Lucas was up. Sitting on the chaise by the fire, reading some dusty book. He didn't mind it so much, except for the fact that the book was familiar. Dreams of greens eyes and soft palms. It was his own fault then,for waking up so late, that Lucas had managed to get into his things and find the eared and tattered from a thousand reads. It was his book, not Lucas'. One of few things that was his and his alone. Not for his idiot brother to get dirty. When he swiped for it Lucas was quicker, jumping up from the chair. Evidently anticipating the move the moment he saw Kai leave his room, hair mussed from the fitful sleep he'd been treated to.

He dashed round the furniture to where Lucas had sought refuge behind the sofa, but he backed the other way.

'GIVE IT BACK' Kai got close enough to swipe again, hitting the edge of a page with his forefinger sharp enough to feel a sting.

'I'm just-' he dodged another hand 'reading it! What's the big deal? You've read it a thousand times-'

'It doesn't matter. It's not yours.' He ground out, feeling the vein bulge on his forehead.

'Give it back or I swear to go-'

'Language.' Shane had caught sound of the scuffle and come out to wedge himself between them. Kai looked past his curly black hair to stare daggers at them both, waiting for the moment he stepped out of the way to dash for the crown prince. Shane recognised the look of anger and pressed and arm against Kai's chest, twisting into his shirt to pin him in place while Lucas stood freely.

'You don't want me to have to report this back to the king do you? He'll never let you out again.'

'Is this the thanks I get for letting you come along?'

'I didn't ask to be here.' Kai spat.

'Well you didn't exactly say no. It's not my fault that you were such a sad sack at home that I had to bring you.'

That was the last straw with a massive shove Shane hit the back of the chaise and Kai dived for his brother. Lucas went for the door, if they were at home he would have called for the guards but they were smart enough not to make a scene in a foreign land. Kai reached him quick enough to smack him against the door frame, grabbing Lucas by the lapel.

'You've taken everything from me you little shit. You're not taking this.' He snatched the book from his hand and that would have been the end of it. But Lucas was never the sort to know his limits. He launched a kick at the back of Kai's knee and took it back. The anger of being held so violently filled him with an anger that launched the book in to flames of the fireplace. All three men took a moment to watch the title page begin to be eaten away by the flames until the whole thing was taken in. Before he could feel his brothers wrath Lucas opened the door, ready to run out in safety, fearing for his own. Kai had turned on his heels, face red with fury. In any normal situation he would have registered the fact that Lucas paused at the open door. But the furious white agony caused by losing the one book he dearly enjoyed blinded his ability to think logically and he barrolled into Lucas, smacking him into the corridor window outside their door, ready to throttle him.

It was the tiny cough that caught his attention. Bonnie had the good sense to sidestep the barrage and was now behind Kai, giving Lucas a sympathetic frown. Kai didn't turn around immediately, not wanting to see her and immediately lose the anger just yet. He didn't catch her peer inside their rooms and catch sight of the burning book.

'Princess!' Shane stumbled out into the corridor, righting his shirt that had crumpled from the fight. 'Please excuse us, we're having a bit of a disagreement.'

He stopped himself snorting at that. Opting to push Lucas harder into the wall until it was obvious he was in pain.

'Malachi that's enough!' Shane commanded. Kai listed all the different ways he would kill him when he got the chance, but released his simpering brother, who scuttled away to join his master.

'My apologies, I seem to have come at a bad time.' He could hear her soft voice but kept his hands balled at his side, still refusing to look at her. 'I only wanted to see if you were all free for a visit to the docks. I'll come back later.'

'Don't bother.' Kai may have said it too harshly with how wide her green eyes suddenly became but he didn't care right now. He knew he had to leave to remedy the situation and headed to wherever his feet would take him.

That happened to be the stables. With his black mare whining as he brushed a little too harshly. He had all but twenty minutes to himself, enough to time for the anger to subside and leave a gnarly emptiness. His one prized possession was now gone.

'What was the book?'

Of course she followed him. If the situation was reversed and he'd seen her almost maim Lady Gilbert, he would be curious as well.

'The Art of War.'

