A Prince's Love Story - Miles' Journey

Summary: A spin-off from the original story 'A Prince's Love Story' that dwells on Miles' journey in search of Phoenix in greater detail. He is accompanied by Chief Soldier Gumshoe who seems to be harboring feelings towards the young prince. Who will Miles choose?

Note: Ace Attorney belongs to Shi Takumi.

-Miles spent the rest of the afternoon in deep thought, figuring out the best plan of action to take. By nightfall, he had decided. Dashing off to his room and changing into less extravagant clothing, pack some food and drinks for his trip before he successfully sneaked out of the kingdom of Preywal with his horse and began to search for Phoenix.

It took Miles a day before he stumbled upon a neighboring kingdom, which he found out was their brother kingdom of Dreywal. –

This is the story of what happened during Miles' journey.

It was nightfall when he had sneaked out of Preywal, so he thought it best to spend the time walking alongside his horse rather than riding it to save them both much needed energy for when day broke. Miles didn't particular know where he was supposed to go, so his pace was rather slow as he began deciding which direction to take.

While he was troubling himself with this, he heard a galloping sound from whence he came, causing him to cringe. 'Have I been found out so quickly?' he thought in dismay.

"Woah there!" came a familiar voice, urging his horse to halt.

"Chief Soldier Gumshoe?" Miles recognized as the man dismounted his horse and held out a lamp to illuminate their immediate surroundings faintly.

"The one and only!" he said airily. "I figured you'd be sneaking out sooner or later, Prince Miles," he told him with a silly grin.

"Have you come to take me back then?" the prince asked apprehensively.

"Back? Why would I do that?" Gumshoe simply asked.

"…Isn't that why you came out here tonight?"

"Not necessarily, no."

"Then what are you doing here?"

Gumshoe scratched the back of his head for a while. "Hmm."

Miles frowned. "You came out here…on a whim?" the prince guessed blatantly.

The soldier laughed at this. "Well, that should about sum it up!"

'Sometimes I don't understand why this guy was appointed Chief Soldier…' Miles thought inwardly to himself before shaking his head. "I think you're wasting your time coming out here, Chief Gumshoe. I must be off."

"Looking for that Wright fellow I suppose?" Gumshoe teased.

Blushing that his intentions were quickly found out, he turned away. "T-That isn't any of your concern!" he rebutted.

"I can help you look for him Your Highness," Gumshoe proposed.

"What are you talking about?" Miles demanded.

Gumshoe produced a folded map from inside his tunic. "While we were interrogating him after apprehending him upon your strategy we found out where he came from," he explained as he unfolded the map and spread it out, kneeling down and setting it down on the ground.

Their kingdom of Preywal was encircled with a thick brush stroke as Gumshoe pointed a stubby finger at it. "This is where we are. Mr. Wright claimed that his place of residence was not far from here, so based on this map the closet kingdom to ours is this one," he pointed out, moving his finger along the map eastward to another kingdom labeled 'Dreywal'.

"Dreywal…" Miles read, stroking his chin. "Why does that name sound familiar…."

"It's the brother kingdom of Preywal," Gumshoe supplied.

'I could have pieced that together myself thank you very much,' the prince thought. "I see…" Miles said in understanding. And that lies eastward?" he confirmed. Upon Gumshoe's nod, Miles looked up at the stars. "It seems I chose to move in the right direction," he commended himself.

'Hey now, I helped out…' Gumshoe thought in woe.

"I thank you immensely for your help Chief Gumshoe. I should get going," Miles said.

"Wait!"

"What is it?"

Gumshoe frowned before averting his gaze. "Er… I was wondering if I could… you know… tag along with you?"

"What for?" Miles asked needlessly. 'And why is he so jittery all of a sudden?' he added as an afterthought.

"Considering that you don't have a personal slave to watch out for you I'm sorta in charge of looking out for you, you know?" Gumshoe reasoned out. "So…" he paused, scratching the back of his head and averted his gaze. "I wouldn't you to get into any trouble while traveling to the brother kingdom…"

'I'm beginning to doubt if this is all for the sake of fulfilling his duties…' Miles deduced as he gave Gumshoe a considerate glance. 'Why am I getting that feeling like what I feel for Phoenix from him?' he thought dreadfully, feeling a tingling sensation along his spine as he quickly shook it off. 'I need to make sure of all these before I pursue reuniting with Phoenix.'

"Chief Gumshoe."

"Y-Yessir?" he asked, being called to attention.

"Are those your sole inclinations for following me out here? Because it is part of your protocol to fulfill such menial duties?" Miles challenged.

"N-Now what just a minute Your Highness! A-Are you suggesting I have other intentions for deciding to come out here tonight?" Gumshoe asked.

Miles crossed his arms. "If I may be blunt to answer, yes," he supplied.

Gumshoe stiffened before heaving a big sigh. "Y-You're right… I do have other intentions…" he admitted, lowering his head in defeat.

"Well? What are they?" Miles pressed. A blush appeared on Gumshoe's cheeks that Miles didn't overlook. 'What an all too familiar scene…' he thought grimly. "No matter, I believe I've figured that out myself," he said dismissively as he pulled away his horse and began heading east.

"P-Prince Miles, wait!" Gumshoe cried, running after him, his horse following after him.

"I've no time to answer your feelings, Chief Gumshoe," Miles stated coldly, he back turned against the soldier. "You must be aware that my heart holds feelings for Phoenix Wright and him alone," he said firmly.

"I know I'm incapable of swaying your feelings, but at least allow me to escort you to the kingdom!" Gumshoe insisted, a determined look in his eyes.

Miles spared himself the trouble and sighed heavily. "If you plan to be persistent then by all means, escort away," he said in a tired voice, not wanting to argue further. The longer he delayed, the longer he would be away from Phoenix.

