Twenty minutes later Matthew came back with a tray of hot food and he had a great big smile on his face. "Today's special seemed to be fresh bread and beef stew."

"Smells delicious." Ivan comments with a smile.

"It does. Now, here, eat up." Matthew sat down on the side of the bed next to the man and handed him the tray. Ivan took it, set it on his lap, and started to eat. "Ah, it is nice to have something like this to eat after travelling for so long." He says with a grateful hum.

The guardian gave small laugh. "I couldn't agree more. Oh, and when you're finished, I'll give you your medicine."

"Medicine?" Ivan questions, arching an eyebrow.

"You are recovering, the medicine will help. And don't give me any trouble about it." Matthew gave him a stern look as he pointed a finger at the prince, like he was scolding a small child.

Ivan gives a short laugh at the look on Matthew's face. "Yes, I know it will. I was not planning to give you trouble about it Matvey." He smiled in amusement. "I was going to ask what medicine you meant, since all of our belongings were confiscated while we were in the forest."

"Remember when I went to go grab this?" The guardian laughed a bit himself before pulling a small bottle of purple liquid from his pocket. "I'm just lucky it didn't break from the fall."

Ivan's eyes widened a bit in surprise before chuckling. "I'm surprised it didn't break." He took a few bites and ate a little before speaking again. "Though I am glad it did not break. It would have been a pity for you to have worked so hard on making it, only for it to be wasted."

"Yes, I hope to put it to good use." Matthew looked down at the vial as he rolled it around in his hands.

"I hardly think my current condition warrants using such a rare thing, but I will not stop you if you wish to use it on me." The prince says, dipping the bread in the stew to soak up the flavor and then eating it contently.

Matthew lowered his eyes at him. "Your heart goes crazy from a galloping horse... I'd hate to see what would happen if you got into a fight."

"Hippogriff." Ivan corrects with a grin. "He is faster than a horse. But I get your point." He then continues eating. "I would not fare well in battle in my current state."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "I know, but the sense is the same."

"True." Ivan finished up his meal and then set the tray off to the side.

"Pass me your cup."

The man picked up his cup and handed it to Matthew as the boy removed the cork, pouring a little of the thick liquid into the cup. He then got up to get the pitcher and added some water. After giving it a good stir he brought it back to Ivan. "Here, but a word of caution, it is very sour."

Ivan nodded and took the cup. He took a sip and wrinkled his nose up at it a little, but drank all of it without complaining.

"Just so you know, it's normal to feel a little tingly or have your skin feel like it's crawling for the first day or so." The guardian informs Ivan as he gathers the dishes.

"Hm, it does leave my mouth and throat tingling." Ivan remarks with a nod, setting the cup down. "Though that does not bother me much, and it is not entirely unpleasant. I like vodka and that tends to burn on the way down before warming me. This in comparison is just warming, though the tingling will take a little getting used to I think." He smiled a bit.

"Ah. Another thing. No drinking until you've recovered, understood?"

Ivan frowned, his lips pursed unhappily before he huffs. "Yes, I understand. It is not like I can get vodka here anyway."

"There are many things we can't get here." The guardian sighed. "I'm still upset they took all of our gear."

"I meant here as in Vernal, but I also agree with you. They took my blood, my vodka, and the blades I use when travelling." He frowned unhappily.

"And my herbs." Matthew took all the dishes and used towels to sit on a table near the door for the innkeeper to take when they did their rounds. Matthew then returned to slump down on the bed. "It will take whole year to restock that..."

Ivan smiled a bit and reached out, patting Matthew on the head gently before pulling his hand back. "Perhaps later we can re-visit the place with the purple flowers and you can get more, and maybe some seeds so you can try growing them at your home."

"I guess I could do that... But no one has succeeded in growing them before. Not to mention not all the herbs are there." Then Matthew suddenly bolted upright. "Oh no!"

Ivan started in surprise at Matthew's outburst, eyes widening marginally. "What is it, Matvey?"

"Kumajiro's saddle..." The boy was quick to drop his face in his hands.

