The Royal Series 0 - A Royal Archive

Chapter 2

"Harrington," Jaycob moved into the seat beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "those stories are fallacies. I have never once heard of such a thing being true. Ask my father, if you cannot believe so. He will show you the proof. He will introduce you to a thousand and more human/vampire couples who will prove it to you," he promised, offering a smile with his embrace.

"You swear it?" he checked, afraid to believe blindly and get hurt later. "I could not bear it if Camryn did not love me back."

"So, you love him," Jaycob guessed, with a knowing smile, "I thought as much." He nodded, apparently quite pleased with his deduction.

"How could I not?" Harrington retaliated, leaning his head on Jaycob's shoulder as he thought of how wonderful it was to have a life mate who truly was a good man. "He is wonderful, Jaycob. Intelligent, sweet, caring, and he knows me. He really knows me and he makes an effort to learn what he does not already know. He wants to be with me all the time, even when his work would see us separated," he recited, thrilling at the truth of those words and just how much Camryn had tried to prove himself over the years.

It was not necessary. Appreciated, but not needed.

But there was one thing he had to add; "I do not think I could give him up, if the fates decided to take him from me. If he did not love me for himself, but because of the bond. I could never be without him, now."

Jaycob chuckled and hugged him tight. "You could, Harrington. Because, despite it all, your fear comes from the place where you know your dreams are coming true and you are so afraid to believe that it is true," he reasoned, his voice soft and soothing. "Because of that, you would let him go, if you had to. You would do it for Camryn, because all you ever want is to make him happy."

"Yes." He nodded, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed that it was the truth. "Yes, I would. I so hate when you are right, Jaycob. It hurts me." Harrington closed his eyes and prayed that he would never need discover if he was capable of following through on that belief that he could let Camryn go. He did not know if he had the strength to survive it.

***

By the time Camryn's duties were concluded, Harrington had pulled his emotions together and was able to offer a smile to his life mate, the moment he walked into the living room.

"Good evening, Jaycob." He bobbed his head to the Prince, as courtesy demanded, before turning to smile at Harrington. "Good evening, Harrington. Are you ready to leave or would you like some more time with Jaycob?" he asked, a hint of hope in his eyes that made him wonder just what Camryn had planned for the evening.

"Yes," he replied, stupidly. Realising that it was no answer, he cleared his throat and corrected himself; "Yes, I am ready. Thank you. I will get my coat." Harrington left the sofa and rushed into the hallway to collect his coat, cursing himself for falling into such stupidity just because Camryn had smiled at him. When he returned, he said goodnight to Jaycob, who simply wished them a nice time, and followed Camryn out to the carriage waiting at the front door.

"Reagan will be driving us, tonight. He will visit with friends when we reach Keaton so that we can have some time alone together," Camryn explained, taking his hand to help him into the carriage.

Though the assistance was not necessary, he could not help but smile and appreciate the thought and care with which it was offered. "Is Keaton not where you lived when you first met Prosper?" he asked, recalling the story that Jaycob had once told him. Camryn had been caught up in some fight between humans and they had claimed to be mistreated. It was only Prosper's sense and his belief in Camryn that discovered the truth; that humans who hated vampires had tried to get him into trouble just because he was a vampire. It was all rather sordid, but no longer something that happened in Prosper's kingdom, thankfully.

"That is true," Camryn replied, slipping into the seat beside him with a vaguely stunned look. "I am surprised you remember. I did not recall saying much of my previous life," he admitted, which was not far from the truth.

Though Harrington knew it stemmed from the shy nature of his guard, he did acknowledge that Camryn had not been overly forthcoming about his life, especially from before he came into service to the King. "Well, we can remedy that fact this night," he decided, clasping Camryn's hand in his own, now that they were in the carriage and seated comfortably.

Over the last three nights, he had learned that such a thing best be shared in private, for the moment. Camryn was still much too concerned about Harrington's age to feel free to touch him in public. Though holding hands was not as scandalous as he seemed to believe.

As the carriage carried them to Keaton, Harrington helped inspire confessions from Camryn, asking questions that were perfectly natural but would give him an idea of where to start. His long life would no doubt require many such conversations, but he was relieved to see that his guard found it easier to speak freely of his life once he realised that Harrington truly was interested to hear it.

Camryn spoke of how he had first met the King, how he had felt knowing that he may face punishment for defending himself, and that his uncle had been on his side the entire time, but had been required to have the matter fully investigated for propriety's sake. He also spoke of how his relationship with his uncle was not the closest, so though he often travelled to Keaton for Spencer's hospital supplies, as there was a man there who was skilled at metal work, he rarely stopped to visit his uncle. They did not have that kind of relationship, though they were pleasant to each other when they did meet.

Harrington was sad for Camryn; though his relationship with his father had been the same, until their life mate bond allowed him to remain home more often, he knew that they would never enter a phase where they did not want to see each other. The indifference was, perhaps, the most telling thing.

"You do not have any other relatives?" he asked, though he had a feeling he had been told such a thing before.

"No." Camryn smiled and squeezed his hand. "But I have a very large family. I was blessed tenfold the night the fates led me to the King. I have been accepted into his family and could not hope for more love and more happiness than what I already have," he admitted softly. "And I hope you do not think it too presumptuous, but I consider you my family, Harrington. With you in my life, and my chosen family, how can I lament the distance between myself and those only bonded to me by blood?"

It was a reasonable question and one that Harrington had no answer. None but a smile and to reluctantly lay his head on Camryn's shoulder in place of the kiss he wished to offer. But he could not face rejection again. Not so close to the last.

For now, he would be content to share his mind and his heart with Camryn. Sharing their bodies and their passions would have to wait.