"He's coming back, too," the King murmured, looking out of the window. The vacation was almost over. They were currently staying in Tegan's mansion. It was gray outside. The drizzle making the weather really cold. There was a letter in the King's hand. It was from Metteore and it bore the silver royal seal.
The King must be talking about Oscar. Tegan gazed at him through half-closed lids, lying face-down on the bed. He woke up when the King left the room for a while half an hour ago and then returned with this letter. Tegan found his rear was still feeling uncomfortable and he turned onto his stomach. He was still naked under the sheets.
"So long," His Majesty murmured again, putting a hand on the glass panel. Was he glad Oscar was finally coming back? Or was he just sad after he was reminded of his first love? Tegan felt it again. Things were coming to an end between them. If Oscar still held such powers over the King, it was unlikely that His Majesty would still want to sleep with Tegan once the person he loves so much returned. Would they get together for real this time? Or would Oscar stay true to his decision and avoid any kind of intimate relationships with the King? What if nothing changed and the King just wants Tegan to keep sleeping with him?
"Tegan, are you awake?" the King's warm breathing and light kiss touched him on the forehead, "Rise and shine, my love."
Tegan flinched inward. What did the King say just now?
"Tegan, Percy sent a letter," he looked up at the King's soft voice, "Here."
The wax used to put the seal was silvery and shiny. But the handwriting wasn't one familiar to Tegan. But then again, perhaps the Prince's handwriting changed over the years.
"You must be happy, Your Majesty. You'll see him soon after so many years," Tegan said as he read the letter. It said the Prince will be visiting his brother for the winter season and he would depart at the onset of spring the next year. The noble children who went with him would be coming with him and after his stay, they would go back to Metteore, too...except...
"Chrysanthe...Reveka is thinking of marrying her off this time..." Tegan murmured. The children...who left this kingdom several years ago would be all grown up now and their childhood is left behind. Now they must accept the adult world and life. It was sad. Tegan suddenly felt sorry for those children. They would marry or take up their family duties and never be able to live carefree ever again.
"You look glum all of a sudden, Tegan," the King came round the table and touched Tegan's cheek, "What is it?"
"Nothing, Your Majesty. If they all return, Elijah and Levi would be happy to see them again. I hope they all can spend this short period of time in happiness together."
"Tegan, would you not think about Asha's marriage? She's around Percy's age...Oscar, me and Marquess Theon's twins were of the same age. They're both married now. What about Asha?"
"I've been thinking about it. If she has someone she likes, then I'd like to marry her off to that person. But if not...the only noble sons eligible for marriage are the ones she grew up with, after all. It wouldn't be too easy. I hope she has someone she likes, rather."
"You're so free minded, Tegan. I love that about you," the King bent and kissed Tegan on the mouth.
"Your Majesty, I just ate..."
"Me, too...we smell and taste the same," the kissing continued.
***
Tegan greeted the group along with Reveka and Sir Nero. Duke Severus was with the King, on their way back from visiting the hunting grounds. This will be Roman's first hunting trip after becoming King.
"Duke Tegan, it's nice to see you again," the tall, silvery-blue haired youth smiled. It was hard to believe he was the same Percy who left this place, crying his eyes out for his brother and parents.
"Yes, same here, your highness," Tegan smiled at him. His long hair was tied behind his neck with a silver ribbon. The Prince's fair skin and soft eyes sparkled in the morning light.
"I hope my brother is doing well. Where can I meet him?" he asked, clasping hands with Reveka and then Sir Nero, always smiling.
"He is not in the Palace right now, your highness," Reveka answered, "His Majesty went out with Severus early this morning."
"Where did they go," asked a deeper voice. Oscar still had hair short and his body only developed more beautifully. The golden shine in his hair and eyes and his indifferent demeanor hadn't changed, either. Tegan answered,
"They went to inspect the hunting grounds."
