Ivan stuffed his hands into the pockets of his long black coat, the scarf made by his sister wrapped around his neck snugly as he stalked off the palace grounds early in the morning while it was still dark; a pack of supplies on his back. He was up early to leave without having the old man ridicule him on his way out the door.

The day before, his father the king had all but disowned him, proclaiming Ivan's cousin Gilbert, heir to the throne. And for what reason? Because he did not think Ivan was fit to rule, and because Ivan did not have a wife yet.

Ivan had proved himself in battle time and time again with his tactics and skills and still his father declared him unfit to rule! His 'official' reason was because Ivan did not have a wife yet but Ivan knew that was not the only reason. The bastard would not tell him what his real reason was though.

However, to get Gilbert to shut up and stop gloating as well as to satisfy his father somewhat, Ivan had to go find himself a wife from one of the other Kingdoms.

Normally these things were arranged when a prince turned thirteen, however when he was thirteen, all possible brides were already taken. Over the years, no one appeared to want to send their daughter to live here as Ivan's wife. Apparently, news of his disreputable disposition was spread far and wide and no one wanted to send their daughter to be the wife of such a cruel and uncaring man. He could not even bribe them to send their daughter to be his wife.

It was irritating; Ivan did not see the need for a wife now. Wives were used for birthing heirs. He was not king yet; he could worry about a wife to birth heirs later. He thought this was a pointless task but if he wanted any chance of being proclaimed the heir, he had to appease his father by leaving the kingdom to find himself a wife.

Gilbert had mocked him while he was packing to leave; taunting him that Ivan would not be able to find even a commoner that would want to be his wife.

Ivan had gleefully given him frostbite in response to the provocation. He was one of the few in the palace that had some control over an element and he rather enjoyed using it to his advantage on certain annoyances.

Pity he could not use it on his father.

)*(

Matthew rose with the dawning of the sun just like he did every morning. His back ached, his muscles were tense, and his mind was clouded with the remains of his nightly dream. Falling through an endless sky unable to save himself, his voice drowned out from the howling wind biting at his skin, threatening to tear the flesh from his very bones. Then when the ground finally seemed to come up at him and he forced his eyes shut, he felt the strong pull of his body and became engulfed in soft warmth, being held by a cloud. And the very last thing he would see was a bright shining violet light peeking out from the cloud. The young man rubbed his eyes as he pulled himself out of his bed; he had things to get done this morning.

He wondered if possibly getting a different bed that was more suited for his… appendages would help his sleep.

Once he had his morning meal, Matthew pulled on his coat, the one without the cuts in the back. Sure, a few of the villagers knew what he was but it still felt weird to walk about with two very obvious and purposely placed cuts on the back.

Grabbing his shoulder bag, he packed it with small pouches of herbs he had ground together the night before to bring to some of the villagers. Matthew set out; making sure his cottage was locked before leaving his doorstep. He didn't have much but there were things he could not bear the thought of losing. Now, one would think that having a family member being one of the King's precious knights that one would be able to support a more… up-to-date home. But with Matthew's practices and Alfred's large stomach, building up their savings took a while. Not that Matthew was in a hurry to leave or anything.

Matthew took to the village; after his morning stops he would tend to his small patch of land and his livestock. He smiled a little at the thought of the children that would follow his footsteps back home to his garden. They had certainly made things less lonely since his brother left for the barracks.

)*(

It had taken Ivan a month to reach the Autumnal Kingdom. He would not bother looking for a bride within his own Kingdom; he already knew none there wanted to be his wife.

It took him months to go through the Autumnal Kingdom looking for a bride, but no one would accept the offer or the bribes to become his wife. It was with much frustration that he then turned to the only other kingdom, the Vernal Kingdom.

Ivan did not particularly like the Vernal Kingdom, not that it was not a nice place to be. The weather in some parts of it were rather refreshing when compared to the weather of the Solstice Kingdom, though other parts of it were intolerably hot to him.

The weather of the Vernal Kingdom had nothing to do with his dislike for it however. His dislike for the kingdom stemmed from his disapproval of the way they handled their army.

The knights were too undisciplined in his opinion; they lacked the strict drilling needed to make them be on their best behavior at all times. They had potential, that was certain but as they were, they were too unrefined; they were not being pushed to their full potential, as they should have been.

In addition to his distaste for the way they handled their army, Ivan also thought they relied too heavily on that Kirkland fellow and his group of wizards during wartime. War was to be fought with swords, shields, and men. They were waged and won with strength in numbers, with skill, and with a tactical cunningness to outwit the opponent. Not with over-glorified men in capes with spell books that cheated the laws of man and nature.

Not that magic was not a useful tool to be used in wartime of course; it was a very valuable resource to have. However relying on it more than soldiers was foolish and unprofessional in Ivan's opinion.

Regardless of his opinion of their military, Ivan wasted twice as long looking for a wife in Vernal as he did in Autumnal but he was getting the same results over and over. Any possible candidates were either already taken or not interested in any amount of bribe he could give them to accept.