"Ah, you can always have another one made though, yes?"

"No... It's not that simple." Matthew gave a short whine.

"Will you explain why?" Ivan tilted his head with a puzzled frown.

"That saddle was worth a lot of money and was very hard to make. It will take me five seasons to save up for it." Matthew wouldn't show it, but he was beginning to tear up. His mother and brother had helped him get that saddle made, it could be replaced, but it would never be the same.

"Ah." Ivan blinked in surprise before tilting his head a bit. "…Matvey?"

"Yes...?" He looked up at Ivan slowly, his eyes all watery.

Ivan smiled at him softly. "If it is money you need, I do have a fair amount stowed away at my own private castle. You would not need to wait so long to get a new saddle for Kumajiro then, correct?"

"Oh no, I couldn't-"

"You can." Ivan says, smiling a bit more. "Friends help each other, right? I want to help."

Matthew looked away for a moment. "You would really do that for me?"

"I would not be offering if I did not mean it."

"I know that Ivan, but I just wanted to be sure." Matthew smiled kindly at him, his eyes clearing up. "Thank you for being so generous."

"It is no problem." Ivan smiled and ruffled the guardian's hair a bit. "Ah, you just have to wait a few months though. I need to recover first, then I need to travel to my castle to go get it, and then I can return to you with it."

Matthew shook his head while still smiling. "No, you will have fully recovered in three weeks or so. The medicine will see to that. And we still have many kingdoms to visit, you have yet to find a bride."

"Ah, wonderful." Ivan says with a smile. "Yes, we do still have many Kingdoms to visit. But I need to return to my personal castle for a brief time before that."

"Why? Do you need anything in particular?" Matthew gave him a puzzled look. They could easily hunt for food and if they really needed money, they could always sell the furs or something along those lines. And for sleeping... Well until Ivan was recovered they would have to share body heat, but after that it would be easy for Ivan to sleep on his own. Though after thinking about it, it brought the young man to blush a little. When did I become the bashful maiden...? He whined inwardly. He wasn't always like this, but it could have something to do with wishing to have Ivan as a mate... Got to stop thinking about Ivan as my mate! He's not and won't be! I'll find someone else!

"Yes, clothes for one since they took our bags. This is fine for just travelling but." Ivan looked down at his current clothing. "It is not very suitable for a prince. Especially one who is looking for a wife." He looked back up at Matthew and smiled a little. "I also need to go get my sword or some more blades. It is unwise to travel without proper protection. I would also like more vodka as well, and while I am there I can get money for the saddle."

Matthew frowned. "No vodka. And how you expect to stay warm while we travel through your country? Neither of us are dressed for it and I can only keep you so warm."

"Yes, vodka." Ivan says with a smile. "And my palace is on the opposite end of Solstice by the ocean Matvey. Travelling will be, for the most part, in Vernal, until we near the ocean. By that point I will be all better and will be able to keep myself warm."

"That may work... But I still won't be able to keep myself warm. I was in Solstice for two days and I nearly froze to death."

Ivan chuckled a bit. "You were not listening to me properly. I said that I need to go visit my palace. Not you and I need to go visit my palace."

"Oh... Now I've embarrassed myself." The guardian chuckled weakly as he played with his hair.

"I will take you to see my palace eventually if you would like, just not now. I am fairly certain I can make it to my palace and back without being too noticed by the main palace on my own. Traveling there and back with more than just me would attract attention sooner and I do not wish to endanger you by bringing you with me to get a few items." Ivan smiled at him. "You and Kumajiro can stay somewhere safe in Vernal and wait until I return."

"... You can't even take Kuma?"

"He is a hippogriff Matvey. He will attract a lot of attention. Plus, he needs to stay with you so he can ensure you stay safe while I am gone."

"But he'll be able to get you there and back quickly... and safely."

"If he is willing to let me ride him again that is." Ivan says with a wry smile. "But if that is the case, then you will stay with Alfred and Kirkland until Kumajiro and I return."

