Chapter 9
Tony and Stephen had been traveling for hours, and it was dark. Tony stopped the horse.
"Stephen, let's halt here. It's dangerous to travel at this time," Tony said.
"Okay," Stephen agreed.
Tony dismounted from the horse and helped Stephen down.
"Where will we stay?" Stephen asked.
"There's a treehouse. We'll stay there for the night and leave at dawn," Tony replied.
"How long will it take to reach our destination?" Stephen asked.
"Four more hours," Tony said.
"Okay," Stephen murmured, hugging himself. It was cold.
"Are you cold?" Tony asked.
Stephen nodded.
"Wait, I'll make a fire," Tony said and went to gather wood. He lit the fire and sat beside it.
"Come, sit here," Tony said.
Stephen slowly walked over and sat beside him. Despite the fire, he was still shivering.
"Do you regret coming with me from the palace that night?" Tony asked, smirking.
"No. Even in that luxurious palace, I never slept without fear. But the moment I stepped out of it, I felt safe. Even here, in the middle of these woods, I feel safe—because I'm with you," Stephen said, looking at Tony with a smile.
Tony’s eyes softened. The light of the flames illuminated his face.
"You will always be safe with me. No one will hurt you while I'm alive," Tony said in a gentle voice.
"I know," Stephen replied, leaning against him and resting his head on Tony’s shoulder.
Tony smiled.
"Stephen?" Tony called.
"Yeah?"
"Do you like Prince Thor?" Tony asked.
"He's nice. As an alpha, he never treated me badly," Stephen said.
"Stephen, no alpha is allowed to treat any omega poorly," Tony replied.
"But are all alphas like that?" Stephen asked.
"No, but what I'm saying is, you don't have to settle for less. You deserve the very best," Tony said.
"I don't think I have a choice, Tony," Stephen said.
"But if you did, would you choose Thor?" Tony asked.
"If I had a choice, I would choose you," Stephen said.
Tony was stunned. He stared at Stephen in surprise.
Stephen chuckled at Tony’s expression.
"Don't worry. It’s just hypothetical. I feel safe with you, and you're my friend. That’s why I said that," Stephen explained.
Tony wanted to tell him that if he could, he would make Stephen his. But he was just a knight.
"Your Highness, you need rest," Tony said, distracting himself.
"Okay," Stephen agreed.
The two climbed up to the treehouse. Stephen lay down.
"Aren't you sleeping?" he asked.
"No. I'll keep watch," Tony replied.
"Rest, Tony. You're tired too. Nothing will happen," Stephen murmured, yawning.
"Alright," Tony said, chuckling. He found that cute.
Tony lay beside Stephen. The moment Stephen rested his head, he fell asleep—the poor thing was exhausted.
Tony watched him sleep peacefully. He knew Stephen was someone he could never have, but he couldn't help falling for him. He gently caressed Stephen's cheek, and Stephen instinctively leaned into his touch.
"I love you, Steph, but I can never have you," Tony whispered.