"Then it won't be possible for them to return today," the youth replied, "Your highness, why don't you take rest for today, until His Majesty returns?"
"Yes, I should do that," the Prince smiled and went in, Reveka by his side. After they were gone, Tegan asked Oscar,
"I guess Damian is with Asha?"
"Yes, your grace," he replied, "His highness couldn't wait, so we took horses. Asha wanted to follow us, but he didn't allow it. She would be too tired after such a long ride on horse."
"She wanted to come to the capital on a horse?" Tegan murmured, "Seems like she grew some new habits. Chrysanthe, she must be all grown up now, too?"
"Yes, they've both grown up to be charming ladies, your grace," Oscar nodded. Tegan felt a slight, really vague feeling of tightness inside his throat. He said,
"Oscar, do you intend to leave with Prince again?"
"Yes, if that is what His Majesty wishes."
He wouldn't leave this time if the King forbade him, Tegan thought. Had Oscar been regretting his choice all these while and waiting for the day he'd reunite with his childhood friend again? They would have no problem getting alone, they knew everything about each other...except now the King has a tiny little dirty secret with Tegan that Oscar has yet to know. How will he react, Tegan wondered. Would His Majesty still want to sleep with Tegan when he returned the next day? Asha was home again, Tegan wanted to spend time with his daughter. He wants to listen to everything she has to say and do everything she want to do with her father, riding, hunting, eating, everything.
"Father," Tegan stared at the young lady who came out of the carriage, she had coal black hair tied artfully and her light dark skin shone in the light. She smiled broadly and threw herself at Tegan.
"Welcome home," he murmured, holding her as Asha hugged him tightly.
"Father, I've missed you so much," she said. Tegan's arms felt full and she was taller, too. He smiled, "I've missed you, too. It's been a while."
"Uncle," Chrysanthe smiled sweetly as Tegan embraced her lightly.
"Your father is busy with the Prince right now, but he's waiting for you at the Palace right now," Tegan took the two girls inside. Asha kept chatting about things she'd experienced in Metteore and about so many other things. Chrysanthe was actually quieter than her and she only smiled and spoke little.
The King returned the next day at sunset. His long black hair was blowing in the wind and his impassive face looked somehow formidable. Prince Percy and everyone else who came with him was assembled at the yard, awaiting the King's arrival. He swung down from his tall mount gracefully and strode forward.
"Tegan," he spoke, "Meet me at at the solar in an hour."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Tegan felt uncomfortable. He knew no one from this group knew anything about Tegan and the King's affair, but still, he felt over-conscious, even if a little bit.
"Your Majesty," the Prince said, smiling, "It's nice to see you again."
"Yes, same here," the King smiled, too, and touched his brother's face, "You must be exhausted hearing this, but you've grown up so much."
"And yet I'm so glad hearing that from you," the once timid, innocent and soft-spoken Prince Percy was gone. This young man was lively and not shy at all.
"Your Majesty," Damian kissed the King's hand. The other children did the same, including Oscar.
"It's been so long," the King murmured, a sadness settling on his face. He left them there, followed by Tegan. Severus took his son Levi by the shoulder and steered him away, talking quietly. After a brief while, he was released and came back to his friends.
"His Majesty would not be joining you all, but feel free to enjoy together," Tegan told them, "And make sure to return to your rooms before dawn."
They were all happy. The King was happy, too, and yet...
"Ugh, ah, Tegan," sweat dripped off of the king's chin even in this cold night. Tegan stared up at his King. He was becoming more and more beautiful with each passing year, and more mature, too. No one could call him a boy now. His muscles were well-defined and his limbs long and strong. Tegan glanced down between his legs. Even the King's manhood was now the same size as Tegan's, as the King himself had said a few months ago.
"Tegan? Where's your mind at?"
"Your Majesty, do you really want to keep this on...with me?" Tegan held the King's arms and stared into his dark eyes.
