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One: Stable boy Peter Parker
Peter came back to the stables with two buckets of water hanging from his hands. He whistled as he walked, stopping dead in his tracks as he realized that the stables were incomplete. They had been complete only moments ago before he went to refill the buckets, but now one of the gates was swinging slowly, as though whoever had opened it rushed to do so.
Had this happened with any other horse, Peter likely would’ve shrugged it off as some knight who wanted to go for a run. Unfortunately, the missing horse was not just any horse; it was the Crown Prince’s.
It wasn’t that Prince Steve barely used his horse. In fact, he was often seen on it. However, Peter was usually informed that the Prince would be taking a ride, and he was usually accompanied by knights.
This was very unusual, indeed.
Peter set down the buckets next to one of the stables, patting a horse’s muzzle without much thought. He stared at the empty stable, unsure of what to do. He could inform a knight, and they would notify the King.
He turned around to do so, but out of his periphery a shiny object in the empty stable caught his eye. Curiosity overwhelmed him and he walked closer to peek at it. The object was on the ground, looking as though it had fallen and was buried in dust.
Glancing around to make sure the area was clear, Peter reached out and wiped off the soil. It was jewelry. A necklace. Gold, and most definitely valuable.
The small pendant hanging from it was in the shape of a star, and there were initials, it seemed, that were engraved on the front of it. S + Bit said in fancy lettering. What the letters meant, Peter hadn’t a clue, but this necklace was certainly worth more than he was ever meant to hold in his lifetime.
It definitely belonged to the Prince, too.
Peter decided he would finish his duties in the stable first. Then, he would go to the palace and ask someone of higher status to return it to the Prince. Before that, he hid the necklace under an empty bucket.
It was a few hours later, as he finished cleaning the last stall, that hooves pounded in the distance and Prince Steve burst from the wounds, wearing clothes that were relatively casual considering who he was.
Prince Steve looked at Peter with a frown, slowing his horse into a canter. The Prince stopped in front of the empty stable, his jaw clenched as he hopped off and turned to Peter.
“Have you seen any jewelry here today?” he said, voice stiff. “Perhaps in the shape of a star?”
His mouth was parted in surprise, mostly because he was talking to the Princeand had completely forgotten to kneel. He nodded, pointing at the bucket. “Over there, Your Highness.”
The Prince gave him a small nod and walked to the bucket, picking it up from the ground to reveal the necklace underneath. He stared at the necklace for a second before taking it in his palm, giving it a loving caress first before he stood up and put it in his pocket.
The soft look he had on his face when he had seen the necklace disappeared so quickly, Peter wondered if he imagined it. The Prince walked back out the stable and looked at Peter. “Do not tell anyoneyou saw that, or it’s your head on a pike, you hear me?”
Lips parted in surprise, Peter could only nod.
“Good,” said the Prince, then he walked away.
Two: Earl Clint Barton
A hunt, Steve had promised! Yet, he was nowhere in sight. Clint had been friends with him since they were six. Prince or not, Steve should not be having the audacity to back out on his promises. Not for a friendship that had been going on for nineteen years.
Clint spun his arrow between his fingers, kicking a pebble to the other side of the courtyard. He huffed, looking around the clearing.
There was a servant near the stables, bathing a horse. Maybe he had seen Steve.
“Hey!” Clint called out, waving a hand in the air. “Hey, you there!”
The servant glanced up, startled. The sponge almost fell from his hand. “Uh—”
Clint jogged over with a plastered smile, his arrow still spinning in the air. “Have you seen Steve?”
“His Highness went for a ride,” the boy replied.
Clint glanced over to where Steve’s horse was supposedto be, only to find it was empty. “That man, I swear. If you see him, tell him I’m going to kill him.”
The boy blinked. “Uh...”
“No need for that, Clint.” Steve.
Clint spun around, arrow threateningly pointed out in front of him. Steve was walking towards them, guiding his horse.
“Sorry,” Steve said with a small smile, “I was... caught up in something.”
That answer was far from satisfactory. Clint put on the most unimpressed look he could muster. “What could possibly be more important than a hunt?”
Steve chuckled. “Plenty of things, I find. We have been hunting for decades. There are other priorities now.”
Clint gasped, aghast. That was definitely offending. “We hunt while we are still at our prime! It is what we should value most.”
“Yes, well...” Steve’s hand reached up to his chest, but he stopped himself, putting his hand back down. “Anyway, let us go for that hunt, shall we?”
There was something rather suspicious about Steve’s mannerisms, but Clint allowed it to slide. He took his own horse and met with Steve. “There are rumors, you know?”
