Cain managed to make himself back to the servants quarters and found the baths there. He felt very out of place walking down the halls and the few servants he passed looked at him oddly. He was sure he stood out a few deal, obviously not belonging to this world. He was glad when he finally slipped into the bath and had some time to himself. He took his time bathing so that he could think. So much had changed over the course of the day. This was the sort of day that changed a life forever. But he wasn't nearly as upset about it as he thought he would be. Maybe staying with Kirin was just the cure he needed for his lonely life on the road.

After a long while Kirin returns to his balcony. He transforms back into his humanoid form. He let out a sigh. He was glad he had met Cain, he just hoped against hope that he wouldn't screw things up. He had to remember, that no matter what, Cain was not Michael. Though Cain had seemed to take it well when Kirin had mentioned he reminded him of Michael. Kirin heads into his bath chamber and starts a bath. He could hear his servants now. He chuckled, he really was unlike most royalty. He enjoyed doing things for himself. His mother had been the same way and had instilled that into him at a young age. Though his dad had tried his hardest to break him of it, it had never worked. He sunk into his bath and let his mind wander.

Finally, Cain couldn't stand to stay in the comfort of the bath water any longer and he dried himself off and headed back to Kirin's quarters. By now the halls were vacant as it was well into the night. Cain was tired and he wanted to hurry back so he could sleep, but his feet ambled slowly, not at all interested in moving fast. When he did get to the room, he wasn't sure what do do, so first he knocked, then hesitantly pushed the door open and shuffled inside. "Hello? Kirin?" he called, looking around to see where the other man was.

"I'm in my office." Kirin called as he heard Cain call his name. He was working on some paperwork. He had always been a night owl. He let out a sigh as he read over a proposal that had come to him. He still wasn't sure what to do about it. This proposal, if he agreed to it, could have a profound impact on the people of his kingdom.

Cain followed the sound of Kirin's voice until he found himself in the office. Even at first glance, it was obvious that the other man was working on important things. The sort of things that Cain had no business poking his nose in. He hung back near the door for a second before he figured out how to respond. "Are you planning to work late?"

"No, I need a break from this. It's giving me a headache." He said as he sat the proposal aside. "Are you hungry? I could send for some food." He smiled at Cain. He stood stretching he rubbed his neck. He really wished he knew what was the right thing to do in this case.

Cain bit his lip, worrying. Even though he didn't want to be alone, he also didn't want to bother Kirin when he had important things to do. "Oh um...no. I'm not hungry," he said. He wasn't used to eating a lot in the course of one day. "Is it really okay for you to take a break? It seems like you're doing something important."

"A break will give me a fresh perspective on the problem at hand." He said with a smile. He knew talking it out might help as well but he wouldn't do that to Cain, especially since he had just arrived at the palace.

After a second, Cain nodded. He could accept the logic of that, though he still felt like he was imposing. "Then...do you want to go for a walk with me?" he asked. "I enjoy the night." He had been thinking about just going to sleep, but he decided that he didn't want to pass up an opportunity to get closer to Kirin and the second he mentioned a walk, he realized how badly he walked to walk around this strange place some more. And he wanted to be outside more than anything else. The wilderness was where he belonged, not in palaces like this.

"I'd love to go on a walk with you." He said smiling. His eyes sparkled. It had been a long while since he had gone on a walk at night. "Though I will have to have at least one guard with me." He chuckled a bit. "Already got admonished for going out flying with out a guard." He summoned a servant and had said servant go for a guard. "We can go as soon as a guard shows up." He said.

Cain was a little miffed that they had to be accompanied by a guard. It seemed to him that would ruin the entire mood of being alone with another person in the night. He tried to keep from showing it though. "Of course. I don't mind as long as I get a chance to stretch my legs," he said. He waited the rest of the time in silence until the servant came back with the guard.

"I would skip the guard," HE said really wanting alone time. "But I already upset them by going flying by myself." He was silent for a moment. "If we leave now we can avoid having a guard with us." He said as he really wanted some alone time with Cain. He offered him his hand.

Cain winced at the mention of flying. He still found everything about the idea of flying utterly terrifying. Would Kirin think poorly of him if he said as much? The worry lasted only a moment though. When Kirin offered his hand, looked at it,, a smile forming on his face. "You're really going to skip out twice in one day? Such a trouble maker," he chuckled. He took Kirin's hand after barely a second of hesitation. "Let's go."