"Why? You want to end this?" a faint, sad smile touched his face.
"Oscar has returned," Tegan murmured, "The other council members might have got wind of this, but Sir Nero knows for sure. It wouldn't be impossible for Oscar to find out about this...Would you be alright with that?"
"Why should I care if he finds out?"
"Are you doing this to make him suffer and regret his choice?" Do you intend on taking him back if he asks for forgiveness for leaving your side?
"Nothing, of what we have, has got anything to do with him," the King answered firmly, "It's between us and only us. I don't care if the council members learn about this, or anyone else. The whole kingdom can know and I wouldn't care. It's only because of you, that I'm being cautious. You don't want to let others know...Tegan..."
The King bent his head and pressed his nose against Tegan's throat, just next to his jawline, "I'm not letting you go, ever. That's why you should stop thinking about unnecessary things. And about him...I don't want to force him into anything."
"What if..." Tegan closed his eyes, embarrassed, "What if he wants to?"
There was no answer for quiet a while, the King had also stopped moving. Tegan felt the silence becoming dense around them. He suddenly realized he was dreading the King's answer. When Tegan was about to tell the King to keep doing it or move from on top of him, the answer came,
"What I want, is important, right? What's what counts. And I don't want to fall for him again...not that it'd be possible, anyway."
Tegan kept quiet.
"Tegan, I love you."
Silence.
"I don't want anyone else, I don't need anyone else. As long as I have you, it is enough. I loved him with such loyalty, too, but he still left. I don't care why he left. I don't care that his intention was something noble. If you love someone, they comes first. The Kingdom, the people, even my own life, everything can be traded for the person I love. I can let go of everything I possess just to keep you by my side, Tegan."
Tegan pushed the King off of him and sat up, rubbing his forehead.
"Your Majesty, you may be misunderstanding something. What we have, is purely about lust. There is nothing else to this. This is not worth enough for you to sacrifice anything, let alone your possession or power. Please don't-"
"You're taking me lightly, Tegan," the King put his chin on Tegan's shoulder and put an arm around his stomach, "I'm the King. What I say is rule here. Do you want me to pass a law about our affair? I'd state there that you are forbidden to ever leave this Capital and leave my side. Everyone will know then what you mean to me. This law would be announced in every corner of this kingdom."
"Don't talk about that kind of things," Tegan was getting anxious, he frowned, "I don't want to disobey you. But I don't want you to confuse your feelings, either. This is not love, Your Majesty."
"It is. I've experienced it before. I know what it is."
"Say, you do love me," Tegan said, "But how can you expect me to return that feeling? You can command me to obey you, to sleep with you, to even talk sweet to you. But you cannot make me love you in...that way."
"I cannot? Are you saying you will never love me like I love you?"
"Yes."
The King's breathing was hot against Tegan's cheek. He waited, fearing what his ruler might say. Was he angry? The hand on his stomach moved and Tegan stiffened.
"Tegan, sleep here tonight," he only got a kiss on the back of his neck and then the King left the bed and the chamber soon after, headed for the bathhouse.
***
After years apart, the King and Prince Percy was spending time together again, like the old, happy days. Not that there were any dissatisfaction or complaints among the general people, and that there were steady peace over the Kingdom once again, everyone should be happy. Perhaps everyone else was happy, everyone but Tegan and the King.
After that night, Tegan wasn't summoned by the King to his bed again. Asha kept Tegan's rare times outside the council chamber or his solar busy. He needed to think about her marriage now, Tegan thought one evening, suddenly sad. She grew up so fast...and she was away from him for most of her life...
"Father," Asha's voice made him look at her, "I want to go back home now. The Prince wouldn't leave before spring comes, there still months left. Let me go stay at our place for these few months."
"If that's your wish," Tegan smiled at her. Who could be worth enough to take his daughter as bride?
"Asha, do you really need to go back with Prince Percy? You're grown up now. You need to think about having your own family, your husband."
