Chapter Nine
Jaq
Jaq wasn’t sure what had changed between him and the two other men after their first night on the road, but something had. As they continued on their way to Monce, it seemed, at least to Jaq’s inexperienced eyes, that both men were being more attentive. On the second day of traveling, both Patin and Serron stopped at various times at market stalls, and Jaq was handed gifts at the end of the meal that evening.
“Was I meant to get you something, too?” he’d asked, stunned by their thoughtfulness. Serron had bought him a beautiful mechanical pencil that had been inlaid with gold. When Jaq turned the dial to cause the pencil lead to appear, a small owl made of cogs popped up at the other end of the pencil. The first time it happened, Jaq jumped, making Patin and Serron chuckle, but it was all in good humor.
Patin’s gift was no less beautiful or practical. His cheeks reddened as he handed Jaq a roughly wrapped parcel after the dinner plates had been cleared away. “You really should have something on your person in cases where books require waterproof and durable coverings,” he said, and Jaq got the sense he was shy about giving him anything at all.
Unwrapping it carefully, Jaq stroked over the small knife with a beautifully turned handle inlaid with gems. It came in a custom leather sheath, and Jaq noticed the sheath had slits available so that it would attach to his belt.
“These gifts are both so beautiful, and you gave so much thought into things I would enjoy and use.” Jaq was delighted, laying the knife next to the pencil. “But you didn’t answer me. Is gift giving a tradition among people who are due to be married? I found a gift for Queen Sophie today, but should I have bought gifts for the two of you as well?”
“We just wanted you to know how much we appreciate you traveling all this way to be married to us.” Patin and Serron shared a smile with each other and then with him.
“They’re courting gifts,” Serron added. “Just in case you weren’t sure. A gentleman already betrothed is only going to be courted once in his life, so we wanted to make it special for you.”
“Did you two exchange gifts when you first realized how serious you were about each other?” The seats at the inn they stayed at the second night were wider and deeper, and Jaq hooked his heels on the edge of his seat and hugged his knees. It went a long way to easing the ache in his back.
“Serron was very fond of buying me gifts even before we declared our feelings,” Patin said. “Being a crown prince, he had more resources than I did, and eventually, I had to ask him to stop, especially after he gifted me my title and the house and lands that went with it.”
“But Patin gave me my most cherished possession,” Serron said softly. Reaching under the collar of his robe, he tugged on a thin piece of cord, pulling it out to show a small intricately carved S done in wood. “Patin is an expert with a whittling knife, and he made me this and the boot rack I have in my suite back in Monce. I never take this off, not even to bathe.”
“You are extremely talented, Patin.” Jaq hugged his knees closer to his chest. “I can understand why you cherish that, Serron.” He yawned and quickly covered his mouth. “I don’t think a second day on a horse is any easier than the first. I’d need about a week to get accustomed to it, I think. Will we be in Monce tomorrow?”
“We will be crossing the border tomorrow,” Serron said. “We’ll meet the guards sent by my mother, so your guards can go back to Elembaum. And we’ll have one more night in an inn, then the following day you’ll be at the castle. I do hope you’ll consider it your home.”
“I will have to see the library before I make that decision.” But Jaq smiled, showing he was teasing. “Has there been any word about your father’s health?” Serron had picked up messages waiting for him at the inn when they arrived.
“He has revived a little these past two days, after receiving news we were to be married,” Serron said sadly. “Unfortunately, Mother says Mortrin isn’t confident it will last much longer, and she’s not even sure he will be able to greet us when we arrive there. I hope you won’t mind a speedy vow exchange. It would mean a lot to my parents if my father was able to attend.”
“Of course. Whenever works for you.” Jaq saw how Serron reached for Patin’s hand. “I get the impression you two need some time to yourselves. I appreciate this is not an easy time for either of you. If you’ll excuse me.” He picked up his gifts and nodded in their direction. “You two have been so very kind today, and your gifts are items I will use and cherish. Good night.” He hurried from the room before he did something reckless like give a sad looking Serron a hug.
/~/~/~/~/
Despite physically aching all over, Jaq struggled to sleep. For one thing, he wasn’t used to sleeping in strange beds, and the one he was in was the second strange bed in as many nights. He thumped on the mattress, but there were more lumps than stuffing in the mattress casing, and eventually, Jaq got up, wrapping his robe around him before stoking the small fire in the grate.
He lit a candle, sitting as close to the flame as he dared, paging through the one book he was able to include with his traveling clothes – the book of poems his sister Evangaline wrote.
Reaching the center page of the self-bound book, Jaq stroked over the lettering smiling in the dim light. Evangaline had been so in love when Onyx, then the crown prince of Tyrion, came to court her. In her last letter, Evangaline said they were hoping to welcome a happy addition to their family sometime after the Fall Harvest. Jaq made a note to respond and let her know about his own good fortune – if you can call it that. Jaq decided he could and would call it that. Maybe he wasn’t entering into the type of marriage most people expected or that his sister dreamed of, for example, but Jaq valued honesty above all else, and Serron and Patin gave that to him. Plus, they appeared protective of him and they were kind. Attributes Jaq was never sure he’d find in another person, let alone two of them.
If only I could truly marry them both for real, he thought with a sigh, although as far as Jaq was aware, stories where three or more people found happiness together only seemed to be explored in fiction.
If Serron had been allowed to marry Patin, they never would’ve approached me in the first place.
Sometimes being pragmatic sucked the fun out of his imagination. Looking down at the words his sister had written, Jaq smiled again.
While the body might yearn, it is the heart that loves.
A deep abiding feeling that binds heart and mind, body and soul,
In a common purpose – the pursuit of eternal happiness.
Evangaline had found her happy ever after in a royal marriage. Jaq knew there was no reason why he couldn’t find that same happiness with two men instead of one. To him, there was no difference. He was coming to care as much for Patin as he was for Serron, and if anyone had a knife to his throat and told him he had to pick one or the other, Jaq knew he couldn’t do it. Not if he wanted to maintain his honesty.
What if… For Jaq, those words were a tantalizing start on many an academic journey he’d taken. Leaning over the arm of his chair, he pulled out his traveling notebook, which was essentially a bundle of papers wrapped in leather that he’d thrown together the moment he knew he would be moving to Monce. Finding a relatively clean piece of paper, he reached for the pencil Serron had bought him. That owl was very stylish with his top hat decorated with tiny mechanical cogs.
Tapping his chin as he thought, Jaq rearranged various words in his head, seeking to make them coherent, yet inclusive of the ideas he wanted to explore. Finally, he wrote, A proposal for the consideration of expanding marriage contracts to include more than two parties in royal relationships between spouses of the same gender.
That would do for a start, Jaq decided. Clicking his pencil once, twice, and then three times – that mechanical owl really tickled him - he started a new line and wrote, Point One.