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Chapter Text

Amir awoke just before dawn and smiled when he recognized the feeling of Rupert’s arms around him and his forehead against his back.  Rupert liked being the big spoon and Amir didn’t mind it one bit; he liked how well they fit together.  He got up carefully and stretched, looking over his shoulder at the figure still in bed.  Rupert stirred, disturbed by the lack of a warm body to cuddle, but relaxed a moment later and drifted off again.  This happened every day.  Amir would wake up early, get dressed, kiss Rupert on the cheek, then go train for a few hours.  

Today, however, was different.  

“Rupert,” he said, brushing Rupert’s hair from his face.  “Wake up.”  

Rupert groaned and turned away, burying his face in the pillow.  He was a light sleeper but that didn’t mean he liked being woken up.  

“Come on, today’s the day.”  

“No,” Rupert mumbled.  

“You promised.”  

Rupert groaned again and tried to pull the blanket over his head but Amir grabbed it.  “ Sleeeeeeeeep ,” Rupert whined.  

“Nope.  Come on.”  He leaned down and kissed Rupert’s cheek.  “Get up.  Get your armor on.”  

“I was having such a good dream.”  Rupert refused to open his eyes.  Amir sat back down and pulled the covers off the rest of the way.  Rupert curled into a ball to fight the chill.  

“I’m sorry I interrupted your dream.”  

“You should be,” Rupert grumbled, eyes still closed.  “You were in it.”  

Amir smirked.  “Oh, so it was that kind of dream.  You’ll have to tell me about it later but for now, get up .”  He jabbed Rupert in the ribs, earning a whine and a halfhearted attempt to wriggle away.  Rupert was ticklish.  When Amir didn’t relent, he finally sat up and squinted at him.  “Good morning,” Amir said, leaning in and giving him a soft kiss.  

“It’s not even light out.”  Rupert flopped back down onto the pillows.  “I can’t believe I agreed to this.”  

“Well you did.  And you can’t get out of it.”  Amir stood and got dressed.  He smiled when Rupert joined him a few moments later.  “I’m glad you did.”  

“You say that now.”  Rupert pulled his shirt over his head and tied his hair back.  “I’m still unconvinced that you’re not just doing this to get back at me for something.”  

“This isn’t revenge,” Amir said, rolling his eyes.  He finished tying off his padded shirt and turned to help Rupert, but he was almost done anyway.  “It’ll be fun.  I promise.”  

“I’m gonna hold you to that.”  

The training field was completely empty, only populated by a few lanterns, which Amir began to light.  The sun wouldn’t be out for another fifteen minutes.  When he was finished, he walked over to the small armory filled with weapons and shields.  Rupert leaned against the door, a little more awake.  

“You ready?” Amir asked.  

“As I’ll ever be,” he sighed.  “But next time, we’re training when I normally do.”  

“Fine.”  Amir turned to the table and picked up his hand-and-a-half sword.  He liked the versatility of being able to fight with one or both hands.  “Choose your weapon.”  

Rupert didn’t hesitate to reach for a quarterstaff.  This surprised Amir.  He figured Rupert would also go for a sword and maybe a shield – traditional ‘adventurer’ type weapons.  “Really?” he asked.  

“Yes, really.”  Rupert walked onto the field and Amir followed.  “Why?”  

“I just never would’ve guessed.”  He thought of something and smirked.  “Unless you’re planning to hide behind it?  I mean, you totally could, you’re so scrawny.”  

Rupert shook his head, seemingly unfazed by the trash talk.  “Yeah, yeah, whatever.  I just hope you can handle that sword better than your own.”  He added a pointed look below Amir’s belt.  

Amir’s jaw dropped.  Even half asleep, Rupert was wittier than him.  “Yeah, well I -” he spluttered.  “I hope you’re better with that quarterstaff than you are with your – your eighth staff!”  

“My what ?” Rupert laughed.  “My eighth staff ?  He covered his mouth with a gloved hand to keep from laughing too loudly.  “Babe.  Babe, no.”  

Amir’s cheeks felt hot but Rupert’s grin was contagious.  “Oh, shut up.  Let’s fight.”  

Rupert took a breath to calm himself and nodded once.  “Okay.  I’m ready.”  

“You know how to soften your blows before they land, right?”  

“Yes.”  Rupert took up the quarterstaff with both hands, then prodded at Amir’s chest jokingly.  “I win.”  

“We haven’t even begun yet.”  

He did it again.  “ Boop .  Gotcha.”  

Amir suppressed a laugh.  “Rupert -”  

Rupert poked Amir a few more times, saying boop with each prod.  Finally Amir sheathed his sword and grabbed the staff.  Rupert tugged at it but Amir held firm.  “Hey, give it back.”  

“We need to take this seriously,” Amir reminded him.  

