.

From there bloomed a particular friendship between the two men. A relationship of servitude and camaraderie that no one had suspected could happen.

In his gratitude, the dark-skinned man cured the Prince's loneliness and found in the frail blond man, a compassionate friend, and gentle soul.