Steve swung himself onto his own horse. “Oh?” he didn’t sound all that surprised.
“They say the King wishes for you to marry the Lady of Wakanda.”
“Shuri?” Steve barked a loud laugh, nearly toppling over his horse. “She is a child!”
Clint shrugged. “She is of age.”
“I would never.”
“You are getting old. Do you not think it is time for you to settle down with someone?”
“Like you and Natasha?”
Clint nodded.
Steve looked away, staring into the distance with a furrow in his brows. “I wish I could. If I had a choice, I would be doing it now.”
There were plenty of things to clarify in that statement, and Clint should’ve. Except Steve didn’t look like he even meant to say it. Clint didn’t want to be rude, so he let Steve off the hook. He would find out at some point. Steve never kept things hidden from him for too long.
Three: Lady Shuri, daughter of a Duke
Shuri had been coming to the castle since her youth, and would consider herself well-acquainted with the Prince, and most of the knights. Her brother, T’challa, was certainly closer to Steve, but she wasn’t too far behind.
The Prince, for the most part, was not a bad person. He was known for his kindness and generosity. But, apparently, he was beginning to be known for his lack of appearances in royal events as well.
They were in the dining hall. A mild chatter was spread across the room, and all but one chair was filled. The one chair was quite noticeable, though, considering it was where the Crown Prince was meant to be seated.
Shuri snorted, taking a sip from her glass. “He is gone again, isn’t he?”
“You know he always disappears,” T’challa whispered, giving her a small nudge.
“That is true, but this is an important celebration, is it not? We have signed a peace treaty, you would think Prince Steve would attend.” Shuri hummed. “Maybe I should leave too.”
“Do not,” T’challa hissed, “Please.”
Shuri laughed at that. “Out of respect for you, I will not leave you to fend for yourself. But... you do not seem curious for Prince Steve’s whereabouts.” She squinted, setting her glass down. “Do you happen to knowwhere he is?”
“No, I do not,” he said.
The doors opened and in walked the Prince, his pace brisk and hurried. Courtesy demanded that everyone at the table, but the King and Queen, stand and bow. The Prince waved them off hastily, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek and sitting down. His hair was matted on his forehead, his cheeks flushed as though he had ran miles to get here.
“Pardon my tardiness,” he told everyone, crown almost falling off his head.
“Well,” T’challa muttered beside Shuri, “I suppose he is here.”
“Yes, but where did he comefrom?”
He did not answer her.
Four: Sir James “Rhodey” Rhodes
“I tell you, there is something odd about it.”
Rhodey folded his arms, leaning on the pillar as he watched Shuri pace back and forth. Among all the knights, he was closest to her, and every time she was at the palace, they would talk often. “You may be overthinking it,” he said.
“I am not. Do you not think it is odd?”
“What the Prince does in his free time is no one’s business but his own.”
Shuri stopped in her tracks, levelling him with a moue of dissatisfaction. “You know that is not true. Royals need to be guarded at all times. Otherwise, they’d be killed.”
She is not wrong.
Rhodey sighed, pushing himself off the pillar. “You won’t be finding answers from me, you know that?”
Shuri had a hand on her waist. “Perhaps you can follow him?”
Was she mad? He shook his head. “And have myself executed? I don’t have a death wish.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she chastised. She was ridiculous. “You will not be executed if you are not caught.”
“Are you hearing yourself?”
At the incredulity in his voice, Shuri laughed.
She changed the subject after that, and Rhodey decided the topic was better left off. Wherever the Prince went, it was of no concern to him—of concern to no one but the King and Queen, really. As long as he came home safe, it was alright.
Three hours later, Rhodey was called into the throne room while he had been in the courtyard. Sheathing his sword, he walked into the room with the deference needed.
“Your Majesty,” he greeted, getting on one knee and bowing his head. The King grunted, which usually meant his subject could rise.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Shuri with her brother. Rhodey was certain she had something to do with this.
The King spoke. “It has been brought to my attention that my son has been... absent a lot.” Rhodey looked up in time to see him grimace. “Queen Sarah would say I should let him be, but it is obvious,” he gave his wife a look, “That the Prince has been neglecting his duties in favor of... whatever it is he is doing with his time.”
Rhodey managed a miniscule nod, unsure of where this was headed.
“I would like you to follow him the next time he rides off without permission.”
What? Rhodey managed a quick glance at Shuri before steeling himself and giving the King a bow. “Understood, Your Majesty.”
He left the throne room, only for Shuri to catch up with him and grin. “This will be exciting.”
