Summary: AU: The Prince of Amestris is about to choose his future wife among the royalty of the surrounding Kingdoms. Why would he possibly want to have a word with his most trusted guard Rezio the night before? What secret is he going to unravel? A contribution to Royai-week, prompt "AU/Crossover".

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa.

Please enjoy!

The only light that illuminated the prince's chamber was a small candle on the teak nightstand next to his bed. Night has fallen over the castle and the following day would prove to be an important one – the queen had invited the royal families of the surrounding kingdoms to find a suitable wife for her only son Roy.

But instead of going to sleep to look his best on the following day, the prince had bestowed a strange task upon his valet. "Kain, please search for Rezio. I have an important issue to discuss with him."
Kain shook his head after closing the prince's double wing door, a small candle clutched in his hands. He did not understand the prince's enthusiasm with his newest personal guardian. Sure, Rezio was a talented young eunuch and defeated every other aspirant fleetingly, but there was this slight feeling that he wasn't entirely truthful with them...

"Is the prince alright?"

Rezio's soft voice startled Kain. The slender build of the boy must have enhanced the swiftness with which he was moving around the castle. Well, he had to be sneaky not to stand out too much – most of the castle's inhabitants had black hair like the queen, whereas the boy's hair shimmered golden in the sunlight. Whenever he passed one of the kids, they looked at him in awe.

"Rezio, his highness wishes to discuss something with you. I was just about to fetch you."

"I understand," was Rezio's soft answer and with a court nod, he bid Kain farewell, turning to the door.

"Milord, you asked for me?"

"Rezio!"

A handsome young man with jet-black hair and obsidian eyes looked into the caramel eyes of his attendant.

"Do you know what day it is today?" The corners of the prince's mouth curled upwards slightly, but other than that his face held no answers. Rezio mustered his master for a couple of seconds before he answered hesitantly; he closed his eyes and their long lashes lay down on his cheekbones softly.

"I'm sorry, milord, I don't."

Prince Roy chuckled lightly, scooted over on the soft bed and patted it with his left hand as a sign for Rezio to sit down next to him. He didn't even flinch. "Rezio," the prince continued, his hand resting in his lap, and turned his eyes to the window, "it's been a full year since Mother appointed you as my guardian."

"Is that so?" was the young boy's only answer. He felt uncomfortable; there was some meaning lying under the prince's words, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

"Sit down, Rezio. It's a command," Prince Roy's deep voice resounded in the room, calm but clear and Rezio hesitated before he conquered the twenty steps to the prince's bed (he always counted distances, who knew when this information might be useful?) and slowly lowered his body onto the edge of the soft bedding, avoiding his prince's glance.

"Rezio, don't you think it's time you start being sincere to me?"

The young eunuch went rigid. Had the prince found out? But how? Why does he –

"When you started working for me, I was amazed at your skills. None of my Mother's candidates could match your accuracy. It instantly reminded me of the soldiers in the lost Kingdom of Creta."
Rezio stiffened again, but didn't dare answer the prince; instead, he felt him slide closer, only causing Rezio to stiffen even more.

"The swordsmanship of the Cretan was unparalleled. To this very day I can hardly believe that the royal family had been killed. Mother thinks it was the work of a Xingese spy. He supposedly found a weakness in the defense and money was paid for the rest. In the commotion of the king being threatened, they were able to attack the rest of his grounds, effectively killing all of his people. That's her theory."

Rezio finally raised his caramel eyes again and met the gaze of the prince once again. His heart felt heavy all of a sudden. "Why are you telling me this, milord?"

"Because I have a rational reason to assume that you are either Cretan or have learned your skills from a Cretan survivor. I saw those skills with my own eyes - King Grumman and Mother were close companions and I visited him and his granddaughter Thereza a lot when I was younger."

Prince Roy didn't realize that he had hit a nerve, but Rezio started to shift on the bed and his eyes avoided the prince's once more.

"Maybe. I didn't know my master well enough. He taught me how to fight and that was all we talked about, he may have very well been a Cretan. If her Majesty wishes, I can tutor the young squires to preserve the Cretan fighting style." Rezio stood up now, straightened his garments highly concentrated, but he still was painfully aware of the thorough glance the prince was mustering him with.

"You need to sleep, milord. Your guests won't appreciate you looking worn out and it certainly won't charm the young princesses who will be courting for you."

He took a step forward to the doors, away from his prince, but a hand on his wrist stopped him. His breathing hitched as a thumb stroke along the back of his hand.

"I don't care for them," Prince Roy murmured and Rezio felt him slide off the bed as well, standing up behind him and never letting go of his hand. "I care about you."

"Milord!" Rezio broke away from his grasp, turned around, and realized for the first time just how tall the Prince really was. If the Prince embraced him now, he would hardly reach the tip of his shoulders... He instantly chastised himself for those thoughts. They weren't appropriate anymore.

"Believe me, I was more than shocked when I found out I developed feelings for you," Prince Roy announced, sending a tingle through Rezio's heart again and a blush crept up both of their cheeks.

"You were not only my guardian, you were a boy! And I was supposed to fall in love with a woman of royal descent, supposed to produce an heir to the throne," Roy's hand wandered up to cup Rezio's cheek and the latter was unable to step away, slightly leaning into the touch he had yearned for for several months, "and then I saw it. The birthmark on your neck that you so carefully know how to conceal." Prince Roy's right hand suddenly found itself under Rezio's shirt and Rezio stopped breathing as cold metal touched his bare back. He knew what was going to happen and he feared it.

"I stumbled upon you bathing, once," Prince Roy explained, the hint of an apology hidden in the tone of his words, but the sharp blade close to Rezio's spine made him unable to detect it. "And on that day, I also saw this."

Roy's wrist flicked quickly and something tore. Rezio's hands automatically flew up to his chest to cover his breasts that the now cut bandages lying on the ground had flattened and secured until a second ago.

"It's you, isn't it? Riza – Princess Thereza of Creta. You survived."