Matthew turned to him with a kind smile. "If he's let you ride him once then you are obligated to ask him for help as a friend. It's one of the only ways he can let others know that he trusts someone and sees them as a friend."

Ivan smiled back. "I see. I thought he would be mad at me since I had managed to insult him without intending to while we were riding out of the forest."

"Now let's make sure you understand something here." Matthew got all serious.

Ivan tilted his head a little and arched an eyebrow questioningly. "Hm?"

"Kumajiro got mad because you don't trust him." He frowned a little.

Ivan gave him a confused scowl; that comment was almost insulting. "Pardon?"

The guardian sighed and looked down at his feet. "... Think about this, what if you had lost the ability to speak? And everybody thought that not being able to talk meant you weren't able to express yourself; that you couldn't express how much you were hurting, how you felt; how you saw things." He paused for a moment before continuing. "People would look on to you like you were some dumb animal that only understood the basics of life. They would make choices for you because they would feel they were obligated to help or because they saw you as something they have control over. They would see you as someone who couldn't do anything on their own."

Matthew looked up at Ivan with a sad look on his face. "How would you feel? Being treated like that your whole life? Unable to show or prove to anyone that you were strong enough to stand on your own, that you were able to understand something, and make your own choices, all because people couldn't look past the fact that you had no voice? Would you feel hatred towards them? Frustration and sorrow? How would you treat others?"

The boy looked away again. A long forgotten anger was coming back and he didn't want Ivan to see it as the thoughts often came with tears. "Can you tell a dog that you need some help with aiding someone; to hold someone up and help you change some bandages? A horse? A bird? It is true they understand more than people give them credit, but it only goes so far. But— Kuma is not just an animal, or a companion; he is a friend, a brother; a person. Just like you and me; we are a different species, but we are each our own person. If I could make a potion o-or cast a spell to give him the ability to speak, I would. It would be just enough to show everyone who he is. All of this… All of this is the reason why hippogriffs are so full of pride and are stubborn on opening up to others. People mistake frustration for an angry predator and overwhelm them only to slay what they call a threat to their lives."

Matthew took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. "Back in the forest… When you asked Arthur to give you some strength so that Kuma would not have to carry us both while injured, he got mad. Because he thought you had finally learned to trust him, not so much in being able to rely on him, but in a way that you would trust him to tell you if he was unable to do something; that he was hurting too much, that things were getting hard for him, that he needed to rest a while."

"Then the time after that, when you said that I was not going to be able to handle Kumajiro's stampede. You had turned something that was about you and Kuma into something about me and him." He gave a weak, sorry excuse for a laugh. "You might as well have brought in his mother... It kind of came out that you didn't know how to fix things with him so you tried to bring me to calm him. It just further proved to him that you didn't trust him, or understand him. I'm sure it hurt him, maybe tore him up inside." Matthew swallowed the lump in this throat. He was talking about Kuma, but it felt like he was adding himself into the mix; that this was also about how he felt about Ivan.

Ivan had listened quietly as Matthew spoke, and when the guardian was finished, he was quiet for several moments to gather his thoughts before he spoke slowly. "I— had not intended my words to be taken in that manner. The first time, I had been attempting to be… considerate and…mindful, of all that had happened and how that would affect his energy. I did not want him to overexert himself." He had an apologetic expression on his face even though he wasn't looking directly at Matthew. "And the second time, I had just been worried that the ride was paining you. Because we were riding bareback and I do not think you normally do that, and you were also very injured. I had not meant any of that to seem as if I did not trust him."

"It did hurt, I just didn't say anything." The blond cast a smile at him. "But I am sure if you talk to Kuma about it, he will see that it was a misunderstanding."

"Yes, I will do that when he shows up again." Ivan nods and gives a barely there smile before dropping it. "Ah, about the questions you were asking me at the beginning of this however… fundamentally, he and I sound surprisingly... similar in a way..." He trails off, gaze lowering to where his hands were fidgeting with his scarf.

"Ivan...?" Matthew asks softly, placing a caring hand on the man's shoulder. Matthew never meant to upset Ivan with this, but maybe this was about something more?

