Roots and Oxygen

Chapter 70 - Semblance of Normality

"So, Haliver," Dalia said, and Taro saw Sage gulp. "You're homophobic."

"No," Haliver disagreed bluntly.

"Yes, you are," Sage argued. "You don't like Lord Coniferous because he was married to Patrick."

"Maybe I was a bit uncomfortable by it, but I would've stayed friends with him if he didn't conspire with Patrick to take the throne. He was okay with sticking by a man who had planned to kill my boys. He was my friend. How could he be okay with that?" Haliver sat back in his seat with a scowl.

"I raised you better than that," Dalia muttered. "Uncomfortable by what? Love?"

Haliver tensed his jaw, but he stared at Sage. "I'm not frustrated with you for dating a man. I'm frustrated that you were careless enough to get caught kissing him when he was in his Valets uniform. To everyone else, that was a scandal. It was embarrassing to see the papers the next day because it was clear that your mother and I had no idea what was going on."

"We were in the middle of nowhere, dad. We would have done it properly if we had the chance, instead of someone sneaking up to the cottage. I wasn't out to anyone but Taro. I was humiliated too."

Haliver sighed heavily. "I just wish you had been more careful."

"Well, I don't that much." Sage sat up straighter. "It would've taken me ages to come out to you guys. Now I know that you would've done all you could to keep it a secret from the public. Whoever took that photo of us and sold it to the press was so wrong for doing that, and it hurt to be forced out to the entire world, but I'm kind of glad it was so sudden. At least it's over with. Hating myself was so much worse than this."

Haliver's cold eyes shaped briefly to pity. "You hated yourself?"

"I did."

"He couldn't even say the word gay out loud when we first met," Taro added. "He was so ashamed."

"Is that because you knew how we would react?" Haliver asked calmly.

"Yes, and the rest of the world. They hate me so much. I didn't want to add another thing to the list."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. It opened and a butler bowed lowly and quickly stepped aside before the Queen ran him over. She paused, making eye contact with everyone, and one by one, they got up to bow to her. Sage pulled Taro up when he didn't move. The way he bowed reminded him of when they first met in Mrs Beecham's shed. Taro had given him such a weak bow that Sage had judged his entire personality from it.

Now, his mother was given the bow she deserved, which was barely a tilt of the head. Granny Dalia cleared her throat to hide a small smile of satisfaction.

"Please everyone, take a seat," the Queen said, moving swiftly through the room to sit next to Haliver.

Everyone sat, and the atmosphere thickened. His mother's title was heavy. Everyone around her lowered their gaze anxiously, but not Taro. He sat back down and crossed his arms, staring at her with the same intensity. Taro's confidence was attractive to Sage. He was rarely around people who treated him like he was just a normal person.

"So," Marigold said, smoothing down the silk sleeves of her orange blouse, but before she could continue, there was another knock on the door and the same butler bowed as Taro's parents nervously stepped around him, thanking him politely.

The butler curtly nodded and left. Sage braced himself for an awkward silence when the door closed, but Taro jumped to his feet and hugged his mum tightly. He extended an arm to his stepdad too, who joined the hug as if he hadn't seen him in years.