"I only saw her eyes. But they were glowing amber. Like fire."
Corbin's narrowed gaze lifted, and he paused in wiping Dorian's face. Whatever he meant to say stilled in his chest. For Dorian couldn't stop himself from slamming his head back into the wall, feeling his face burning at the emotion bubbling in his chest.
"I should never have left her," he managed.
"Your sister knows what she's doing," Corbin insisted.
"And if something happened to her?" Dorian's breaths shortened. "What then? What do I do if I lose her too?" He pushed out a forced exhale, head sighing on the stone. "I cannot lose anyone else to this. I cannot lose my sister. I can't lose you, I can’t—“ His hands pushed through his hair, and he cradled his knees to his chest. "I won't know how to fight if I lose anyone else."
Corbin's hand wrapped his arm, ceasing Dorian's ramblings, and his gaze darted over the Prince's face. "I'll be right here, Prince. Fighting with you. Until this life takes us from each other."
“Please call me Dorian," he managed, head hanging. "I am not a Prince. I have no real crown. I have no home. I have no kingdom. And if my sister is gone, I have nothing left."
"You have me. You have Reverie—“
"Both of you are only here because of deals made and a duty-bound. Just like everything else in my life."
"If you think she and I are only here because of duty, you're wrong," Corbin corrected. "You have our love and our loyalty because we believe in you. I know I used to say I was only here for that duty. But watching you become this person... Letting go of your pride and allowing yourself to fail... That is the King I want to follow. That is theDorianI want to follow."
Dorian's heart knotted, and he let Corbin’s words settle in him. Hearing it from him made it real.
"Thank you," he managed. "I think I would have died a long time ago had you not been with me."
"You would have died in the first trial," Corbin smiled. "No, that's wrong. You'd have died the moment you met the woman. Because you would have went to her village as a smug brat and thought yourself able to talk your way out of the ropes."
Dorian choked on the soft laugh. And as Corbin smiled at him, he rubbed the rag over Dorian's cheek to the now scar that spread through his skin.
"I think I like this on you," Corbin mocked. "Maybe you'll get that fear you've been looking to strike into others."
Dorian huffed, but Corbin patted his cheek gently and then turned back to the rag in his hand. Dipping it in the water and wringing it out before pressing it to Dorian's arm again. Dorian sighed out the flutter in his chest. Heart racing with every stolen glance up at him. Thinking about the way his insides had felt alive when he'd kissed him back at Darhkenhill... How it had felt akin to when he'd kissed Reverie and how Corbin had pushed him away.
Until he couldn't stand it any longer.
"Corbin, I lied to you," Dorian said finally. "The other day when I told you I simply got caught up in the moment..." He paused, toying with his hands, and he met Corbin's gaze. "I think I kissed you like that because I wanted to actually feel cared about. Something other than just the lust... And when you pushed me away at the first noise of those Blackhands, I thought I would break. Maybe I'm feeling needy because of all this—“
"Was there ever a moment when you weren't needy?" Corbin mocked.
Heat rose on Dorian's neck with a sheepish smile. But Corbin only smirked at him.
"You realize how hard saying this is for me, right?" Dorian asked defeatedly.
Corbin chuckled. "Yeah, I do."
Dorian sighed, chest rising and falling deliberately as he watched Corbin another moment. "Why did you push me away?" Dorian asked.
Corbin fumbled with the rag, folding and creasing it as he thought through his answer. "I've not seen the Blackhands enjoying...Everyone... As freely as we do in your kingdom. I think I just didn't want them to take away everything you'd just accomplished because of something as simple as a kiss."
He was surprised by his honesty. "Corbin, I kissed you and Reverie in front of every Blackhand at that second trial," he remembered. "They still gave us aid. There was no mention of it. At all."
"I know," Corbin said. "Doesn't mean everyone agreed with it."
"I really don't care what everyone agrees with," Dorian insisted. "I'll be with whoever I want."
A heavy breath left Corbin, and he threw the rag on the ground. "You should get some sleep," he uttered. "I'll take first watch outside."
Dorian rested his head against the wall. "Bin, no one is coming for us," he muttered, watching the Belwark stand. But Corbin didn't listen, and Dorian grabbed his hand.
"Stay."