Not that Ivan particularly wanted any of them in the first place. None seemed like appealing options for a bride; they were all too . . . weak and spoiled. He did not want a spoiled princess; he needed a strong bride, an intelligent bride, preferably one with good child baring hips, and a tolerance for the cold climate of his homeland. He did not want a whiny, needy bride that would whine at the cold and demand to be waited on hand and foot. He did not want a dainty bride; he wanted one that would be fit to rule should he ever perish in battle.

While Ivan was lost in his thoughts about his preferences in a bride, he was not fully paying attention to his surroundings. He did not see the creature moving in the shadows, following his every move; did not notice it at all until the supernatural being attacked him, abruptly shocking him out of his thoughts as it mauled him with tooth and nail.

He moved on reflex, knocking the creature back off of him before reaching for his sword that was not there. Cursing under his breath, he looked to see what had attacked him. However, in the fading light of day and his lack of knowledge of the supernatural beings of this kingdom, he could not identify what it was. The creature had moved back when he had reached for his sword but resumed its attack when it realized he was unarmed.

That was not entirely true, he had daggers on him; none happened to be in an easy to reach place right now however. Several more profanities left his lips, cursing the being and his own stupidity for thinking his reputation alone would protect him as it had been.

He was forced to fight the thing with his bare hands; he employed his minor control over ice to his advantage as much as possible, figuring a being that lived in such a warm place would not fare well when faced with cold.

His hunch was thankfully right, the being eventually backing off, and leaving him alone as the sky grew darker and day turned to night. Whatever it was, it had done quite a number on Ivan however.

As much as it irritated him, Ivan continued walking towards the building on the outskirts of the next town. He ignored his bleeding wounds and the exhaustion creeping up on him, intent on getting there before he rested. It would be safer to rest near a potential ally than it would to rest out here in the open where something could attack him again.

Upon reaching the modest looking house, he did not bother with knocking on the door. He had no desire to burden whomever lived there with him and his wounds. He simply sat down heavily in front of the building and leaned up against it, closing his eyes for just a moment to rest.

Using his minor control over ice for most of the skirmish had drained a lot of energy from him, leaving him exhausted. The being's claws and teeth had also done a bit of damage; he had a good number of gashes and bite marks. However, the exhaustion led him to simply not care about his wounds right now. First, he would rest for a short while, and then he would tend to his wounds and continue on into the town.

)*(

Upon Matthew's return from a short visit to the other side of the village to tend to a young boy's sudden change in his illness, he was not expecting to find a man practically sitting on his doorstep; a stranger at that. He approached the man slowly unsure of what to expect.

"Sir...?" His voice soft as if he expected the other to jolt awake any moment from being startled. But he must have really been out; a rough night perhaps? Being closer to his body now, he looked like he was bleeding a fair bit.

Well, he might as well get him inside and somewhere more comfortable than the ground outside. Matthew carefully pulled the man's arm over his shoulder and his own around his side.

He gave a strong but careful heave to pull himself to his feet. The man was taller than he was expecting and heavier too. But after a while he got the man in his home and onto his bed. Matthew dropped the pack on the floor by the bed and then proceeded to remove the man's boots. "A . . . knife?"

Taking a quick glance over the man's wounds he removed the man's shirt with some hesitance, not that he hadn't seen another's bare chest. It was just that if this man decided that he didn't want any help from Matthew, he looked like he could very well send the young man to his grave. His flight instincts were definitely telling him to flee.

Matthew wiped the man's wounds clean and applied a light bandage to the man's arms and torso, and then tucked him in for the night and turned to take the man's pack into the kitchen, softly closing the door behind him. After cleaning up the small mess of dragging the man into his home and setting everything back in place, Matthew climbed a small ladder into the attic where he would sleep for the night. He locked the small door as a final action of comfort before stretching out and resting his head.

)*(

When Ivan awoke, the first thing he was aware of was that he was not where he had gone to sleep. He was in a house, lying on a bed with his boots off. He groaned as he sat up, frowning at the tightness around his chest and looking down. His shirt was off and he had been bandaged. Who . . .?

He ached all over but it appeared that someone had brought him inside and tended to his wounds. The fact that they had gotten him inside at all was a bit impressive; he was a large man, and carrying him in while asleep would have been no easy task.

He surveyed the room for a few moments before deciding it was safe enough to wander the house barefoot at the moment. Getting to his feet, Ivan exited the room he was in. "Hello?" He called out, looking around the house for the person who had tended to his wounds.

Ivan wandered throughout the entire house, looking for his host. "Hello?" He calls out again.

No answer.

Due to the sun being Matthew's wake up call, he was still in his soft slumber; mumbling softly in his dream without noticing the muffled voice through the wooden floorboards.

With a soft frown, Ivan started looking around for hidden doors or something similar; wondering if the knife in his boot had frightened his poor host away for the day. Upon spotting the ladder to the attic, he went over and looked up at the attic door. For a brief second he considered climbing up but a short inspection showed they would not hold his weight.

