,INNOCENT LOVE

"Speak again," Arthur commands, stepping further into the room, his piercing gaze locked on Madin, who is frozen in place, staring back at him.

Madin remains silent, his mind racing. Why does Arthur want him to speak again? Surely, he couldn't have recognized his voice.

Madin lowers his head, unable to meet Arthur's eyes. By now, little Prince Adriana had already slipped out of the room, with the lady following close behind.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my son's room?" Arthur asks, suspicion thick in his voice.

His initial shock at hearing a familiar voice that he has been longing to hear has faded, replaced by guarded curiosity.

Madin adjusts his voice, letting a trembling tone creep in. "My lord, I didn't mean to intrude. I was brought here to assist."

"Do you work in the palace?" Arthur presses.

"No, Your Highness," Madin replies, his head still bowed.

Arthur exhales sharply, his irritation evident. "Ugh, whatever. You can leave." He strides toward the little one's bed and sits down, dismissing the matter.

Madin moves toward the door, but before he can leave, Arthur's voice halts him. "Wait."

Madin's heart pounds violently in his chest.

"That drawer up there—there's a tin of medicine. Get it for me before you go," Arthur says, gesturing vaguely.

"Yes," Madin answers, stepping back into the room. He approaches the indicated drawer but falters.

"No, not that one. The upper drawer—ugh! You're too short to reach it." Before Madin can react, Arthur is already beside him, his tall frame brushing past as he opens the drawer himself and retrieves the medicine.

Madin tenses, instinctively moving a step back, trying to put some distance between them.

Arthur takes the medicine and, without a word, moves back to the bed. Just as Madin turns to leave again, Arthur's voice stops him once more.

"Do you know how to massage a head to relieve pain?" he asks, his tone lighter but no less commanding.

"Not really, Your Highness," Madin lies, though he knows he's an expert. He used to do it for his late mother, after all.

"Then learn now. My head feels like it's about to explode," Arthur declares, lying back on the bed, his head sinking into the pillow. He motions for Madin to come closer.

Madin hesitates, his hands trembling as he places them on Arthur's head. Arthur's eyes close involuntarily at the touch, his entire body relaxing.

Unexpectedly, Arthur guides Madin's palm to his cheek, holding it there. Madin stares down at him, stunned and unable to move.

Arthur's voice breaks the silence, low and almost vulnerable. "Earlier, your voice—it reminded me of someone. Your eyes... they say so much. And now, just your touch... it makes me feel something I have wanted to feel for years but I haven't."

Madin tries to pull his hand away, but Arthur doesn't let go.

"My headache is fading," Arthur murmurs, his voice barely audible. "Stay. Just for a little while. Please."

Madin perches on the edge of the bed, his posture stiff. Across the room, a mirror reflects his image—his disguised appearance with the fake beard and thick eyebrows.

Yet, somehow, Arthur is still connecting to something deeper, something real. The realization overwhelms Madin with emotion.

What if I reveal myself now? Madin wonders. I swore never to return to him after how he treated me. But what if staying away only continues to hurt us both? And what if revealing myself leads to even more pain?

Arthur's sudden movement startles him. Arthur sits up, looking at him briefly before turning away, as if unsure. But before Madin can rise, Arthur pulls him back down, forcing him to sit again.

"How old are you?" Arthur asks abruptly.

Madin, who is actually 22, hesitates before lying. "I am twenty-seven, my lord."

Arthur studies him, his expression unreadable. "I see. So, we're the same age," he says quietly, his voice tinged with something unspoken.

"What is your name?" Arthur asks again.

"Marsel Myaraman," Madin lies once more. His life has always been one of deception.

Arthur's gaze lingers on him, his heart pounding unreasonably fast. Why does this stranger make him feel so restless, so vulnerable? And yet, when he touches him, a strange calm overtakes him.

"What is your opinion on... man-to-man romantic relationships?" Arthur asks suddenly, the words tumbling out before he can stop himself.

The question catches Madin completely off guard. Before he can formulate a response, Arthur softly commands, "Raise your head. Look at me."

When Madin's eyes meet Arthur's, the air between them changes. Both of them lose themselves in the intensity of the moment.

Arthur feels an inexplicable pull toward Madin, his hands itching to reach for him, but he holds back.

"You have something I've been searching for—a feeling I've been yearning for," Arthur begins hesitantly. "So, if you're willing, I'd like to... to stay close to you. We could—"

Madin is unable to take it anymore. "Do you seriously want to replace me?!" He snaps, cutting him off as he rises abruptly. His voice shakes with mixture of emotions. "You'd really replace me with someone else if they gave you what you were looking for?"

Arthur stares at him, bewildered. What does he mean by 'replace'? Why is this 'Marsel' so upset all over sudden?

After a while of wondering, Arthur speaks, "Ma... Madin? Is... is this you?" Arthur whispers, his voice breaking.

Madin's trembling hands reach up, pulling off the fake beard and eyebrows. His true face is revealed—a face Arthur had yearned to see for years.

Arthur freezes, his breath caught in his throat, his heart stopping momentarily. Overwhelmed, he stumbles back, collapsing onto the bed, tears streaming down his face.

Madin, equally shaken, moves toward him. He wraps his arms around Arthur tightly, holding him as though afraid to let go.

Arthur clings to him, his own arms encircling Madin in silence. There are no words—only the shared weight of emotions, the years of pain and longing expressed through their embrace.

A knock at the door shatters the moment. A guard's voice filters through. "My lord, King Harris of the Buganda Kingdom wishes to speak with you before he departs."

Arthur struggles to steady his voice. "Tell him I'm unwell. I'll visit him tomorrow."

