It didn't take any time for word of the emperor's resignation to spread, and it took even less time for word of my engagement with Damon to spread.
The next day, everyone knew.
Since I was still in the capital, I received a tidal wave of questions about the whole thing.
Breakfast there was stiffening.
Well, Damon was still a delight.
"So, sleep well?" Damon asked.
I shrugged, "still tired. After all the excitement of last night, I found it hard to sleep."
"I'm glad you're wearing the ring," he said warmly.
I smiled at him fondly, "you gave it too me, of course I'd wear it."
The princes seemed disgusted, but didn't say anything. The Princess however thought it was cute.
"So you two have been together for about a year?" She asked.
I nodded, "we have. We actually talked a lot about it before we started dating. We wanted to make sure we'd be prepared for the difficulties we'd face together."
"I am going to be the new emperor. Not everyone will be keen on my spouse being a man," Damon explained. "Isaiah did tell me his worries and I told him mine. Though it does seem his biggest worry wasn't anything to fear."
The emperor hummed at that, "oh?"
"I know you're alright with me liking men, but I didn't know if you were okay with your son liking men. I worried," I admitted.
"Well, it wasn't what I had in mind, but as long as my son is happy, than I see no issue."
That was good. It was one of my few fears regarding the whole thing. I didn't want to be in Damon's way. But he was still becoming the emperor, and I was by his side.
"I actually had my suspicions for awhile," the emperor admitted. "You have this certain stare you give when you're attracted. You had it for the longest time with Damon. When that didn't work out the first time, that gaze moved to Liam. So when I saw that gaze again, directed towards my son... I assumed."
"I have never seen what I look like when I give that apparent gaze, but everyone says I'm obvious."
"Well not extremely, no one really figured out we were together until we told Finn and Leon," Damon assured.
No one outright said anything, but people could make guesses. And judging from why people said regarding Damon, he was fairly obvious himself.
"You know, before I confessed to you the first time around, everyone who knew told me I was obvious. I'm sure they just didn't think it needed to be said."
"fair."
Even though we were together now, and engaged no less, I still recalled the first confession.
Maybe it was the reminiscent talk, but I hated recalling it.
"So, the rest of your family went back last night, right?" Damon questioned.
I nodded, "they left me to talk about the engagement and everything. I'm already stressing about how big the wedding will be."
Damon chuckled at that, "unfortunately, that is part of being with a royal."
True. I expected as much when we got together. "That does remind me. How do royal wedding go?"
The emperor butt in. "Well, Damon will be crowned as emperor first, then after a week is normally when the wedding happens. It takes a total of a month for the transition, so it's usually a week preparation, the coronation, the week long setup for the wedding, the wedding, and then the week long honeymoon."
"Week long honeymoon?" I asked.
Damon nodded, "technically it's two honeymoons. One in the castle and another one somewhere else. It's all according to tradition."
"Though tradition will be different since the first week is normally for producing an heir," Florian grumbled.
Oh.
Well.
My face got unreasonably hot at that. I was probably beet red but I just couldn't hold back the blush.
"Eh?" I squeaked.
Damon flushed a bit as well, "I wasn't aware that was part of the tradition."
Florian rolled his eyes, "the one time you miss a class if the one time it pertains to you. You both act like virgins."
"Florian!" His sister scolded.
"I'm just saying they both act like they've never fucked each other before!"
"We haven't!" Both Damon and I exclaimed.
And that was shocking to everyone.
"Huh?"
"Believe it or not, I'm still a virgin," Damon explained.
"I'd rather wait until marriage. I've always been like that," I added. "Wait, this isn't an appropriate conversation."
"I'm still rather surprised. You two do sneak around a lot, I always thought it was to do that," the emperor said to himself.
"We only kissed!" I defended.
Damon nodded, "just kissing. Both of us felt the same about waiting until we got married."
"You guys snuck around a lot it just kiss," the princess said casually.
"We're you like that when you were General Liam?" Third prince Bryson asked.
I held back the urge to scream at him, "how rude of you to bring up my dead husband. But yes. Before we got married, we did sneak around to kiss as well. Because we were keeping our relationship private."
Bryson must've woken up and chosen violence because he kept pressing, "isn't it your fault he's dead?"
"He was cursed to die when he became truly happy."
"Then it was your fault. Wouldn't he have been happier if you two had never met?"
"Bryson!" Damon exclaimed.
The prince glared back. "I'm simply stating the truth."
"I don't regret marrying Liam, and as he was dying, he never regretted me. If I went back in time, I wouldn't change how my life went."
"really? Even though it hurt you?"
"Yes. If I'd never was with Liam, I'm sure I'd still be very miserable."
"But you're with Damon..." the Princess pointed out.
"If he was never with Liam, I probably wouldn't have regretted my decision. It rejected him and regret it after seeing him happy with Liam."
"Then again I say, why be so crass and bring up my dead husband?" I asked, my gaze heavy and angry as I stared at Bryson.
"I think I'll say what I w-"
"That threat I gave Florian extends to you too. You don't scare me, neither does any of the royal family. Fuck around and find out."
The entire family went pale as a sheet, nodding, as if the threat applied to all of them.
Even the guards seemed scared shitless.
Oops.
"Isaiah, I love you, but you terrify me sometimes," Damon muttered.
"Sorry."
He simply smiled at me and ruffled my hair.
A small little gesture that calmed me right down.
"What's the plan for today?" I asked him.
He shrugged, "well, if you want, we can go around town. Most of the wedding stuff can be worried about a little later."
"It's been awhile since I went out in town, so that sounds fun."
"Good. Then you should finish eating, you've eaten nothing."
I rolled my eyes and quickly finished eating.
The rest of the royal family was silent for the rest of the meal. I really wondered what they were thinking.
I couldn't say I cared all that much when Damon was by my side.