He tilted his head back, gauging the distance for a moment before reaching up to find he could easily touch the ceiling. He then knocked on the attic door rather loudly. "Hello?"

The flight reflexes took hold of the young man and he jolted awake. His wings that he had used for a blanket all night flapped around wildly, knocking over storage crates and giving a yelp when they fell onto him with a loud crash.

Ivan arched an eyebrow curiously at all the noises coming from above him. It sounded a bit like he had frightened a bird but there was a decidedly un-birdlike yelp as well. Perhaps his host had a pet? "Ah, hello?"

It took the young man a moment to remember that he had brought a man into his home last night. As quick as he could, he pulled his wings into his body and answered, voice shaky from both the crash and the discomfort of binding his wings. "J-just a moment…!"

Ivan said nothing in response and simply took a step or two back before looking back up and waiting for his host to come down; half expecting things to tumble out of the door when it opened.

Matthew shoved the crates away from the small door before undoing the lock and opening it just enough to peer down. He wanted to be sure that it was the man from before and that he did not want to kill him for removing his shirt. "Yes...?"

Ivan looked up at her and tilted his head a bit at the wary look on the girl's face. "I do not intend to harm you if that is why you are hiding." Ivan says blinking up at her calmly. "I do not harm hosts that are kind enough to not only bring me into their home, but take care of my wounds as well."

To be truthful, Matthew was a bit surprised by the man's odd form of kind words but he felt embarrassed for assuming that this man would wish harm on him. "O-oh, sorry about that. I… don't get many late night visitors."

Ivan shook his head a bit. "No, it is okay. I do not blame you for being wary. Especially since I assume you found the knife when you removed my boots." Ivan shrugged. "I apologize for falling asleep in front of your house. My intent had been to rest for a short time before cleaning my wounds and continuing on into town but exhaustion got the better of me."

Feeling a little more comfortable with this man, Matthew nodded and opened the door and started to climb down. "How are you feeling this morning?" He asked as he turned and looked up at him with a soft smile.

"I ache, but that was to be expected." Ivan says nonchalantly. "Where is the person that brought me inside?"

"Uh..." He pointed to himself, feeling a little looked down on because of his size. He was stronger than he looked, he did farm work pretty much all day. "That would have been me sir."

Ivan eyed the young woman in front of him skeptically, looking her up and down and arching an eyebrow in disbelief.

Matthew pouted at the clear disbelief on his face. "I'm stronger than I look, thank you good sir. So please do not look at me as if I am livestock."

"I do not look upon women as if they are livestock." Ivan says, looking mildly offended that the other would suggest such a thing. "I simply have a hard time believing that you managed to carry all of my dead weight inside on your own."

"Woman...?" He paused and looked confused by the man's choice of words, but took it as an expression and nothing more. "I'll have you know that I work this piece of land by myself. Indeed you are heavy and it took time to get you in my bed, but I was the one who moved you inside."

Ivan did not look as if he believed it at all but commented no further on it. "It is not safe for a woman to live on her own. Surely someone else must live with you?"

"I live on my own, my brother has left to- W-wait, are you saying I'm a woman or that I act like one?" Matthew said with a look of bewilderment. Surely, this man could see that he was clearly male?

Ivan blinked in surprise at the other's reaction, tilting his head and inspecting the other more thoroughly with his eyes. Ah, now that he looked, he could see that it was indeed a young man, not a young woman. "Ah, my apologies. You look very feminine for a man."

Matthew's face flushed deeply from a mix of anger and embarrassment. "W-well I-! I am male." He was finding it hard to form words into a solid comeback as he pulled at his arms before turning and looking towards his small kitchen. He took a small breath and forced the words from his lips. "Would you like something to eat then, sir...?"

Ivan chuckled a bit at the boy's reaction. "Food would be wonderful, thank you."

Matthew walked into his kitchen and began to get things together to make them something to eat. He then remembered something and turned to face the man once more. "Oh, I forgot to tell you that I moved your pack over there so it wouldn't be in the way, sir."

"I saw it when I looked around for you." Ivan gave a nod and sat down at the table. "It is a good thing you did not look inside. It would have spooked you more, as I have more than one knife with me."

"I know that. I found more on your person when cleaning your wounds." He laughed nervously and turned back to making breakfast.

"They are for my personal protection." Ivan says, watching the nervous boy. "I can not exactly carry my sword around as I travel through other Kingdoms and not be seen as a threat now can I?"

"I think that carrying a sword on you would be a rational thought for anyone. Yes, someone may be cautious at first, but the outlands in any kingdom can be dangerous." He said softly.

"... You do not know who I am... Do you." Ivan says slowly.

He smiled kindly over at him. "No more than what I have seen."