It was four days later, on the Prince’s birthday, that Rhodey finally caught Prince Steve quickly saddling his horse and riding into the forest. Rhodey took hold of his own horse as well and tried, as discreetly as possible, to follow the Prince.
Rhodey could not let his horse burst into a gallop, so he only let her canter after Steve’s. Which was why it was of no surprise that the Prince disappeared in the forest, leaving no trace whatsoever.
Cursing under his breath, Rhodey turned his horse around to go back to the palace. Before he could look back, though, there was the sound of metal unsheathing, and the tip of a blade was pressing against his throat.
“Sir James Rhodes,” the Prince—for it was the Prince who held a sword to Rhodey’s skin—said. He tilted his head. “What are you doing?”
Rhodey levelled his gaze. He was not scared. “Your father asked me to follow you.” There was no point in beating around the bush. He had already been caught.
Prince Steve barked out a single sharp laugh, devoid of any real humor. “That bastard,” he said. The sword lowered. “When?”
“Four days ago.”
Prince Steve put his sword back in its sheath and gave Rhodey a small nod. “Your horse was too loud. That’s how I knew you were following,” he said, then trotted back to the palace.
Rhodey glared after him.
Five: Queen Sarah
Sarah watched as Steve walked across the throne room, jaw clenched with his hand steady on the hilt of the sword swinging on his hip. Anger brimmed his expression, and he did not bow in front of Joseph when he stopped in front of the stairs. He looked up, vexed.
Sarah resisted the urge to sigh, because that would be unbecoming of a Queen.
“Why—” Steve demanded, “—did you send someone to followme?”
“You know why,” was all Joseph said, leaning back against his throne.
In a moment of petulance, Steve put one foot on the first step to the throne. “Oh, so I’m not allowed to have my own life outside of this place now, am I?”
“This is your life.”
“Not the only one!”
Sarah glanced between her son and husband. “This might be best discussed in private,” she urged them both. The other knights standing guard may look like they were harmless and simply doing their job, but she knew very well that they were listening in.
“No. I am not having this discussion right now. I have somewhere else to be,” Steve said.
Joseph raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Do you even have any idea what day it is today?”
“It’s my birthday.”
“We have a celebration prepared for you, and you claim to have somewhere elseto be?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Excuse me?”
“Steve,” Sarah began before this could explode into a shouting match between father and son, “Your father only wants to celebrate the day with you.”
Steve grit his teeth and planted his foot back on the floor, standing squarely with his chin jutted out. “Fine,” he said, almost as if it pained him to do so. “I’ll be there for the celebration, you have my word.” He turned to walk away but stopped in the middle of the room to say, “You know what? I’ll finally give you the answer you seek as well, since you’re so curious. Happy?”
He didn’t wait for a reply, disappearing behind the doors.
Sarah glanced over at Joseph. “What do you think he means by that?”
Joseph sighed. “I suppose we’re about to find out.”
+One: Steve
Steve pushed the makeshift swing back and forth with his foot, rocking him and Bucky gently. The sun was almost setting, and his birthday celebration would begin in an hour or two. He had just asked Bucky to come with him, introduce himself as Steve’s lover.
“You’re an idiot,” Bucky muttered. There was a little duckling in his lap, and he was stroking it absentmindedly while glaring at Steve. “You know damn well we can’t.”
Steve frowned. “Why not?”
“Do I need to spell it out for you?” Bucky patted the duckling’s head. “Well, at least you’re not an idiot, now are you?” he asked the duckling. He looked back at Steve. “One, I am a man. Two,” He lifted two fingers, “I’m a farmer. Three,” he showed three, “Your parents think I’m the reason you don’t do your princely duties.”
“Well, you are the reason.”
Bucky whacked his shoulder. “I don’t ask you to be here all the time!”
“They will not execute me for bedding you. There is no other heir.”
“People will lose their minds.”
Steve leaned in closer and kissed Bucky softly. “Let them.”
“Steve.”
“What?”
Bucky moved away and huffed. “I don’t want to be hanged.”
“You won’t,” Steve said, sure. He was. No one was going to harm Bucky. Not on his watch.
Bucky rolled his eyes and stared at Steve with a lower. “Oh really now?”
Steve leaned over to kiss his cheek. “They won’t.” He grabbed Bucky’s hand. “Ever.” Then planted a kiss. “Hurt you.”
Bucky still looked unsure, but Steve gazed at him with pleading eyes, wide enough to make him relent. After a few seconds, Bucky finally slouched and waved a hand in the air. “Alright, but you’re milking the cows for me in return.”