Ivan had to suppress a sudden shiver; the guardian hadn't been kidding when he said that the medicine made you feel tingly. It wasn't really unpleasant though, just odd. He gave a sad smile at the concern in Matthew's voice, wetting his lips before speaking in a quiet voice. "When I was small well… it is not that I did not have the ability to speak, but rather I was not given the chance to speak and express myself to anyone other than my elder sister and a little later, to my younger sister and then to Yao…" He trailed off, fussing with his scarf, unsure on how to continue.

That was the something more; it was starting to come together. Maybe Kuma and Ivan had something similar in common? "If... you don't mind me asking, but why weren't you given a chance to speak? You are the heir, shouldn't you get the most attention?" Matthew hoped he wasn't asking too personal of a question.

"That is how it is supposed to work." Ivan answers with a small nod. "It— Solstice is well known for having kings who are rather… coldhearted and ruthless, you know? It is seen as a good thing by them; to have as little weaknesses as possible, and to be very manly and tough." He wet his lips again nervously before continuing, as this was the first time he'd spoken about any of this to someone else before. His sisters knew of this but he'd never really discussed it with them much, and Yao knew but they'd never mentioned it to each other. "When I was small… my likes and dislikes were not things that would be considered any of those. Rather… they were things that were considered to be ah, feminine and— weak."

Matthew blinked and thought about how to phrase what he was about to ask. "What do you mean? Like dresses and flowers?"

"Dresses, no. Flowers, yes." Ivan answers, glancing up at Matthew with a tiny smile. "I was, and still am, particularly fond of sunflowers. I was also fond of ah… cute things, like baby rabbits and small animals, and things like that." He lowered his gaze again, hesitating a few moments before continuing. "I think he may have overlooked those things if my dislikes had been different from what they were…" The tiny smile was still in place but it seemed a bit sad now. "I did not want to learn to fight. I did not like the idea of fighting and killing. I did not like the idea of hunting either, because I did not like the thought of killing the cute little animals I befriended and occasionally brought home…" He gave a sigh.

"Elder sister used to praise me and tell me that she loved how I was so sweet and caring when I was little; she saw it as a good thing." Ivan lowered his gaze further, his fingers worrying the edge of his scarf. He found it nerve-wracking and rather uncomfortable to share this much about his past with someone, even if that someone was Matthew. "Father on the other hand... he viewed all of that as feminine and weak. He saw it as a bad thing; he did many unkind things, and called me many unkind names but… what I heard most frequently from him was... how— disgraceful and worthless he thought I was, for liking and disliking what I did." His voice had dropped to just above a whisper by the time he had finished the last sentence.

Matthew's hand slowly slipped off the man's shoulder. He took it all in and began to realize why Ivan hated his father, and the reasons why they didn't get along. His eyes fell on the other man's hand, he wasn't sure if he should, but... he felt that he had to.

With great hesitation Matthew softly placed his hand on top of Ivan's larger one. The man gave a little jolt of surprise, but he didn't pull away. "I... I don't think that makes you weak or feminine." The guardian became quiet for a little bit, before wrapping his fingers around Ivan's hand. "If my words have any value... I'd say that you have the makings of a great and wonderful father. The wife you find, even if you don't love her, I believe she would be very happy." He looked up at Ivan, his face shining with admiration. "And I feel that your kingdom could use a kind king, to bring the sun out so they may live in peace without the fear of war."

Ivan glanced up as the boy spoke, his breath catching softly and his eyes widening a little at the look on Matthew's face. His cheeks would have been tinted pink at the guardian's words if Ivan had had more blood in him at that moment. As it was, he couldn't help but wonder what it was that made his heart throb near painfully; was it the words, the expression, or perhaps a side effect of the medicine? "… Thank you Matvey." He murmurs, also finding himself wondering why Matthew's opinion mattered to him so much that he couldn't help but smile back softly at the praise.