"I am the prince and rightful heir to the throne of the Solstice Kingdom." He says, staring at the boy. "I am one of the best fighters of my kingdom and I hold a high rank in the army. I do not need to carry a sword to defend myself as I travel between Kingdoms." He paused a moment. "I am also feared by many, surely you have heard something of my reputation as being rather cruel and heartless."

Matthew eyes widened a little as he looked over at the man. "You... are a prince?" He asked as if everything else he had heard was not really said.

"And the rightful heir to the Solstice throne." Ivan says with a nod.

He smiled brightly. "Well I feel honored to meet you Prince...?"

Ivan just stared at him for a moment, a bit surprised at the boy's genuine expression. "… Most would not be so pleased to have met me."

His smile fell a little from the prince's stubbornness. "I do not find anything cruel, nor heartless about you. As first meetings go, you are a pleasing man to be around. Other than that you seem to be a tad rude at not answering such a simple question as to what your name is, good Prince."

"… Ivan Braginski."

"Prince Ivan Braginski, I am Matthew, it is a pleasure to meet you and share my home with you." He says with a smile, giving a short bow of his head.

"You are a most unusual young man Matthew." Ivan says after staring for a few minutes. "I am not generally welcome in other's homes."

"Well then I shall be the first to have the privilege." Matthew turned back to finishing their breakfast.

Ivan just stared at the boy silently, not entirely sure how to react to someone showing him such a level of trust after they had just met. A few moments later, Matthew brought two plates to his small dinning table. "I apologize if it is not up to castle standards."

Ivan blinked in surprise before chuckling slightly. "I have been travelling on my own throughout the kingdoms for several months. This is better than what I've had lately."

He smiled and gave a nod of both thanks and understanding. "Would you like something to drink as well Prince Ivan?"

"That would be great, thank you." Ivan says with a nod. "But please, just call me Ivan. I am a prince by birth but my father has recently declared my cousin heir to the throne." Ivan frowned slightly. "I do not suppose you have any alcohol?"

"Oh." Matthew was not sure that he had the right to ask any further of that topic. Well, if he got to know him more then he would ask about it. "I'm afraid that I only have water and milk on hand, Prin- Ivan."

"Water is fine."

With a soft nod he spins on his heels and fetches the pitcher of water and two cups made out of carved wood. Ivan begins to eat his breakfast, grateful for the hot meal.

After filling the cups and handing one the bigger man, he too decides to join in on his meal. As Ivan eats his food in silence, he observes the boy in front of him.

"So.." Matthew says between bites. "What brings you to the Kingdom of Vernal? On your own at that."

"My father's official reason for denying me my birthright was that I do not yet have a wife." Ivan says after he finished a bite. "No woman in Solstice wishes to become my bride. I have already tried Autumnal but no one there wishes to be my bride either." He paused to take a drink. "And thus far, Vernal has been the same."

Matthew frowned a little at hearing this. The poor man. He was quick to be hopeful. "Well Vernal is a large country and there is plenty of royalty here. I am sure you will find someone who loves you and who you love in return."

Ivan just stared at him blankly for several minutes before it dawned on him that the boy did not understand how royal marriages work at all. "Matthew… royals do not marry for love. Traditionally, there are arranged marriages. However when I was at the proper age for such a thing at thirteen, there were no available princesses to marry. All were either taken or too young." He explained slowly, as if he were speaking to a child. "I have earned a rather notorious reputation amongst the royals and none are willing to send their daughter to be my bride; no matter how much we offer them in return." He paused to take a drink. "Royals do not marry for love. It is the duty of the prince and princess to learn to get along enough to rule and have children together. To learn to love, or at the very least, to tolerate each other's presence."

It felt like his heart had just fell out of his chest. How could someone become mates with someone that they did not love or even trust them with their life? "Oh..." Was all he could say as he looked down at his food heartbroken, like he was the one denied the right to mate with the one he loved. It just sounded so... lonely.

"Do not feel bad. It is simply the life of a royal."

He nodded sadly as he place a bite of food in his mouth, becoming silent as Ivan continued to eat his breakfast. It seemed like forever before Matthew opened his mouth to speak. "Do you... want someone to love?"

Ivan opened his mouth to reply before closing it again. "I am… not sure." He finally responds slowly, after a rather long pause. "There are many who believe me… incapable… of such a thing." He lowered his gaze to his plate, his expression unreadable. "I am not entirely convinced that they are wrong."

Matthew's gaze softened and didn't know if he should comfort the man or not. He too remained quiet for a while. "The thing about love is... is most people don't realize that they are in love until the last moment."

"You misunderstand." Ivan said immediately after Matthew finished speaking. "Not just that type of love. Many think me incapable of love in any sense of the word, familial included."

"...Why?" He was almost afraid to ask.

"I am feared both on and off the battlefield." Ivan replied calmly. "I am not known for my kindness Matthew. Rather, I am known for being very... cold and detached." He paused for a moment in consideration. "I have heard the term 'heartless' used to describe me on more than one occasion."

