He was up early like every day; ever since Triver was a little boy he found that he always woke with the sun, no matter how much sleep he had gotten the night before. The maids just barely began cleaning his chambers when he was eating an early breakfast of bread, a few slices of cheese, a handful of berries and sliced apples, a piece of ham and a sweetened porridge made of oats and buckwheat. He ate better than a majority of his people. Even the knights and others that lived within the castle did not get such fine foods. He might not have known much about things like death or suffering but Triver was no fool. He had learned from a young age to have informants and people whom he could rely on for bits and pieces of gossip. The maids that cleaned his chambers were some of his informants, they told him of the inner workings of the servants’ quarters that he could not access. In return Triver ensured that they had food (since sometimes his father would withhold food for all of their servants due to the mistake of one) no matter the circumstance.
With his new knights, Triver intended to treat them well. They would mean so much more to him than just two people who would protect him, they would become people Triver could trust. He was not a trusting man, and only a small handful of people had earned the prince's trust; Ser'deni and his mother being among them; Inaris too, although his change in personality frightened Triver.
When he was done with his breakfast he pushed aside the bowls and utensils into a neat pile before excusing himself. The maids quickly bowed before picking up his dishes.
The prince wanted to check on Inaris and the other mages who had been taken to the infirmary to rest. They were exhausted from yesterday's events. Before he arrived at the infirmary, he ran into Enn and gave him instructions for the man to bring the new knights as soon as he could to the infirmary.
It was quiet save for the soft snoring of the mages and other patients. Triver would visit the injured men on occasion if he had free time. Some welcomed his presence but others seemed to dislike him, or rather his position in life. The nurses and doctors that moved about quietly paid no mind to the prince. Some of the nurses and doctors were magically inclined; these types of people were called warlocks. The difference between a warlock and a mage was how they came about their magical abilities.
You could say that a mage was born with a natural gift for magic. Almost always they would express their magical abilities by accident within their early childhoods, and they were born with some disability to compensate for their larger life-forces (which magic is derived from).
Warlocks on the other hand, have learned their magic. Often they are ordinary people who simply are good at manipulating their life forces through the use of specialized objects. They do not possess large life forces but the use of magical objects help curb the impact of using up one's life force.
All true mages belonged to the king while the warlocks made a living by calling themselves mages and swindling people out of their money in return for poor quality magic. The warlocks that worked in the infirmary were specifically trained in the art of healing magic and had learned the art alongside the mages. The warlocks here only treated the warriors that were brought home; there was a second group of warlocks that followed after the king's armies into battle to heal the injured.
Triver stopped beside Inaris's bed, Ser'deni was sleeping beside him on her own bed. He was given a chair by one of the nurses and he thanked her quietly before settling between his two friends. Ser'deni's long dark hair reached out like dark tendrils of smoke and he pushed some hair from her face. It had been no easy task in forcing the mage into going to the infirmary last night. They were all a stubborn lot when it came to being treated. Even Inaris had made a fuss!
Triver turned his attention to Inaris and he smiled slightly. There had been a time when Inaris was quite dear to his heart. He would never deny that at one point he had feelings for Inaris, but those flames of one-sided desire had faded after the sudden change in his friend. The Inaris that came back after his absence was not the same one he cared for. Inaris was pale, even fairer than Triver. His hair, although blonde, looked white in the light that streamed through the windows above the beds of the patients. His hair was slightly longer than Triver's, allowing the tips to ghost over his shoulders; Inaris always wore his hair pushed away from his forehead and unlike Ser'deni, he would open his eyes. It was uncomfortable to make eye contact with the man. He might have been blind but he had an uncanny ability to see past the fronts people put up. It might have been due to his magic, but it still gave Triver the chills when he would talk to Inaris.
Inaris was the first to wake and he seemed a little surprised that Triver was there. Although he was blind, Inaris had learned to use his magic in order to see what was around him. That and he could smell the cologne that Triver wore. It wasn't strong smelling nor was it sickly sweet like some of the men and women wore. Triver's smell reminded Inaris of the high forests of the mountains to the south; like pine needles and soft moss.
"Good morning." Triver said as he pushed back a lock of Inaris's light hair.
The man smiled before gesturing over towards the black haired woman. "I don't remember her being here last night."
Triver chuckled. "She came a few hours after you did."
"Oh~ really, was I that bad?" Inaris teased, knowing that the prince would blush up to his ears. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding." He sat up and stretched his arms above his head. Inaris was so much smaller than Triver. He was thin and closer to Ser'deni's height, with fine features that seemed almost feminine. Triver still found him handsome, as did many people that encountered the mage.
Triver coughed in order to clear his awkwardness; even Inaris had no clue that Ser'deni was the king's child.
"Will you two stop talking about me--"
"Ah!"
"Close your eyes Ser'deni. You've scared our little Triver."
"Oh shut it. You're blind too!"
"Hm. I think I'm still better looking, that's why he didn't scream when I woke up~"
Triver sighed deeply as the two bickered about their looks. He found their small argument amusing. Usually Ser'deni was quiet and withdrawn; it was rare for her to come out of her shell so much. Even Triver had a hard time in getting her to let loose and laugh; there was a small pang of jealousy though, but he didn't know if it was because Inaris was able to make her laugh or if it was because they were paying so much attention to each other.
"Hey prince, whose better looking, be honest."
Triver hated being put on the spot. "Well you both are." He just wanted them to accept the answer and get back to their bickering.
It was times like this that reminded Triver of his childhood. The mages were four years older than he was, but some of his earliest memories were about them; they had been there for him every step of the way; a four year old Triver following Inaris and Ser'deni into the gardens; an eight year old Triver running to their beds during a thunderstorm. A sixteen year old Triver welcoming them back from war; an eighteen year old Triver seeing them kiss and getting heart broken. A twenty-one year old Triver drinking with them in the middle of the night; a twenty-three year old Triver scared that he was losing his friends.
He wanted to relive those moments if it meant being with them. It felt like years since the last time he's seen Inaris smile like that. It wasn't the same without him around and he was afraid of what would happen to them if he was gone permanently.
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