Dressed to Impress

Ordell leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and watched the palace servants hurry around. They were always busy with something, but then again, he didn’t think tending to an entire castle was easy work. It was a good way to keep himself from being bored. Watching everyone work efficiently even in the early morning. This needed to be cleaned, food needed to be prepared, and clothes needed to be tailored. It gave him a headache to think about, so he could only imagine how tired he’d be if he was made into a butler instead of a personal knight. 

What did he have to do? Well, all he had to do was wait for Mikah to get ready and then follow him throughout the day. The little prince didn’t get into trouble. All Mikah wanted to do was live his lavish life and put a smile on everyone’s face. And Ordell was getting paid a fortune to stand around to watch him. Ha! It was nice to kick back after all the shit he’s been through. What would be on the agenda today, he wondered? Perhaps Mikah would want to visit the markets, maybe read fairy tales to some children, or he might make another extravagant jewelry piece to give as a gift. Anything Mikah decided to throw at him would be fine.

The door cracked open while Ordell was musing to himself. Instantly, he straightened up and looked down to see Mikah peeking his head out of his room. The little prince looked bashful for some reason. 

“Are you alright, my lord? Are you ready to go?” Ordell squinted a little when Mikah awkwardly laughed. 

“My apologies for taking so long, but may I ask a favour from you, Ordell?” 

“Aye, go for it.”

“There are buttons on the back of my shirt that I can't fasten properly. Is it alright if you help me get changed?”

Ordell’s eyebrows raised at the thought. Didn’t the maids help dress royalty? They must’ve been too busy to tend to Mikah like this. He didn’t think he would have to see Mikah in a delicate state, but… not like he’ll do much else today. 

“Aye, let’s make this quick, then.” He gestured for Mikah to go back into his room before following suit. 

He never got tired of looking around this fancy room. Mikah liked displaying a lot of art alongside the walls and such. It was like being in an art gallery— and Mikah always woke up to this! It was nice that Ordell could admire this room on friendlier terms, at least, but besides the point.

Mikah was trying to put on some sort of frilly dress shirt. He bashfully looked away while he tried, in vain, to button his clothes himself. Even with the help of a mirror, he couldn’t reach around to button it properly. Who designed this? 

Ordell couldn’t think of a more inconvenient shirt. He went forward and put his hands over Mikah’s. He looked at Mikah, before turning him around so they both could face the mirror. How amusing, he rarely saw how easily he towered over the prince, but the mirror showed how the top of Mikah’s head barely reached his shoulders. He smiled at the sight.

“You’re trying to put the button into the wrong hole. You’ll tear it at this rate.” Ordell brought Mikah’s hands away from the shirt. “Let me do it, my lord.” 

Mikah looked at Ordell through the mirror before he softly sighed. “Yes, of course. My apologies for being difficult.”

“Nothing to apologize for to begin with. Now let’s see…” 

It was now that Ordell realized he could see Mikah’s bare back. There were a few thin scars scattered across the prince’s skin, worn down with age and barely noticeable if he didn’t pay attention, but he knew these were a reminder of Mikah’s life before becoming royalty. The sight of scars mixed with soft, glowing skin made Ordell hum softly. He was nearly tempted to brush his hand against those scars– but what was he thinking? He needed to get this over with.

Grabbing both sides of the shirt, Ordell pulled the fabric together, but he stilled. All of Mikah’s clothes were custom-tailored to his size, but he underestimated how form-fitting this shirt would be. Was Mikah’s waist always this small? He supposed he never paid attention to Mikah’s body– it’s bad he’s paying attention now, honestly. Yet, he couldn’t stop himself.

One of Mikah’s favourite hobbies was dancing and his physique showed that well. Ordell could swear he could wrap his hands fully around Mikah’s waist easily. Small and delicate; it was no wonder Mikah was protected by the best of the best. Yet at the same time, he could imagine those defined hips swaying along with music in hypnotic movements… Anyone who got to see this must be tantalized, but he’s the one that got trusted to see the prince intimately like this. Does Mikah realize the power he held?

“Is everything alright?”

Mikah’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. For fuck’s sake, what horny bastard of a ghost possessed him? He cleared his throat and gave a curt nod. “Aye, sorry. Just trying to figure out these fancy clothes.”

Mikah giggled. “Surely they aren’t that bad.” He put on a thoughtful expression while Ordell finally started to button his shirt. “I bet you would look quite dashing in a tailored suit. Would you like that, my knight?”

Ordell couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath. Once he finished, he took a step back from Mikah so he could straighten himself up. Get those thoughts out of his head… he’s supposed to be a professional now. The outfit Mikah was wearing was simple (by a prince’s standards), but elegant. God, did it hug Mikah’s curves well, though– but that was neither here nor there. He looked at Mikah’s face through the mirror.

“Men like me don’t wear fancy suits, my lord,” he replied bluntly.

Mikah clicked his tongue. He turned around, and to Ordell’s surprise, reached up to gently cup his face. “Many said that about me, once upon a time.” He patted Ordell’s cheek playfully. “I shall look into it when I have the time, but that’s a thought for later.”

“I’m only a guard. I don’t need a–” Mikah stepped away from him, “...suit.” He sighed, though it was fond. It was strange, but he learned that Mikah was an oddly touchy person. The prince’s coy touches ended up feeling reassuring, even to a man like him.

“As I said, it’s a thought for later. For now, I invited a few of the servants to eat breakfast with us in the garden. Let’s relax for now.” Mikah turned to face Ordell, smiling. “Come along, my knight.”

“So pushy, my lord.” But Ordell supposed that’s what royalty acted like. Mikah didn’t wait for Ordell to follow him, instead turning on his heels so he could continue on his way. 

Ordell didn’t follow immediately. After everything that happened, he couldn’t help but watch Mikah walk away. There was a subtle sway to the prince’s hips as he moved; the true sign of a dancer. How adorable. He smirked to himself as he went to follow him. It was a wonder how he didn’t notice these things by now, but then again, he shouldn’t be thinking of his prince in such a way. He shook his head and tried to focus again.

Some things wouldn’t change about him, but it made him wonder what Mikah carried with him from his life in the slums. Hopefully, the prince wasn’t like him and kept a dirty mind.