He was finding it harder to speak to this man without hurting his own heart. It wasn't that he had an attachment to Ivan; it just hurt. He was raised to believe that love was one's guide to finding a mate. But this man was so... broken by others and their hurtful words that he was led to believe it was all true. Matthew poked at his food with a bit of pity, finding that he had lost his appetite.

Then he thought of something, but felt a bit uncertain on how Ivan would react. "Um... Ivan?"

Ivan looked up at him, a bit puzzled by the look on the boy's face though his own expression revealed nothing. "Yes?"

"I would like to help you find someone to lo- marry." He smiled as he addressed this in the way Ivan thought of it, but he was determined to find him someone to love. "If you would let me accompany you that is."

Ivan stared at the boy blankly for several long minutes, his unreadable expression dropping to reveal a positively stunned look at the boy's offer. "..."

His cheeks flushed a little from embarrassment; maybe he shouldn't have said that. "I'm sorry..." He mumbled as he tried to stuff his mouth with the last of his food.

Ivan looked back down at his own plate, continuing to eat the last of his in silence. He kept glancing up to stare at the boy incredulously however, appearing too stunned by Matthew's words to respond to them just yet.

Matthew finished his meal rather quickly and stood up to clean the dishes. He felt like a chick that was about to take a leap off the roof and had just gotten caught instead. After Ivan had finished his own meal, he brought the plate and utensils over to Matthew.

"Thank you." He said softly and washed it as well.

"Pardon my manners, I should be the one thanking you." The prince says after a few moments. "I have not properly thanked you for bringing me into your home and tending to my wounds, now you have fed me and offered such a thing so… thank you Matthew."

"You're welcome, Ivan." He smiled up at him as he dried his hands. "Feel free to stay at my home until you are ready to depart."

Ivan nods. "Do you have a spare bed? I do not wish for my host to sleep up in the attic every night."

"I do, it's just that I've had it put away since my brother left."

"Ah, where has your brother gone?" He asks, mildly curious. "He will not mind me using his bed?"

"To the King's keep where all the knights stay and I don't think so."

"Ah." Ivan blinked in surprise. "He is a knight?"

"Yes and a very good one at that." Matthew smiled with some pride.

"Oh?" Ivan arched an eyebrow skeptically. "He is not as scrawny as you then?"

The young boy gave him a hard look, but then sighed and started for his bedroom. "No... he is bigger and stronger than I if you must know..."

"Ah, then he may be slightly decent as a knight." He says, following after him.

Matthew spun and stopped him at his bedroom door. "Please refrain from insulting my brother when you do not know him."

Ivan blinked, slightly surprised by the boy's sudden request though it didn't show. "My apologies, I was not insulting him specifically. I just do not think the knights of this country are very well trained in general. I was making a generalization, not an insult directed specifically at your brother."

"..." Matthew wasn't sure what to say to that, he was proud of his brother, but wasn't big about this kingdom or any other kingdom's army force for that matter. "Excuse me, I would like to change my clothes." He eyed the door as he looked to close it to give himself some privacy.

Ivan nodded and went into the kitchen to grab his pack and dig through it to find a near empty flask of alcohol at the bottom of it. He pulled it out and took a drink before putting the lid back on and returning it to his pack while waiting for the boy to return.

Matthew took the moment to stretch his wings, since he guessed that he wasn't going to get much freedom today. A while later, he walked out of his room dressed in fresh clothes. "So... are you going to the castle sometime?"

Ivan nods. "I will as soon as I am sure these will not fester." He says, gesturing at the bandages. "I am not sure what attacked me at sundown yesterday, but I am fairly certain it was some sort of demon or creature of similar nature."

"I don't think they will, I cleaned them thoroughly. Well unless there was poison and if it starts to show itself I can treat it... But maybe someone within the village would know more about what it could have been that attacked you? Or you could ask others from the castle?"

"It attacked while the sun was going down. I could not properly see what it was to describe it." Ivan says with a shake of his head. "All I know is that it had teeth and claws and it does not like the cold."

"Many things around here do not like the cold." Matthew chuckled. "But many people around here may have had to deal with what attacked you on a daily basis. You never know."

Ivan chuckled a bit as well. "I figured." Ivan then shrugs. "It does not really matter to me. It should not bother me again, I would have frozen it if that did not require so much energy."

He nodded and then realized something. "Oh! Do you have a spare shirt or do you need a new one?"

"Ah, I have one in my bag." Ivan says, going and getting it and putting it on. "In any case, I do not believe any of your clothing would comfortably fit me."

"I know that." He puffed his cheeks. "But, I would have sewn up your torn one that's still in my room."

Ivan chuckles at the boy's pout and poked at his cheek. "That is a kind but unnecessary offer Matthew."

"W-well I don't find it unnecessary..." The boy's cheeks tinted as he moved away from the man, not appreciating the contact.

"Why were you asking if I would be going to the palace?" He asks, changing the topic. "Did you wish to accompany me there?"

