A month can be a long time period, but also something really short. Depends on how you look at it from moment to moment. Time can be a funny thing if you ask Charles. He never really thought much about time when he was still living with his parents.

He never really noticed that time existed as he was always doing the same thing every single day. It never differed from his day to day tasks. This month had gone so so so slowly that it made Charles realise that time was actually a funny thing.

But moving away from the thoughts of time, Max had been still the same as he had acted with Charles a month ago when he told the viking that they could share the bed. It was a one time thing that Max had done.

Max told him that he wasn't comfortable with it and would just go back to sleeping on the furs on the floor. It hurt Charles his feelings when Max didn't want to share the bedroom anymore but never said anything about it.

Dakota would stay in the main bedroom with Charles and Ange. Sleeping and cuddling the puppy who had grown a little in size and was now darting around the room with too much energy.

Max had taking a lot out of his time to teach them all mornings of this last month in how to raise a puppy and train them into following and listening to them. Hard task if you ask Charles.

But when the mornings came to an end, Max would leave them on their own devices to go his ruling job. If Charles went with his and Max's wolf into town. He would see how Max would run around the village and most of the times he would be commanding the younger guys in training.

Today wasn't any different than any other day in the last month. Charles is in town with Dakota and Ange. His little puppy running happily between him and the black wolf.

Max had gotten Ange so far that he could walk next to Charles without the fear of her getting lost. They found out pretty quickly that she is a pretty obedient little wolf.

(A/N) this means that they are speaking in their native tongue.

—————

"Hello! Earth to Charles!" Charles snaps pit of his train of thought, he turns his head to Pierre.

"Sorry, I was thinking." Charles replies back in his native language.

Pierre shakes his head, he had noticed just how much Charles was thinking and how distracted he always was. But today was an entire different story. Pierre had noticed that.

The two of them were heading up to the centre of the village to find Lando and another friend of Pierre. Charles had just waved goodbye to Max and Lorenzo who were going to travel with some other men like Daniel, Alex and Carlos to Monaque.

To see the situation there, if the conditions were good. Lorenzo would stay there with his parents and help build up the kingdom. Arthur had disappeared after the goodbye, fear and sadness had taken over the younger one and went with his wolf Lola to some friends he had made.

"I know that look, Charlie. Don't worry." Pierre grabs the younger one's shoulder. "Max will keep everyone safe. There is not a battle that Max can't take." Pierre promises.

"But he left Dakota with me, who is going to protect him?" Charles releases a shaky breath.

Pierre grabs the shoulder of the Monaque, giving it a gentle squeeze to calm his worries a little. Not that it calms his worries or fears one bit. He is scared that something is going to happen to Max or Lorenzo or any of the other guys.

Charles may not know Max for very long and may not know him that well. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't care about the viking. His mind and heart had never really been this on one the same side like now.

He doesn't understand his feelings, he has never felt like this ever before. Almost like the promise that Max made him. I will see you soon. Was like a farewell. Like he would never come back despite this being his kingdom and his responsibility.

It tore his heart right out of his chest and there was nothing he could do against it. A hollow and empty feeling in his heart. Like Max tore his heart out and took it with him.

Why did it sound like such a bad idea to let them go to his home country. Like they were going to get killed in battle or the ship would sink with them on it. He can still remember the fright that had taken over his heart when he heard them say that.

"I promise they will come back." Pierre promises him, despite the doubt and worry in his own voice. "Now lets meet Lando and my other friend, Anthoine."

Charles nods at him, Dakota whines softly, nudging his head against Charles. The Monaque had noticed how restless Dakota had gotten since Max had told him to stay next to Charles and wasn't allowed to step onto the ship like he had always done before.

—————

Charles and Pierre met Lando and Anthoine at the centre of the village. The brunette boy was leaning almost depressed against the other man. Charles could make out the tears in his eyes.

He knows that the Whalish boy is sad about the Granadian man leaving with Max on that ship. He knows that there are people never going to come back, he knows that his parents told Max that they need help with fighting off all the Reykvikians.

But that didn't stop the lump from forming in his throat as he watched Max wrap an arm around his shoulders, I will see you soon. Max had promised him, let him cling to him for a little moment.