"Father..." she blushed, "I...can I have a few more years?"
"Dear, that'd be too late."
"Then...two years?" her large, black eyes filled with tears suddenly, "Please, father, let me have just two more years. I promise I'd come back for good and get married then!"
"Why are you so desperate to push off your marriage? You have had four whole years to yourself...Is it not time you got married?"
"I know! Chrysanthe would be married within a few months and Juno and Junia are already living with their husbands! But...there's also Elijah! Count Felix isn't marrying her off just now, is he? Father, please, please, just two more years!"
For some reason, he felt sad and worried at the same time. Was she hiding something? Or was she just scared of the prospect of marriage? True, she hadn't spent a great deal of time with her parents, but she still got enough tutoring by her teachers. Megan had tried to talk to her about adult world, but Asha refused to discuss such matters with her mother. It shouldn't be too alien to her at this point.
"Fine. But you're not trying to keep me from something I should know, are you?" Tegan looked into her eyes, searching. And there, he saw the fearful tremble of her shiny, wet eyes. Then she lowered them and shook her head, "I'm not."
She wasn't a kid anymore. He couldn't force her to confess. Tegan gave a nod, "Well then, you can leave at the beginning of next week. Still, think again, all your friends are here, Asha."
"Yes, but I'd return before we leave, father," she said, rising, "Excuse me."
Tegan was still sitting there, worried about her, when the King entered. Tegan rose, "Your Majesty."
"I met Asha on the steps," the King said, "She's going to stay at your mansion?"
"Yes, that's what she told me."
"Wouldn't it be lonely there? Wouldn't...she be sad thinking about her mother?"
"She might be. But she still wants to go."
"Hmm. Tegan, come here," the King sat down on the rich divan and patted the place beside him.
"Did you miss me?" he asked, undoing the top few buttons on Tegan's clothing and reaching for his right side of chest, fondling and rubbing the nipple.
"Your Majesty, it's still too early. What if someone comes to see me?" Tegan spread his legs as the King's hands spread the long fingers along his crotch, brushing over the lump in Tegan's breeches between his legs.
"I was dying to fuck you, but I was angry at you, too," the King murmured, kissing Tegan wetly on the ear, neck and jaw, "Tegan, I want to put it in..."
"Not here, Your Majesty, please..."
There were urgent knocks on the door. They both paused and Tegan quickly buttoned his shirt and straightened his clothing. The King kept seated, frowning.
"Come in."
"Your Majesty," Sir Nero burst in, "I'm sorry to inform you this...The Queen has passed away in her sleep..."
Even this morning, the King had gone to visit his mother as usual. He did this every single morning without fail. Even though she hadn't ever looked at him with loving glance, the King never failed to pay respect to his mother. But sometimes it seemed to Tegan that he was actually punishing himself, by constantly facing the never ending hatred that his mother showed to him. As if he was repenting for being born as her son. Tegan couldn't understand what she might be thinking. After all, it must not have been easy for her to cope with that incident. But still, there were no way the King would ever deserve this. He deserved the world, and every bit of love in it.
"Leave," the King said, standing beside the bed. The two middle-aged servants of his dead mother nodded and slowly left them, sobbing all the while. Pablo rose and left, too, shaking his head. As soon as the doors closed softly behind them, the King fell to his knees and raised his head,
"Mother..."
Tegan had his own share of abundant love and affection from his mother. Being the youngest of two brothers, he was able to stay in her lap longer. He could remember the way she would rock him, laughing with him. No one can say they had ever seen the late Queen laugh. And Tegan knew that she had never even talked lovingly with her elder son, let alone embrace him or laugh with him.
"Your Majesty, excuse me..." Tegan started to turn away, leaving. But The King caught his wrist.
"You know," he started, his long hair shielding his face from view, "Mother never even hugged me, not once. I'd stand here and watch her hug and kiss Percy, smile at him and call him sweet names. I'd want to climb on this bed, too, and laugh with them."
