Chapter Two
Patin
Patin, Duke of Folkon, knew it was bad news the moment Serron came storming into the suite they shared, barely waiting for the door to close behind him before wrapping him in the closest of hugs. As Patin closed his arms around his lover and longtime friend, he could feel Serron’s shoulders shaking. “It’s bad news, I take it?”
“The worst.” Serron’s voice caught in a sob. “Gods, I could barely keep it together while I was with my mother. Father’s dying. Mother has been told he’s not likely to last until year’s end. It’s a form of degenerative blood disease, apparently.”
“I am so sorry,” Patin said in a hushed voice, even as a lump of lead formed in his gut. “We always knew this day would come, my prince. I know how determined your father was for you to be married before you became king. Have your parents chosen a bride for you?”
“No, at least not in the choosing a bride side of things.” Serron shook his head, his hair catching on Patin’s shirt. “Father has insisted I marry someone with royal blood. I believe Mother intervened on our behalf against them choosing a spouse for me. I told her I would not marry any princess and subject that person to a marriage with me that involved nothing more than basic civilities.”
“Serron,” Patin chided softly. “We’ve discussed this many times. We knew this time would come after your father refused to accept me as your spouse two years ago. We’ve been on borrowed time ever since, and while I, for one, have cherished every moment, I have never ignored the fact that my lover and best friend would have to step up and accept his responsibilities one day. From the sounds of things, that time has come, and you know what that means…what we decided had to be done.”
“You decided to be noble, and I love you for that.” Serron raised his face, and Patin could see the tears in his eyes. “I did not ask to be born a prince, but I was. I didn’t expect to fall in love with you, but I did. I’m not going to lose you now when one responsibility conflicts with the one genuine commitment I made with my whole heart. I told my mother if you leave, we will leave together.”
By the goddess. One of the things Patin loved about Serron was his determination, but there were times when that determination bordered on pig-headed. “Let’s go and sit down,” he suggested. “We need to talk about this.”
“Actually, we need to get packed.” Serron ran his hand over Patin’s shirt, smoothing it. “Mother has insisted we travel to Elembaum today.”
“I think you’d better give me the short version of why we’re making a trip now, especially with your father’s health in jeopardy.”
“There is a prince there, Prince Jaq. Mother thinks he will make a suitable spouse for us and for our situation.”
Patin listened in amazement as Serron quickly explained the queen’s idea and why Prince Jaq might be a good fit for them. He couldn’t deny he was hopeful when Serron was finished, but he still had questions.
“Is this what you want?”
Serron snorted. “I want to marry you. I’ve wanted to marry you for years. In my heart you and I are already committed spouses.”
“In mine, too.” Patin wouldn’t deny his prince that, especially when the man was hurting. “Is this agreement with Prince Jaq fair, though?”
“I believe that is why Mother wants us to talk to him. She specifically said us, as in you and me. She believes, and I found it difficult to argue with her, that if we presented a united front, spoke honestly about our situation, that it is possible Jaq might agree, particularly if he can continue to pursue his own interests with our encouragement.”
“I have to admit I never considered your parents would agree to you marrying a prince over a princess.” Patin gave Serron one last hug, before pulling away. He went over to Serron’s closet and pulled out the bag he used for shorter trips. He doubted his prince would be doing much socializing, but he made sure to pick a decent tunic, just in case.
Because of the nature of their relationship, and the need for secrecy, Patin served as Crown Prince Serron’s bodyguard, companion, adviser, and gentleman-in-waiting and had done so for almost ten years. Serron refused to have anyone else in his suite, and Patin’s position gave them the right to spend as much time as possible in private together. In public, Patin advised and guarded, but behind closed doors, Serron preferred they were considered equal.
Until it comes to packing, Patin thought with a grin as he quickly packed all the basics Serron would need.
“As I said before, I told Mother I would leave with you if they forced me into a position that might separate us. I think my mother considers this a compromise.”
“I can’t deny my heart gladdens that you feel that way about me, although it still worries me that you’re not fully understanding the ramifications such a decision might bring – for you and your family.”
“Go on. Admit it.” Serron came over, wrapping his arms around Patin from behind. “You think I am being needy, spoiled and determined to have my own way.”
“Pigheaded, you mean?” Patin turned. He never lost the thrill of having Serron in his arms. “If you are needy, then I am too, and I feel spoiled every time I am able to touch you and have you touch me in return.
“But have you truly thought about what our lives might be like if we left Monce, never to return? You couldn’t see your mother again. You wouldn’t have your position or the authority that comes with it. I’m used to living as a regular man on the streets, but that is far removed from the life you’ve had since birth.”
“You took direction well when I taught you to fit into my world.” Serron’s grin gave Patin a clue of what his partner might have been like as a mischievous child. “I am sure you can teach me just as well if we find our position in life changes. If we accept that our partnership is the core of who we are, then everything else is merely details to be handled just like anything else. I don’t care, as long as we can be together. I do have to ask one thing.”
“Yes, I packed your favorite boots…well, not yet, but they are waiting for you by the bed.”
“Not that but thank you. Patin, holder of my heart, I assumed when I should’ve asked.”
“That’s not a surprise.” Patin smiled to show he was teasing.
“If we do this. If Jaq accepts the position as our spouse in name only, will you be willing to spend the rest of our days never having the right to be called king consort? Can you abide that, knowing someone else, even a mostly absent person, will be the one who holds that title while our relationship stays in the shadows.”
Patin made a point of looking around Serron’s sumptuous suite. He had his own room off the main sitting room, which was never used, but each bedroom had its own private bathing chamber, and there was both an inner and an outer sitting room.
“If you consider a place like this as living in the shadows, then I shudder to think how you’d consider living without the trappings of your position. But… but…” He added as he saw Serron was going to object.
“I do know what you’re asking, and honestly, if this is all I can have for the rest of our days – if our love has to continue to stay behind closed doors while I walk two steps behind you outside of these rooms, then that is a price I pay gladly to have you in my arms each night.
“I already have a place at your table, you already respect my advice in front of others, during official meetings and in matters of state. I am probably privy to more areas of your life than any spouse might be. As for the other, what people might think, I am not concerned with what label people put on our relationship outside of these walls because the only person’s whose opinion matters to me is yours.”
“Thank you,” Serron said simply. “Let us hope Prince Jaq is as agreeable, purely and simply because then my parents will have less to worry about. My feelings for you will never change.”
“I trust that the same way as I trust you. Now go.” Patin shooed Serron toward the door.
“Why? Where am I going? You haven’t finished packing yet.”
“I know, but your mother said something about choosing a book as a gift for this prospective spouse of ours, so don’t you think you should find one? How are you going to beat Crown Prince Rupert in a quest for Prince Jaq’s hand without it?”
“It would be amusing if Jaq accepted us over Rupert.” Serron chuckled loudly. “That man can be insufferable at times.”
“You find the book. I’ll complete the packing and meet you down at the stables.”
As Serron left the room and Patin returned to his packing, he couldn’t help but give his hope a little bit of room to grow. But at the same time he was thinking, I do hope you know what you’re doing, my prince. I really hope you know what you’re doing.
Because if Jaq didn’t accept their honest story, then Patin might be forced into a position Serron would hate him for – he would leave the man he loved more than life itself. It was a sacrifice he knew he’d have to take if it meant Serron could keep his position. Hopefully, it won’t come to that, he thought with a sigh.