Charles had buried his head in the viking's shoulder. I'm scared. Charles had softly whispered to Max. Feeling how the viking would rub his back, softly hushing him.

Max had sighed, we will come back in one piece. Max promised him. Rubbing his back gently and squeezed him a little. Pulling away from him only seconds after.

Pierre gad taken him into his arms and the two of them had watched how Max went on board with his older brother. Arthur and Lando had been a little further.

The young whalish boy had burst out crying, he waved bye to Carlos and ran away. Lando shouted something about going to Anthoine. Who they were going to meet at the centre anyway.

Charles had waved Max and his older brother goodbye. It had hurt so much to see them going to a war zone. The last thing that Charles had wanted was to see these people going to a place that was at war.

Despite his parents not wanting to call his home country a war zone, it had turned into a war zone. A lot of his people had already died defending themselves from the Reykvikians and now Max was going there to help his parents in fighting against those savages.

"Charles?" Pierre snapped the prince out of his train of thoughts. "You okay?"

Charles looks at Pierre at the moment. Shaking his head. "Non." He said. "Max and the people we care for are going to war and we're here, hoping that they will come back in one piece."

Charles gets pulled into a comforting hug by Pierre, rubbing his back. Pierre knows Max, that man is indestructible. He had never seen Max ever weak or fatigued. This man could get badly injured and still fight his way through an entire army with just one sword at his disposal and without a shield.

There was something about Max that no one else had. No other leader was like Max, the man never seemed to fight for anything but for the people that needed his help. Max was strong and almost like he couldn't be killed.

"Max will make sure they come back in one piece." Pierre promises. "Lets take your mind of things." The Montseillian takes his hand and turns him to the other Montseillian and the whalish boy.

Pierre points at the other Montsaillian in front of him. The man stretches his hand out for Charles to grab. Charles happily grabs his hand and they shake. The man smiles a little at him.

"This is Anthoine, Anthoine, this is Charles, the prince of Monaque." Pierre introduces them.

Anthoine's eyes widen as he hears Pierre tell him that Charles is a prince. The smile is very kind, they slowly move over the centre of the village. Charles has no idea of where they are going or what they have planned to do but he will follow. It would be better then wallowing in fear.

—————

"Non!" Charles shouts, falling back into the snow. Laughing so hard his stomach hurts. Charles couldn't believe that Pierre had done such a thing, it had been fun to talk with them and how Anthoine had been super nice to him.

They had walked around town a lot, the wolves running around them playing constantly. Charles loved how the wolves were friends like Charles had been come with their owners.

Lando at some point left to go back to his little home and wanted to be alone for a while. The others had respected it and let him leave. They all knew that the whalish boy was going to cry and wallow in fear.

"Oui!" Pierre snickered. "I did! Luckily I had Anthoine to safe me." Pierre couldn't help but laugh himself. In the end Pierre had seen that moment as something fun.

"Was that back in Montseille?" Charles asked.

"Oui, it was! And boy those villagers were mad at us." Pierre had snickered.

"Homophobic little shits." Anthoine curses with a chuckle.

The snow was slowly getting colder in his single fur. Charles hadn't realised how cold it was until a couple of minutes ago. He had been hot the entire day with the worries and fear that kept him warm.

Charles gets back up on his feet and looks at his friends. "We should do this soon again but as you guys know, I got to meet with the Verstappens." Charles says.

He hugs the two boys for a moment before he, Dakota and Ange are on their way to the home of Sophie and Jos. He had been personally invited to come and have dinner with them. Sophie had invited him over for dinner, after she told him that she had invited his brother to eat with them too.

Sophie was very glad when Charles had agreed upon coming. He was happy to be surrounded by people who would understand the pain and the fear of having a loved one going across the ocean to the war zone that Charles used to call his home.

Once Charles reaches their house, he knocks on the door. It didn't take long for Sophie had opened the door and pulled him inside, wrapping her arms tightly around his body.

Charles could see everyone already sitting in the room. Anoek and Victoria were chatting with each other. Jos had already started a conversation with his younger brother and it seemed they were talking about the war at his own home.

"Charles. Are you okay?" Sophie asks him worriedly.

Her face shows nothing but concern for the Monaque prince. She grabs his hand gently and gives it a soft squeeze. Her eyes shone with unused tears as she must be very scared for her son and son in law. A small smile on her face as she pulls in into their home.