'Sun Tzu.'

He had to look at her then. The flutter in his chest as their eyes found each other made him dearly regret it and simultaneously wish he had looked sooner. 'You know it?'

'I know a lot of books. My tutor made me read it as part of my education.'

'You have a good tutor.' He looked back to his horse, clopping under his lack of attention.

'Had. Father didn't really want me reading such 'perverse literature'.'

'Huh.' His ability to say anything wittier was drawn away the closer she stepped towards him, eventually coming only a step away. They both looked towards the mare as they spoke rather than each other. The black beast snorted, shaking it's mane under the now increased attention.

'It's a very intelligent creature.' Small talk then.

'He's showing off.'

'Like master like mare.' She swiped a hand down it's mane.

'Showing off implies I'm actively trying to impress you.'

'Are you not?'

'Are you saying I impress you?'

'I'm saying you're a show off.'

'And now we've come full circle.'

She huffed in frustration, hiding the smirk that desperately wanted to break free by biting her cheek. 'I don't know why I bother.'

'I think it's because you secretly prefer my company to Luke's. Not hard really. Have you heard the boy speak?'

When she looked away quickly he narrowed his eyes. 'Oh I see, you thought there was more to him than meets the eye. Did he do that thing? Where he repeats a general phrase.' Again, her lack of an answer was worse than anything. 'He did, didn't he. Well I hate to break it to you, but he really is that boring.'

'Of course you would say that. He's taken your throne, you hate him.' She stepped back as his face fell. 'Sorry I didn't mean-'

'No, you're right. He's taken my throne. Doesn't mean I'm bitter.' Bitter implied he wasn't going to do anything about it.

'You're a bigger person than I.' She watched him from the side of her eye, thinking he would notice.

'Oh? You're so full of light I would have thought you would have given your throne away to him. It's basically what you're doing by marrying him.' He hadn't intended to come across as rude, but chalked it up to the increase of emotion she always seemed to bring out in him.

'Excuse me?' Bonnie rounded on him. 'I'm marrying him to secure the future of my Kingdom. I'm not giving him anything.'

'I'm sure you've told yourself that a million times. Probably even weighed out how much good' he practically spat the word 'you can do. But you don't need him. Not really.'

She paused, expecting him of all people to be in favour of the alliance given how his own kingdom stood to benefit the most. 'I don't have a choice.'

'Of course you do.'

'My father is set on this marriage and I think-'

'Your father isn't going to be here forever. And what you think and what you say are two very different things Bonnie.' She had no response other than to glower, shaking off how intimate her name sounded falling from his lips. He smirked at that, glad that he'd managed to affect her just as much as she was doing to him, but guilty at the thought that he was only digging himself deeper into the persona of the callous Prince she'd come to know of him. 'I'll see you at dinner.' He brushed slowly past her, enjoying how warm she was as he passed. He looked back, confirming she was still rooted to the spot as he left.

Lucas and Shane had the good sense to leave him alone when he stormed back into their suite. He wasn't as angry as before but the perception would give him some time alone. When he entered his room once more, it was noticeably cleaner. The bed had been neatly made, curtains drawn back and cushions fluffed into place. The servants were quicker than at home. He would have simply changed his clothes and headed back out for a ride if a foreign object sitting on the bed like a decorative buffer. Curiously he headed over to it, picking up the square object (a book, he realised, as he held it by the spine) from between the cushions. Red block letters adorned the thick brown cover. It was expensive and- holding it up to his nose- it was from a foreign land, smelling of thick spices and soot. The scarlet printed letters read. 'The Prince' and underneath in black 'Niccolo Machiavelli'. Opening it up answered his final question, the sender had left a note that fluttered to the ground, as he opened it up to observe the author's portrait.

For the stew

She hadn't really come to get Lucas then, she'd come to give him this. He thumbed over the swirling F starting the sentence and found himself smiling at how disproportionately large it was compared to the way she wrote the other letters. And the guilt from early came to rest on his chest, stronger than before. This wouldn't do. He wouldn't have her one up him in gift giving. No, he'd have to get her something equally as important.