Steve grinned wide, scooting nearer to press a more passionate kiss on Bucky’s lips. He moved away long enough to murmur, “Anything for you, my love,” and then kissed him again, hand resting at the back Bucky’s head.
An hour and a half later found Bucky and Steve back in the palace. There was a secret passageway leading up to Steve’s floor, so it was rather easy to sneak Bucky inside, especially since everyone was so busy with preparations. Steve had disappeared for a while to get himself dressed by the tailors, then he came back to his room and saw Bucky lounging on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Bucky was dressed in the most decent clothes he could find (clothes that ended up hanging loosely from his body). Steve had offered to him some of his own clothes, but Bucky had adamantly refused, saying that he wasn’t keen on posing as someone he was not. To which Steve thought, I love you.
“Time to go,” Steve said after a beat. “If all goes as planned, you will have as much time as you’d like to sleep in my bed.”
Bucky lifted his head. “What exactly is considered going as planned?”
Steve shrugged. Truly, he did not know. So long as his parents took it well. He had no doubt in his mind that his mother would be alright with it, so it was up to her to soothe father, if it came to that.
With a sigh, Bucky sat up and attempted to smoothen his crumpled clothing. He wrinkled his nose. “I realize now they will probably be staring.”
“Only because you’re beautiful,” Steve assured, dragging him up. He pulled Bucky into his embrace and kissed him.
“Again with the flattery.” Bucky snorted. “They will not be staring because of that. Not when they see you.”
Steve could feel the warmth in his cheeks, and he looked down. “Come on. We should go.”
The chatter in the hall could be heard from outside. Bucky halted right in front of the doors. He looked unsure, glancing nervously at the two knights stationed by the door. “Steve...,” he whispered, then grabbed Steve’s wrist.
Before Steve could even open his mouth, there were already two swords pointed at Bucky, aimed right at his chest. “Hands off the Prince.”
“Oh, for...” Steve bit his tongue and waved the swords away. “He is a—” friend, Steve almost said, but paused and thought better of it. If they were going to do this, they might as well start now. “He is my lover.”
The shock, more than anything, caused the swords to falter. Bucky put a hand to his forehead and sighed.
“What?” Steve said as Bucky shook his head. “I only speak the truth.”
Steve motioned for the knights to open the doors. They did so, almost as if in a trance. As soon as the room was in view, Steve could see everyone turning their heads to look at him. Whether for his own comfort or Bucky’s, Steve reached out to take Bucky’s hand in his own, pressing their palms firmly against each other. Bucky’s hand was sweating, nervous. Steve gave it a light squeeze to satiate him.
There were lingering looks on their joint hands, and whispers began to spread throughout the hall. Steve ignored it, walking straight to his parents and giving them a small bow. The difference in status was obvious as Bucky moved to kneel, but Steve stopped him, not letting go of his hand.
“Uh,” Bucky said instead, awkwardly nodding.
“Mother. Father.” Steve gave them both a small smile. “This is my beloved, James Barnes.”
He made no effort to keep his voice low, and so there were gasps that came from the people nearby. No doubt, they were already spreading this to the rest of the hall. Steve kept his eyes on his father. “We have been together for a year.”
Between Steve, Bucky, and the King and Queen, it was silent. Bucky was holding his breath, hands gripping tighter and tighter, Steve was sure his knuckles had turned white.
Steve’s mother smiled first. “That’s wonderful, Steve,” she said. Steve thought it was wonderful too. He smiled back at her and gave his thanks.
His father, on the other hand, continued to look at him, reticent. He took a deep breath.
In that moment, Steve expected to be berated. Yelled at, maybe. Or perhaps shoved aside as his father shouted at Bucky, screaming treason or the like. None of those things happened.
Instead, the King called over a servant. “Get another set of plates and cutlery. And perhaps another chair we can insert next to Steven.”
Steve raised his eyebrows in disbelief. He was frozen for a moment, and only came back to reality when he heard the dragging of a chair being added to a table. He turned to Bucky with a bright smile. “I told you,” he whispered.
Bucky chuckled. “You win this time, I suppose.”
As Steve leaned in to kiss him, there was another round of shocked silence.
Then clapping.
Bucky looked back at the hall, eyes wide in wonder. “I didn’t expect that,” he murmured.
“Me neither. But it’s great.”
Steve and Bucky sat down next to each other, hands still linked.
“Steven.”
“Hm?” Steve looked at his father.
“We have much to discuss,” the King said “But for now,” he raised his wine glass, “Congratulations.”
Steve smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”