"Huh? Oh, um. I wouldn't mind. I do have some time to spare." The smile appeared once more on his face.

"You can visit your brother while I talk to the royals." Ivan says with a nod. "I assume he lives with the other knights?"

"Yes, though he is often very busy and cannot spare a moment to visit..." He said sadly. "Though... I could try and see if I can have a word with Arthur."

Ivan was quiet a moment before arching his eyebrow, a look of distaste on his face. "The wizard?"

"Oh, you know of him?"

"We've met several times." He says pursing his lips slightly. "We do not agree on the proper level of magic involvement in battles."

"That certainly sounds like Arthur."

"Mm, we usually end up tossing insults at each other by the end of our very brief conversations….Well, I insult anyway. He attempts to insult." Ivan paused for a moment in consideration. "Perhaps I shall speak with him as well after I am inevitably turned down by the royalty here."

"Don't doubt yourself so soon Ivan." He frowned and lightly patted Ivan's arm.

"Matthew, I doubted my success before I had even stepped outside of my room back at the palace in my home country many many months ago." Ivan wanted to glare at him but just settled on a mildly unamused look. "Doubting my success now is most definitely not 'too soon' as you seem to think it is."

Matthew withdrew his hand quickly and hung his head to avoid eye contact. "I apologize."

"Do not apologize. It is not your fault." Ivan says firmly, frowning a bit at how the boy kept apologizing for things he had absolutely nothing to do with in the first place.

The young man tried to smile and moved out of Ivan's way. "If.. you are ready to depart for the castle, let's be on our way. No need to waste a fine day like this."

Ivan grumbled something about it being too warm for it to be a 'fine day' as he went to put his boots on and then put his pack back on.

As Matthew looked over the man as he got his things together, he did his best not to look disappointed. "You have changed your mind on staying?"

Ivan blinked in surprise, looking up at him and arching an eyebrow at the look of disappointment on Matthew's face. "…There are other palaces I have yet to ask after this one." He says slowly. "You offered to come along to 'help me' find someone; I figured you would either not actually come or you would come regardless of my lack of answer."

"Oh, it was my understanding that you would like to travel on your own and that you would not leave until the next dawn. At least that is my experience with travelers."

"I would not mind you accompanying me. I did not respond earlier because I have never had someone offer to help me before that was not either of my sisters."

Matthew was not sure whether to be happy or upset, but he nodded with a smile. "Then... perhaps you could leave your bag here for the time being and pick it up after we return? After all, I still have to pack my things. Unless there is something that you need from your pack..?"

"I would prefer to have the rest of my belongings with me while I am there." He says pursing his lips slightly. "I am generally not welcome by royals in this country. If they think I am staying with you, some of the more reckless and undisciplined people there may take their hatred of me out on you and your home."

"I do not expect so, everyone knows that I often take in travelers that are in need of healing." He said happily. "Though, I appreciate your concern."

"Hatred motivates people to do very cruel things to someone that they would normally not harm, simply because that person showed kindness to the person that most people loathe." Ivan says, giving him a pointed look. "And the very fact that I needed healing in the first place would be a blow to my reputation here. Gossip would get out and travelling would be tedious if the knowledge that I am not as invincible as most here seem to think I am, got out." His words and look were both very dry, looking like he did not like the idea of that at all. "I would not be able to travel and pass borders as easily as I have been because no one wants to confront me or risk irritating me."

"I shall not speak a word then, I did not realize it would cause you so much trouble. Forgive me." Matthew bowed his head, more out of shame for his little understanding of the matter.

"Stop that." Ivan reached out and grabbed Matthew's chin, tilting his head up to make the boy look at him; his lips pursed in slight annoyance. "You continue to apologize for insignificant things that mostly have nothing to do with you."

He let go of the boy's chin after a few moments and Matthew was not enjoying just how much this man touched his face. Did he not understand personal space?

"And while the travelling bit would be an annoyance, it is not what I would call trouble. I was informing you that both you and your home would be safer if you do not appear to know me when we get there. I recommend acting as if we are simply two people headed in the same direction that happened to meet and strike up conversation with each other on the way to said destination."

"Very well, if you insist." Matthew turned and made way for the door, fumbling with it slightly before he got it open. He mumbled something about the door being old before stepping out onto the smooth earth. Despite what everyone else thought, Matthew quite enjoyed the feeling of his bare feet on the untamed ground. He hadn't worn any sort of footwear in years.

Ivan followed the boy out with his bag before heading in the direction of town, leaving Matthew to double check that the door was locked before following after the taller man.

Ivan ignored him for the most part while they were first in town, only turning and acknowledging his presence after the boy had been walking next to him for several minutes. "Are you heading to the palace as well?" He asks, giving a look that told the boy to just go with it and act like they had only just met.

"Y-yes." He did his best not to sound awkward about the whole set up, though quickly set his eyes back to the castle. It did not take much time to reach their destination and Ivan left Matthew to do whatever he wanted to while he went and talked to the royals, emerging less than half an hour walking around and looking for a certain wizard to toss insults at and maybe debate with, before he left the palace grounds.