"You are welcome Ivan." Matthew wanted to say more, but it felt like there was nothing more to be said. The moment felt complete in a way. He had never felt closer to Ivan than he did now, with how much he trusted him. It felt good. Matthew just wanted to curl up with Ivan and just feel. Touch. Warmth. Skin. Breath. Beating. Smell. It hurt to want such closeness, but it hurt even more to ignore it. Like the way his heart lurched up into his chest whenever Ivan ran his fingers though his hair, but when he stopped and pulled away... it was like Ivan was pulling out the seams of his heart. Was it because he had these feelings for Ivan or because he couldn't share them? Whichever it was, it didn't matter. Matthew would stay by his side as long as he could and then they would go there separate ways. It's... what I have to do.

Matthew realized that his head was now resting on Ivan's shoulder, but was too frightened to move once conscious of it. If he moved, Ivan would see it as a mistake and question it.

It is definitely the side effects of the medicine. Ivan thinks as his heart throbs again when Matthew laid his head upon his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile a little more at such a sweet and cute gesture from the guardian. Wait, when did he start thinking of Matthew as cute? This was not the first time he'd thought it either. Whatever the reason; Ivan didn't care too much right now. He lifted a hand to gently run his fingers through Matthew's soft hair, marveling a little at how content and … right, it felt to do so.

Matthew really didn't know what to do now. Did Ivan know how this action looked? It was possible that he had no idea seeing as how he grew up. But still, there was a limit to one's ignorance.

"Matvey, you should get more rest." Ivan says with a soft, slightly amused hum. "This is the second time you have nearly fallen asleep on me."

"O-oh, right. Sorry about that." Matthew pulled away, retracting his hand as well.

"It is alright Matvey." Ivan smiled and pulled his hand back as well. "Why don't we both take a nap right now? I am still tired from losing so much blood." He shifted over on the bed to make room for the guardian.

Matthew stood up, his back towards Ivan. "A-a nap does sound very nice."

"Will you take a nap with me?" Ivan asks, tilting his head a bit. "After all, I am still lacking a lot of blood and can not stay warm very easily right now." Which to be honest was seriously obnoxious. He rarely got cold beforehand because he grew up in Solstice and had a higher tolerance for it, and now he was cold all the time. Damn vampires.

"Oh." Matthew turned with a look of surprise; the blankets hadn't helped? "Were you cold this whole time?"

"The blankets helped a little." Ivan says with a slight smile. "But yes, I have still been rather cold this whole time."

"You should have told me sooner, Ivan." He frowned as he crawled back onto the bed, making his way over to the chilly prince.

"I had been hoping I would warm up after being under the blankets for a little while, but I didn't actually warm up all that much." He gave a wry smile and a slight shrug. A few moments later a slight pout was on his face. "It is really rather obnoxious though. I normally have a high tolerance for cold and now I am always cold and it just feels wrong."

"It's alright, I rarely get cold myself. I remember that cold night very well, only I was scared of what you would do once you saw my wings." He frowned as he sat back on his legs next to him. Then he grasped his shirt and began to pull it up, this shirt had yet to have any modifications to it so he had to pull if off and it was snug too.

"I remember that time as well. Though mostly I remember waking up and finding you nearly frozen." Ivan says frowning a bit at Matthew's shirt. "Ah, we should modify that for you later."

"If I had my sewing supplies I could do it myself." The guardian sighed as he pulled the last of the garment off and gave his head a shake to get the static out. It took a moment to get his wings out, it always sounded like his bones were cracking, but never hurt. They still felt a little damp as he ran his fingers through the feathers. "Looks like I'll have to keep my wings out from under the covers... Oh well."

Ivan nodded a bit and un-tucked the blankets covering him enough so Matthew could slip under the covers most of the way with him. The guardian was nervous about it for a moment, before he got in next to him. Ivan pulled the covers back around them and snuggled up next to Matthew, shivering a little at the temperature difference between how warm Matthew was and how cold Ivan felt.

"Here..." Matthew wrapped his arms around the man and rested his wing over top of them. Ivan was glad for the warmth and closed his eyes; soon he was asleep again.