Tegan didn't say anything.
"I know she couldn't help it...Perhaps it was a given in that situation...But I really regretted my birth ever since I learned how I came into this world...I wish I could just die or undo that incident...or just wipe out my existence from this earth, so she'd never have to suffer again..."
"It wasn't your fault," Tegan whispered, "It was your father's fault."
"Then why did I feel miserable all my life, whenever I came before her?" the King said, "He raped her, then why didn't she just discard of his baby? Why did she give birth to me? Why did I get her hair and still look like her assaulter?"
"Your Majesty, it's fine," Tegan kneeled and pulled his hand free. He embraced the King from behind, "It's fine. You're not at fault, ever. You don't need to feel miserable."
"I do, though," the King's voice sounded so empty. And when he raised his head, Tegan saw how empty, lifeless his eyes were, "I wish she just loved me, like she loved my brother."
That was the last time the King talked about his mother.
"I'm worried about my brother," Prince Percy said, sitting down facing Tegan, "He's not talked to me since the burial of our mother's coffin. He doesn't even say anything about the hunting, either. Oscar couldn't get any reaction out of him, nor Elijah or Asha or even the Grand Duke. Tegan, you're the closest to him at this moment. Talk to him, make him come out of this nightmare."
"He doesn't talk to me, either," Tegan said truthfully, "He listens when I talk and nodded after I finished my report. But that was all."
"It was unfortunate, but no one can change fate. Mother is gone, now he's the only one I have. Winter has come, he needs to go hunting and get over this. I'll be leaving after this, Tegan. I can never be at ease if he doesn't cheer up till then."
"I understand," Tegan put down his quill, "I'll go talk to him again."
"Keep trying."
"Your highness," Tegan said.
"I know what you want to ask," Percy sighed, "I was with him till he said he wanted to be alone. He doesn't want me around, or anyone else."
Tegan didn't push the subject. He had a bad feeling the Prince suspected something. The way he talked...did he know about their affair? But strangely enough, Tegan didn't feel as stressed or dreadful as he thought he'd feel if anyone else found out.
"Your Majesty," Tegan entered. The doors closed behind him. This room smelled of wine and perfume from the scented candles. Tegan went to the bed.
"Has you been drinking after the Prince left?" he put the half-cape on the back of a chair and got inside the curtains, "You shouldn't drink so much."
"What do you want," the King's eyes couldn't be seen. It was dark inside. Tegan paused and then pushed the curtains off to both sides, revealing the bed and the King. His eyes narrowed, dark circles underneath.
"Your Majesty," Tegan took off most of his clothing and with only breeches and the white silk shirt on, he went near the King and took his hand, "You haven't been with me at all for so long."
"Because I didn't want to?" the King's voice sounded harsh, not at all like his usual tone, "It's my wish that counts, remember?"
"Yes, so should I think that it's your wish not to ever see me again?" Tegan took the hand to his face and pressed it to his cheek, "Asha's returning home in a few days. She wishes for me to go with her, even for a few days. What do you say? Should I accompany her?"
The frown said it all. Tegan felt relieved as the King's hands pulled him closer, "Never, don't ever leave my side, Tegan."
"I won't."
"I just...didn't want you to see me like this. I couldn't sleep, Tegan. Whenever I closed my eyes, she'd come before me and command me to leave her room..."
It's about her. Tegan kissed the King softly, "Your Majesty, forget about everything else. I'm here with you. Just focus on me."
"You've changed so much, you just make me love you harder," after that there were no miserable talks or anything else, just them fucking for as long as Tegan could remember. When he opened his eyes, the pale dawn light had crept as far as the King's bed. A new had arrived. Tegan was on his stomach, facing away from the King. But he could hear his steady breathing on his arm. He stayed still. Somehow, he had a feeling that everything would go back to normal starting today.
***