"I always have been." He said chuckling as he headed to the wall in his office. Pushing an invisible button a secret passageway opens up. "I have my mother to thank for it. She was always encouraged my independence." He said as he moved through the passageway. He was glad he knew about his passage. Normally he would have flown, but he senses that Cain is not comfortable with flying.

This is getting a bit ridiculous. Cain couldn't help but gape a little when Kirin reveal a secret passage. He had heard of such things being built into castles and even seen the old tunnels of a ruined passage, but it was another thing entirely to see one open right before his eyes. He followed more cautiously, not sure how much he trusted a secret place like this. At least there was Kirin and Cain could feel safe enough by his side. "Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman. You must care for her deeply," he said.

"Yes I do, I was sad when she decided to spend her later years traveling." He said. They have now exited the passage. They had come out on the other side of the castle wall. "Though the way I have been behaving today I wouldn't be surprised if she was contacted." He chuckled as he headed into town to the night market.

"Oh...I see..." was all Cain said before he fell into silence. He was reminded of his own mother and how long it had been since he had seen her. She was the reason his journals were so precious to him. Now he wondered if he would have the chance to go back to his small village so he could share them with her. He always returned home no matter how much he traveled, but he didn't know if he would be able to travel like that anymore. He turned his attention to the night instead and observed the town which he hadn't gotten a chance to see before. "Where are we going?"

"Walking, unless you had somewhere specific in mind to go to." He said with a smile as they continued to walk. Kirin bought himself some fruit. He offered Cain a piece. "Sometimes I wish I had never became king." He said munching on the fruit thoughtfully.

Cain took the fruit and bit into it as he let his mind wander. The town was nice at night and the nighttime sounds soothed his mind better than anything else could. "I think most people would wish to have the kind of power a king has," he observed. Though he could understand it. Being a king must be a terrible burden.

"I miss the freedom, of being able to go out, with out either having a guard or dealing with being admonished for going out alone. I miss just being able to go off into the woods, to go off flying." He let out a soft sigh. "But complaining will do no good. I am the king, it is who I am. And soon I will have to take a queen. I had gotten a proposal from a neighboring kingdom. The king wishes for me to marry his youngest daughter." He finishes his fruit as they continue to walk. "It would be prosperous for both of our kingdoms but..." He trails off and lets out a sigh.

Freedom, that was the one thing that Cain did understand. He finished his fruit in silence as he listened to Kirin. Perhaps his words put things into perspective a little more. Cain couldn't help but feel a little angry when Kirin brought up marriage, though he wasn't sure exactly what about the idea was irritating him. He decided it was the lack of freedom. "That's not right. No one should be stuck with another person for the rest of their life, let alone for something stupid like politics," he snapped. "Marriage is just a load of phooie! Freedom is the only thing that matters." He couldn't keep the harshness from his voice, but even to himself, he sounded mean. It wasn't like him to be so against something like marriage even though he'd never considered it as an option for himself.

"I would remain single for the rest of my life if I could. But it's not an option for me. I must marry and produce an heir." He said sadly. "Though freedom does sound good. I would settle for the freedom to choose my mate." He walks along and soon they come to a band playing. Kirin stopped to listen to them.

So Kirin agreed? That wasn't something that Cain was expecting. It seemed the more he talked with the other man, the more he found him an understandable person even if they were from different species and worlds. "I doubt I have any sort of mate out there for me," Cain said seriously. He was silent for a second as he turned his attention to the music. He prefer the night's sounds, but the music was beautiful in its own rights and he felt privileged to hear the music of another culture because every place he visited had their own standard for beautiful. "Rather, I'd like the freedom to be alone."

"At times so would I, but since that's not possible I would like the freedom to marry whom I choose." He said. He started walking again. He found it so easy to talk to this man. He never felt this free to share his feelings with anybody in recent times. He had the urge to kiss Cain but he pushed that down. It would not be appropriate for him to do so.

Cain nodded, and fell into silence again. He didn't want to keep on with the current conversation so he opted for enjoying Kirin's presence in silence. Just being near the other man was enough for him. He glanced over at Kirin, curious and strangely drawn like his eye couldn't stop itself from wanting to look at the other man. He quickly looked away though. He didn't want to get caught staring. Eventually he caught sight of a low wall only sitting a couple feet up and all around it was spongy grass. He made his way over to it and sat down, smiling at Kirin. "Shall we sit for a little while?" he asked.