"Maybe you should see him. It might be important," Madin begins, trying to pull away, but Arthur tightens his grip.

"No, just... " Arthur murmurs firmly, unable to even say what he wants to say. Burying his face into Madin's shoulder.

"Speak again_" Arthur says moving inside the room, his eyes stuck on Madin who is shockingly, looking back at him.

Madin doesn't say anything, wondering why Arthur is asking him to speak again, it cannot be that he recognised his voice.

Madin's head lowers , by this time little prince Adriana had fled away already, and the lady followed him.

"Who are you? What are you going in my son's room?" Arthur asks suspiciously. After recovering from his first daze because of Madin's voice.

Madin changes his voice , trembling. "My lord, I didn't mean to intrude, I was dragged here to help."

"Do you work in the palace?" Arthur adds asking.

"No , your highness." Madin responds , his head still lowered.

"Ugh! Whatever, you can leave." Arthur says climbing on the little one's bed.

When Madin gets to the door , Arthur calls. "Wait," Madin's heart thunders. "That drawer, up there, there's a tin of some medicine, get them for me before you leave."

"Yes," Madin says stepping back inside.

"No, not that, the one upper , ugh! You are too short for that level." Before Madin notices , Arthur is already beside him, opening the drawer, and taking the medicine.

His body tenses, as he moves further from him.

After Arthur taking the medicines without saying anything else, Madin turns around to leave but again Arthur stops him. "Do you know know how to massage a head so that the pain lessens?" He asks .

"Not really , your highness." Madin rejects even when he knows he used to do it for his late mother and he is an expert.

"Then learn now, I need it , before my head explodes." Arthur says lying in the bed , on his back. He signals Madin to go closer.

Madin's hands tremble when he touches Arthur's head. Arthur's eyes closes involuntarily just by the touch.

Unknowingly, he drags Madin's palm to his cheek, holding it there. Madin is looking down at him completely dazed and unable to react.

Suddenly Arthur's words snaps him back. "Earlier it seemed to me like your voice resembles his, your eyes speak something too, and now just by a simple touch , you make me feel like I've wanted to feel for years." Arthur says , his eyes still closed . Madin tries to take his hand away but Arthur is not letting go.

"My headache is going away, just stay for a little while, please." He says.

Madin sits on the edge of the bed , his body stiff. Not far away there's a mirror facing him.

His reflection facing him. Looking at his unrecognised appearance due the fake beards and thick eyebrows but Arthur is somehow having some emotional connection. It makes him really overwhelmed with emotions.

What if I just reveal myself to him right now? He thinks. I swore never to come back to him for how he treated me , but what if he has learnt his lesson . What if I stay away will still keep hurting us both? But what if I come to him and he even hurt me more.

Sudden movement of Arthur sitting up startles him.

Arthur looks at him and turns his head down, standing up immediately but Arthur pulls him back down, making him sit again. "How old are you?" He asks suddenly.

Madin is currently 22 years, but just by his current fake face, anyone would believe that he is almost thirty.

"I am twenty seven years old , my lord." He lies, it's he never gets to live his own life, he has always lived a lie.

"I see, so we share years." Arthur says quietly, for some reason dreading to let out what he wants to.

"What is your name?" He asks again.

"Marsel Myaraman." Another lie.

Arthur looks down at him, for some reason his heart beating unusually faster as he thinks__

If this person is making him feel this nervous even to let out his thoughts, and also making him feel relaxed , and when he touches him, for some reason goosebumps trails his body, so why not make him replace Madin like he has been trying and failing.

Without thinking he asks absent mindedly, "What is your opinion on man to man romantic relationship?" He asks before he could stop himself.

And it finds Madin off guard. Unable to answer immediately, Arthur continues. "Raise your head , hey look at me." Arthur says barely audible.

When Madin's eyes meet Arthur's, both of them looses themselves in each other's eyes.

Just Madin's eyes gives Arthur chills, he is loosing himself his hands itching to touch him but he can't let himself do that with a stranger.

"You have something I've been looking for__ for awhile now so if you don't mind I would like to... to... stay, we can be together if you do not mind, I will..." suddenly madin cuts him not being able to take it.

"Do you seriously want to replace me?!" He snaps standing up. "You would really replace me with someone else if you found what you are looking for in someone else?!" He adds. Frustrated.

Arthur still doesn't understand why 'Marsel' is frustrating all over sudden , and what does he mean by Arthur wants to replace him...

"Ma... Madin? Madi... is this you?! Please please tell me this is you... please." Arthur says his voice breaking, knowing that he can't take no for an answer. "It's you, isn't it?" He adds moving closer to Madin.

Madin's trembling hand takes off the fake beard and the eyebrows, revealing Madin's stunning face.

Arthur's breath stops. Even his heart stops. Unable to move , overwhelmed with the emotions that he even stumbles back sitting on the bed.

The tears he's been holding back for so long now flow out unable to stop them.

Although Madin's body feels weak too, he walks slowly to him, he uncontrollably wraps his arms around Arthur , so tight that they seem one.

Arthur is not talking, everything he ever wanted to say to Madin has disappeared, only tears, his arms around Madin.

For a while, no words , in the same position.

The door startles them, a guard speaking. "My lord, King Harris of Buganda Kingdom says he would like to talk to you, he wants to depart."

Arthur tries to find his voice as he answers, "Tell him I am not feeling so well , I'll pay him a visit tomorrow."

"Maybe you should just go see what he's__" Madin starts pulling away from Arthur arms but Arthur pulls him back holding him even tighter. Cutting him.

"No, please."