Coincidentally, Arthur was walking down the same hall of the castle with a large book in his hands. Mumbling out a soft string of words as he went, but not any sort of enchantments. He was merely speaking to himself as a form of taking notes and not paying the slightest attention to others walking down the hall. His dark cape drug on the clean stone tiles, though he was not wearing his normal mage attire, but more of something a novice knight would wear.

"Did you get demoted Kirkland?" Ivan calls out in a mocking tone, walking over to him. "You aren't wearing your normal 'high and mighty wizard' attire."

The older man scowled in disgust as he looked up from his book, he knew that voice anywhere. "Well, well if it isn't the delinquent son of a frostbitten troll. Finally crawled out of that hole you call a home, Prince Ivan Braginski?" He spoke with a hiss and grinned in mockery. "Or has the grand king of the cold at last thrown you out for the pitiful man you are?"

Ivan smiled but it was a very fake smile, the kind people used when they were very angry. "I am out looking for a wife actually, Arthur. How are you? Still meddling in the affairs of the army?" He says pleasantly.

"A wife, you say?" His smirk grew as he closed the tomb with a loud thwap. "Wouldn't searching in the Deadwood prove to have better results?"

"Yes, a wife Kirkland." He says with a smile before tilting his head. "I am afraid I am not entirely familiar with the layout of this country. I have never heard mention of a 'Deadwood' before."

"Oh, well I recommend you do visit. I hear that the King of the Dead has a daughter that is in dire need of a husband." The mage chuckled. "They are vampires if your slow mind has yet to catch on." Arthur pauses purposely to both annoy and anger Ivan, but continued rudely before the other could reply. "You would have many things in common. Bloodsuckers, heartless, cold, emotionless... Yes, I'd say that you would fit in quite nicely with the dead."

Ivan growled lowly in irritation and stalked up to him, looming over him threateningly. "Well I recommend you not advise me on what to do and put your magic to some good use and get rid of those atrocious things above your eyes instead of meddling in the affairs of armies and wars." He punctuated the word 'things' by prodding the offending eyebrows with his index and middle finger rather forcefully, icing them over just to spite the man before pulling his hand back and wiping it off like he'd dirtied it by touching the man.

"Those are my brows halfwit!" He wiped the frost from his eye brows angrily. "And you are one to talk, all that hard work you do as a knight has done nothing to rid you of the thick fat around your neck. You could hang yourself with it without so much as having to sway from a rope."

Ivan snarled and shoved him up against the wall roughly, pinning him there by his neck, squeezing threateningly but not so much that the other couldn't breathe. Arthur had lost his book in the quick movement and grunted from the force, but did his best to look unfazed. "You are very lucky that we are in a palace in your country and not outside in mine or you would be a dead man Arthur Kirkland, magic or not." The prince growls, glaring at him.

"I-Sir...?" A soft voice squeaked in surprise and Arthur merely glanced over at the young man before glaring back at Ivan. "Ah Matthew, it is very nice to see you. Though I do believe this has brought a close to our conversation, young Prince. We shall have to continue another time, a pity. No?"

Ivan continued to glare at Arthur, concentrating on giving his throat a decent case of frostbite with a layer of ice about an inch thick. All but forcing a pained noise from the mage. "Yes, a pity indeed." He said, releasing Arthur's neck and sending the man's spell book down the hallway with a swift kick as he turned and exited the castle, a frankly murderous look on his face as he passed Matthew.

Matthew looked on as Ivan left, now seeing a small glimpse of the nature Ivan had spoken of. I will have to certainly tread carefully with this man. But it wasn't until Arthur coughs did he turn to look at the other man.

The shaggy haired man was currently reversing the damage the Prince had done to his throat, though still trying to play it off as nothing. When he did speak his voice was raspy as one would have guessed. "Matthew, are you alright lad?" Looking over the shell-shocked youth, it was like he had just had a stone thrown at him.

"Huh? O-oh, yes I am." Said Matthew, as he tried to cover up his unsettlement.

The older man looked at him oddly for a moment, before sighing and commenting bitterly. "A monstrous thing that is isn't it? I can hardly image the offspring that would come out of breeding."

"That's a horrible thing to say!" The angelic looking man said with a surprising bit of anger which caused the mage to jump in surprise. Matthew was quite the soft spoken character, but as Kirkland thought about it a little more he realized that he might have hurt the blond unintentionally.

"I am sorry, Matthew. I did not mean to insult your kin's way of life, I was only thinking of what would happen if that Prince were to find a wife and have children. He is a ruthlessly cruel man and I don't doubt that he would raise both his kingdom and his children to be merciless." He scowled in the direction that Ivan had left. "I can only imagine the wars that he would wage across the kingdoms, killing hundreds without so much as blinking."

Matthew couldn't believe this man, but at the same time he couldn't believe what he saw from Ivan. Perhaps he should listen to a little of what the two had to say. He couldn't force himself to be naive to what he had clearly seen.

