Forbidden ~ Marcaniel Royal AU

chapitre un

Author's Note: This is a historic au, taking place in around the 1800s. Imagine everything accordingly but if its plot relevant it will be explained in the story. Marc and Nathaniel have been aged to be 18 because no one would put a 13-15 year old in charge of important government positions.

For my OG readers, this note was different before. I left the fandom but recently came back and decided to continue this with some minor details changed so hence the notes changed. There used to be some outfit reference photos but I've actually designed some myself so I'll be posting those when I start editing and uploading the chapters. This will be crossposted with AO3.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. 

A single knock for each letter in his name. 

Nathaniel scrambled up from his desk facing a window, practically racing to the hidden door. He pressed on a single brick, the hidden door popping open. He opened the passageway, smiling when he saw that familiar face. The boy with jade green eyes quietly entered the room, waving a little. He sat down on the  saw it was clear, he quietly shut the double doors, sitting to the left of the boy. 

The boy's name was Marc Anciel. 

The redhead raised his eyebrow slightly, giving the other a questioning look. "You never showed last night. Did you have trouble slipping past?" 

Marc softly smiled an apologetic smile. "Ah, sorry. I had to make an emergency trip into the town's market, I hadn't realized that I ran out of ink. By the time I got back, the window to slip in had already passed. But, I'm sure missing one night isn't that important?" 

The prince made a little pout. "You do not realize just how important you are to me?"

His green eyes widened, a wild blush roaming onto his pale face. "Don't tease me like that, Prince Nathaniel!" 

The other gave a softly quizzical look at the response. "How many times must I tell you to call me Nathaniel?" 

Marc made a teasing smile, shrugging. "Tell me once more?"

Nathaniel grinned widely, giving the other a friendly push. Unprepared, the other was sent tumbling off the bed with a little squeak. Playfulness fading, Nathaniel climbed to the edge of the bed. He looked over, surprised when he found Marc still grinning. "What are you grinning for?! Did you hit your head?"

Marc sat up, barely hiding his amusment. "I'm alright! I just caught a glimpse of your expression before I fell." 

Nathaniel sighed with a smile, stretching his hand out to Marc. "It's always the unexpected stuff that you crack up at." Marc took the other's hand, pulling himself up to stand. 

"I know, I know. I'm quite odd..." Marc mumbled, flushed with embarrassment. 

Nathaniel tilted his head. "You deny how beautiful the unordinary is."

Marc sputtered his usual mess of jumbled words, crawling back onto the bed only to hide his face in a fluffy pillow. 

"Still as sensitive as the day we met, I see," he smiled, flopping down to lay close to his lover.

Marc whined in flustered opposition, kicking his legs against the comforter repeatedly. Though his actions were nervous, the lopsided smile that had overtaken him easily gave away how much he enjoyed this.

Unbeknownst to them, an elderly figure was moving down the hall just outside the room. They moved closer, stopping when they heard voices talking, giggling. They listened closely, monitoring the specificities of the hushed voices. The voices where quite similar, only the shaky awkwardness from one seperating them. It knocked on the engraved door, startling whoever was inside.

Nathaniel's head twisted to stare at the door, going silent. He silenly gestured for the other to hide, calling out to the person beyond the door for a moment. Marc looked around in a panic, moving to hide behind the curtain veiling the window. He sat on the edge of the windowsill, hoping that his feet would be out of view. He would have to worry about if people outside could see him in the window.

The Prince hurriedly messed up his bed sheets, to make it look like he was asleep. He shuffled towards the door, opening it a little as he put on a tired expression. To his surprise, his grandmother stood there, holding a lit candle lantern. She raised her thinning eyebrows at him, waiting for him to speak. Though the situation was dire, the sweetly confused expression she held aided in calming the Prince's nerves.

"Erm- Grandmother, what are you doing up this late? I would have thought you would be asleep by now." Nathaniel asked in a tired voice- fake, of course. 

She tilted her head. "I thought I heard voices. Is there someone in your room?"

He gave her a confused look, shaking his head lightly. "Of course not, it's past midnight, is it not?" 

She made a little 'hmmp' noise, looking down her nose at him. "Then you would not mind if I had a look around, would you?" 

Nathaniel glanced to the curtain, hesitating a little. If luck was on his side, this would go well. "Of course?" He backed away from the door, letting it swing open. The older woman entered, swaying slightly as she walked. Nathaniel watched her cautiously, noticing she was without her cane. Despite the fear making his heart race, he still linked his arm around hers to support her balance. "Have you misplaced your cane again?"

"To be fair, it seems to be misplaced more often than in use nowadays!" She joked lightly.

She hobbled around the bed, eyeing it carefully while walking to his desk. She glanced down to the redhead who held her quietly. 

"Did I wake you, dear?" she asked sweetly. 

Nathaniel nodded slowly. "Yes, but it's okay. I was having a hard time sleeping, anyways."

She narrowed her eyes at him, then walked towards the covered window. Standing just beside it, she stared daggers at Nathaniel. "A Prince would sleep in his formal attire?" 

He could almost feel his heart stop. He hadn't thought about his clothes- he was rather surprised that she noticed. "I-um. Well, I must have been too exhausted to change?" His eyes darted to the curtains behind her, seeing them shift a little. Behind the curtains, Marc was pinching his nose, trying to hold in a sneeze from the dust he'd accidentally thrown into the air. It tickled at his nose, threatening his hiding place. He managed to pinch his nose just before he sneezed, only making a small noise and the curtains moving a little. He waited in fear, hoping the elder hadn't noticed. 

To both their relief, she swayed away from the curtains, frowning a bit. Nathaniel let out a soft sigh, passing it off as a yawn. 

She drew her arm from his support, giving a little pat.

"I was hoping that with our closeness, you'd trust me with anything. You can tell your little friend to come out from hiding, dear."