"Peachy." Charles mumbles at her.

She nods her head, leading him to the table. "Of course, we understand, liefie." Sophie speaks gently at him. She leads him to the only spot that is empty across from her and next to Anoek.

The two girls stop talking and give Charles the same sympathetic look as Sophie had done. They understand what Max and Lorenzo are getting themselves him.

Anoek and Victoria grab his hands, giving it a gentle squeeze too. They smile sympathetically at him almost like they pity him. He shakes his head and doesn't want to think of this anymore.

"They'll come back." Anoek tells him, softly rubbing a hand over her stomach.

Charles nods his head as he looks at the table, only now realising that the food is already there. Charles doesn't want to think of what is can happen to his brother and the people of this kingdom but mostly with Max. He doesn't want Max to get hurt either.

"They're strong men! There is nothing that Max can't handle. He will make sure everyone is safe, Charles." Jos speaks up.

Charles looks at Jos for a moment and sees this confident and determined look in his eyes. It makes his nerves calm down a little, this man has raised Max. He once let these people, he knows his son the best and his people, it makes Charles feel a little better at the fact that Max and the rest will come back home safely.

After a long while of eating and chatting a bit about the things that Max and his crew were planning on doing on their way. That he promised to write some letters while they would be gone for a while that has no real end date of when they are coming back.

Charles barely eats any food as his stomach isn't in the mood for any food at the moment. His mind is in other places then food or really having small talk. He has no idea why it bothers him so much that Max left with his brother to his home country which is at war at the moment.

He feels a hand on his, he looks at the oldest child of Jos and Sophie. Anoek squeezes his hand softly, giving him a soft smile.

"Your brother will be safe with Max." Anoek promises.

He isn't entirely only worried for his brother but also for Max. The man his heart seems to be doing flips when the viking is around, his stomach full of butterflies like a poet would describe it. The intelligent viking that goes to the length of letting him use his bedroom.

"I'm worried about Max too." Charles mumbles softly.

He doesn't know why he tells them this but he does. His mouth and mind don't seem to be working with each other at the moment. He is running his mouth like he shouldn't.

"You care for Max?" Victoria asks.

The youngest girl in the room had told Charles about an hour ago that her fiancé was on that ship too as Daniel and her fiancé are one of his most trusted men in his army.

"Yeah, I do." Charles can't help the blush creeping on his cheeks.

He knows that his face must have turned into a tomato at the moment. He knows that they can see his red cheeks and will comment on it. He feels his heart hammering in his chest. He can feel it in his fingers, thumping like his life depends on it.

"It's okay to be in love." Sophie grabs his hand from across. "Max wouldn't leave Dakota with you if he didn't feel the same way." Sophie gives him a smile. This mother knowingly smile as she has this motherly glint in her eyes. That tells him that there is no point in lying to her.

"Maybe, I don't know how love feels." Charles whispers softly.

"It's amazing how one day someone can walk into your life and you can't remember how you ever functioned without them." Sophie tells Charles honestly.

Jos leans to her face and gives her a kiss on her cheek. Holding her hand with this silver thin wedding bend around her finger.

"She's my Valhalla on earth." Jos cheeky says.

Sophie chuckles and swats her free hand on her husbands chest. Jos gives her this love sick look. Squeezing her hand and giving her another kiss on her cheek.

For another two hours Charles and Arthur have fun sharing a bit of stories between them and the Verstappen family. Before Charles calls it a night and decides to go back home with his brother and their wolves.

Once Charles got to Max's house, he stepped inside. His throat closes and a lump forms. His eyes water at the sight of the house, it's empty without Max. The furs on which Max slept were folded neatly in the dresser.

Arthur left without saying more then a goodnight and a big hug, promising that if Charles needs him that he could always sleep with him in his bed.

Charles slowly walks into Max's bedroom, seeing the closet that normally held the viking's clothing was completely empty. Not a single thing was left behind except for one fur. The fur that Charles had stolen from Max when it was super cold and he couldn't get warm.

He strips pit of his clothing, Dakota and Ange take a side of the bed to themselves while Charles can only hope that everyone that Max took on that boat trip would come back safely. It takes him a long while to fall in a restless sleep.