But… something deep down told him not give up on Ivan yet, if so, at least fulfill his word in helping him find a wife. So without another word he ran off to catch up to the winter prince. He ignored the calls that the wizard sent his way.

Ivan was already near the castle doors, his strides long and his pace quick. He had a scowl on his face, half wishing Matthew hadn't interrupted him yet half thankful as well because any more insults from Kirkland and Ivan may have done something that would have gotten him in trouble.

"Ivan!" Matthew called out as he ran up to him just as the man was a few feet from the large gates. Ivan continued out, ignoring the boy. Matthew though, took all of this the wrong way once again. He thought that Ivan had enough of his meddling and wanted nothing else to do with the lean man.

Ivan stopped when he reached Matthew's house, waiting for Matthew to unlock the door. Confused, the younger man looked up at Ivan. Wondering just why he was stopping at his home, Ivan had everything that belonged to him- oh... the shirt that still lay on the floor of his bedroom. Matthew silently unlocked the door and let Ivan enter before him.

Ivan walked in and slipped off his pack, dropping it in the kitchen where it had been earlier and sitting down. He dug a flask out of his bag and took a sip of the ever dwindling supply of good alcohol before returning it to his bag.

"Um.." Matthew started, but then stopped and fetched the shirt from his floor. "I... can still sew this up for you if you like. It is still a fine quality shirt."

"I was ignoring you in an attempt to make it look like I did not know you so others would not think you were associated with myself." He says, turning to look at the boy. "I told you to act like we had simply met on the way and you come running after me, completely ignoring what I had said beforehand for your benefit."

"How can I completely ignore someone who is hurting!?" He barked, but then quickly regretted it and backed down with a sorrowful look. "I'm sorry... I should have not-"

Ivan recoiled visibly, both startled and confused by Matthew's sudden outburst, a puzzled frown appearing on his face. After a moment he got his expression under control, regaining his expressionless mask. Well, mostly expressionless. He could not help the slight frown on confusion on his face at the boy's words.

"...Do you... do you still want company on your journey through Vernal?" The boy asked softly, still looking down at his bare feet.

Ivan's confused look became even more confused. "Of course. I never said otherwise." He says, giving Matthew an odd look, wondering what he did that could have been taken as him not wanting a travel companion.

"I'm sorry, I..." He mumbled and fiddled with the torn shirt.

Ivan frowned at him in confusion. "I attack and mildly injure someone whom you are likely closer with than you are with me, yet you ran after me. Why?"

"Arthur is stronger than he looks... I would prove no more help to him than his owl to deliver messages."

Ivan frowned more. "If you were to remove his magic, he would not stand a chance against me in a true fight." He says, looking offended that he was being considered as weaker than Arthur.

"A true fight? Who is to judge that strength is mightier than will?"

Ivan scowled slightly. "If you are assuming my will is weaker than Kirkland's, you are assuming very wrongly Matthew."

"I am doing no such thing. I just- I just, oh north's winds, I was not saying that you or Arthur are better than the other. But that I would be utterly useless to stop either of you!" His voice was shaking, but not out of anger. This man took most of Matthew's words as an attack on himself, it was irritating.

Ivan arched an eyebrow curiously at the seemingly random words tossed in to that, vaguely wondering if that was meant to be a curse word. "I am quite aware you would not be able to stop either of us if we truly wanted to hurt each other regardless of consequences." He says dryly, unable to keep his eyes from looking up and down the boy's scrawny build while Matthew's gaze was still set on the ground.

Ivan's words were not helping in the slightest., but he took a deep breath and tried to calm his shaking nerves while he went to find some thread and a needle.

"I have told you it is not necessary to repair that." Ivan says as Matthew walks away, noticing he was still holding the ripped shirt.

"Well I want to." Matthew spoke in a hushed manner and sat at the table once he found what he needed.

"Why?" Ivan asks, turning in his seat to face Matthew, frowning slightly. "Why are you so insistent on helping me?"

The young man did not look up, he too was wondering the same thing. It was hard to put into words. But right now he just wanted to do something to take his mind away from his own thoughts. Ivan stared at the boy while Matthew worked on his shirt.

Matthew's actions were quick until nearly an hour had gone by and he had calmed, close to finishing the shirt. Ivan had just continued to watch the boy in silence, puzzling over Matthew's words and actions to himself silently. Once the shirt was sewn back together, Matthew finally looked up at the other and held it out for him to take. "There.. All fixed."

Ivan nodded and took it back, inspecting it and looking a bit impressed at the workmanship before he folded it up and put it into his bag. Matthew watched him silently for a moment before standing and making his way to the front door.

"Where are you headed?" Ivan asks, looking over at Matthew but staying in his seat.

"Oh, I'm going to get my pack from the barn. I'll be right back." A small smile came and fell as he walked out.

"Ah, I see." Ivan nods and watches him walk out.