And so the pair threaded through the greenlands on foot, silent and unspeaking to one another. Gumshoe initiated no conversation and Miles thought it best to save his energy by not talking anymore. Everything was deathly peaceful, quite unlike the stories Miles have been told plenty times before by his father about the dangers of the outside.

The sun was beginning to rise when they covered about a third of the way on foot. As their surroundings became brighter, so did the possibility of wild animals waking from their nightly slumber. One in particular, a venomous snake, was slithering its way behind the pair, formulating a strike to the less protected man – Prince Miles.

Gumshoe, who was beginning to lag behind, spotted this snake with his sharp eyes. "WATCH OUT!" he called out, lunging forward and pushing Miles out of the way of the snake's sudden strike, a few inches shy from his own leg.

Wheeling around, Miles glanced around. "What's going on?"

Having no time to explain, Gumshoe drew out his sword and skewered the snake before it could strike again. Once he was sure it was dead, he heaved a sigh of relief.

"It was about to bite you sir…" Gumshoe reported, pulling his sword back and wiped the blood off it.

Kneeling down to inspect the reptile, Miles frowned. "It appears to be a venomous snake…" he concluded before glancing over to Gumshoe. 'Any normal soldier would immediately skewer the snake once they noticed. But he put himself at risk and made sure I wasn't bitten…' he deduced. His heart skipped a beat. '…This isn't good. Why am I suddenly developing feelings towards him?'

"Are you alright Prince Miles?" Gumshoe asked as they both got back to their feet.

Miles nodded stiffly. "Y-Yes. I'm quite alright, thank you…" Bringing a heart to his chest, he chewed on the inside of his cheek. 'I can't feel this way… What about Phoenix?' he demanded of himself. Shaking his head, he approached his horse and finally mounted it. "We need to make up for lost time now, Chief Gumshoe," he said.

"Why the sudden hurry sir?" Gumshoe asked, approaching his own horse.

'I don't want to walk at a leisurely pace and let these feelings towards you grow when they shouldn't, Chief Gumshoe…' Miles confessed to himself as they rode off towards Dreywal.

Upon their arrival, where they were immediately welcomed as if they were expected, Miles and Gumshoe were escorted to the front of the castle where the prince of the kingdom came to greet them.

"I never thought I'd see you come here Miles," Phoenix said with a warm smile as Miles dismounted his horse.

Miles gaped his mouth. "Y-You're Dreywal's prince?" he exclaimed in surprise.

Phoenix snickered. "I didn't think it was appropriate to divulge that piece of information to your father. After all, I enjoyed playing the part of a commoner. As well as your slave," he explained.

"Pardon me for interrupting sires," Gumshoe interjected, bowing. "Now that I've successfully escorted Prince Miles I should return to Preywal," he announced.

"But we've only just arrived!" Miles protested.

Gumshoe shook his head with a sad smile. "It's all right Your Highness," he answered. "We both know that this is where you wanna stay, and I can't really convince you to return. So it's best I be off lest your father the King starts looking for me." With one last bow, Chief Soldier Dick Gumshoe escorted himself out.

Phoenix watched him leave before turning to Miles. "Did you wonder why you had such an extravagant welcome today?" he asked suddenly.

Miles watched Gumshoe was well before turning to Phoenix. "Not until you mentioned it. Were you expecting us?" he clarified.

Phoenix nodded. "To tell you the truth it was that fellow over there who informed us that you were arriving ahead of time. He even had a letter sent over and all," he explained.

Miles was on the fence, his previous inner conflict resurfacing in this new light of information pertaining to Gumshoe's actions. As much as he pained to admit it, his feelings began to sway.

"Something wrong Miles?" Phoenix asked suddenly, noticing the other spacing out.

"Ah, no it's nothing," Miles replied, quickly trying to change the subject. "What were you going to tell me on the gazebo the other day?" Mile suddenly asked.

"Oh. That I loved you too~" Phoenix replied simply, holding out a small box. "This is for you."

Miles blinked before taking it and opening it, revealing a single engagement ring.

"Marry me?" Phoenix asked sheepishly.

If he was being honest, Miles found himself unable to reply. Had nothing happened with him and Gumshoe through the course of their journey from between the brother kingdoms he would have immediately answered, but something was still weighing on his heart that ultimately rendered him unable to.

"I-I'm sorry Phoenix… But I may need to confirm a few things before I answer you," Miles apologized, handing the box back.

Half-surprised with the answer, Phoenix took it and lowered his head. "I… I see…"

Determined, Miles stepped forward and took Phoenix's hand, squeezing it. "I just need some time to straighten out my feelings. I only wish to answer you when I am absolutely sure of what I feel towards you," he pleaded.

Raising his head, Phoenix slowly replied, "I…I understand."

With a nod, Miles stepped back and mounted his horse again and gave chase to Gumshoe. 'I cannot answer Phoenix while I still have this shred of doubt of my loyalty towards him!' Upon catching up with the Chief Soldier, Miles set the record straight, convincing both Gumshoe and himself that what he felt was an over-the-top feeling of gratitude that he mistook for something more. And what Miles felt toward Phoenix was something more genuine that lingered and he hoped to continue holding onto for as long as he could.

Finally understanding, Gumshoe accepted his defeat, knowing from the start that his feelings towards the prince would be discarded but wished to remain by his side. At this, Miles suggested that he come back with him to Dreywal and be his personal aid, to which Gumshoe enthusiastically agreed. They headed back to Dreywal where Miles immediately located Phoenix.

His conscience free of guilt, he wrapped his arms around the prince and said this: "I love nobody else but you, Phoenix Wright. And I would not want anything more than to marry you and be by your side for the rest of forever."

THE END