“I am taking this seriously.  You’re the one who got me up before sunrise.  Let me have a little fun.”  Rupert tugged harder.  Amir held on tighter.  

“You know why I want to train with you, right?  We need to get to know each other on the battlefield, so we’ll be able to fight side by side effectively.”  

Rupert yanked.  Amir didn’t let up.  “I know.”  Yank .  “But it doesn’t have to be boring.”  Yank yank .  

“Training isn’t boring.”  He pulled at the staff.  “It can still be fun.”  He pulled at the staff again, trying to stop Rupert from yanking it.  

Rupert suddenly let go and Amir stumbled back, surprised at the sudden loss of tension.  He caught himself before he hit the ground and tried to glare at Rupert.  He was ridiculous and Amir adored him for it.  

“You’re right, Amir.  It can still be fun.”  He retrieved his staff took a battle stance.  “Let’s do this.”  

Amir drew his sword, taking in Rupert’s form.  His feet were spread appropriately to maintain balance and his hands were in the correct places on the staff.  His eyes were narrowed in focus and Amir realized that Rupert was sizing him up, too.  

Amir charged, bringing his sword over his head for the first blow.  Rupert blocked it with the staff, holding it perpendicular to his body, and shoved Amir back.  Amir steadied himself quickly and began to circle Rupert.  Rupert watched him, maintaining a defensive position, his eyes trained not on his sword but his feet.  

He’s going to try and knock me off balance , Amir thought.  He’d have to keep out of reach, which was easier said than done because the quarterstaff was over six feet tall.  

He’d just have to move faster , then.  He darted in and Rupert made his move, swinging the staff at Amir’s feet.  Amir jumped to the side and went to smack Rupert’s side with the flat of his sword but Rupert brought the staff up and knocked it away.  Then he stepped back.  He held the staff out, pointing it towards Amir.  Amir circled again but this time Rupert circled too.  

Rupert lunged and Amir parried, brain shifting gears as he went on the defensive.  Rupert swung the staff again but Amir blocked it.  He swung again.  Amir blocked.  Swung.  Blocked.  

“A little repetitive,” Amir observed.  

Rupert didn’t respond.  He took a step back, as if challenging Amir to make a move.  When he didn’t, he took another step back, then another.  

Amir stalked closer, sword at the ready.  Then he attacked, swinging his sword to knock the staff away and then bringing the flat down to smack Rupert’s shoulder.  

Rupert blocked the blow, his grip tight on either end of the staff, which was almost above his head.  Amir pressed harder and Rupert stepped back, pushing the staff towards Amir.  Amir could feel Rupert’s strength failing and the staff began to lower more and more.  

“Yield,” Amir said through gritted teeth.  

“No.”  Rupert’s voice remained unchanged but sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead.  

Soon the staff was at chest level and Amir kept pushing downwards.  He shifted his weight to one side, hoping to force Rupert to let go with that hand.  

Instead, Rupert let go with the other hand, reached out and grabbed Amir’s shoulder before he could react, and pulled him close for a quick kiss before shoving him back and dancing out of the way.  

“Rupert,” Amir gasped.  “That’s - that’s so cheating!”  

Rupert laughed and wriggled his shoulders in a happy gotcha dance, clearly pleased with himself.  “You really mad though?”  

Amir bit his lip to keep from smiling.  “Is this why you could never train with me?  Because you knew that you’d keep goofing off?”  

“Oh, not at all.”  Rupert reached out with his staff to idly slap at Amir’s sword.  “I told you why.”  

It was because Rupert would get too distracted by how hot Amir was (Rupert’s words).  Amir wasn’t sure if he believed that, especially now.  

“I think it’s because you always knew that I’d win and you wouldn’t be able to handle that embarrassment,” Amir teased, batting the staff away with his sword.  

“ Of course you’d win, dummy.  You’ve been training every day since you were seven!  You’ve had fourteen years to perfect this and I’ve only had three.”  

“I’d have gone easy on you.”  

“Nah, winning means too much to you.”  

“ No it doesn’t.”  

Rupert cocked an eyebrow.  “Really.  Mr. I Win At Dancing Because You’re Just That Horrible At It ?  If winning doesn’t matter, how come you won’t play charades with me anymore?”  

“Okay, that’s because we don’t know that many people.  We played it so much that I learned all of your impersonations.”  

“Hmm.”  Suddenly, Amir found himself trapped against Rupert, the staff pressing into his back and Rupert’s hands on either side of him.  “You’re going to have to lose sometime ,” he whispered, his lips an inch away from Amir’s.  

Oh.  

“If this is losing, I guess I’m okay with it.”  Amir closed the distance between them, bringing his free hand to the back of Rupert’s head as they kissed.  They broke apart and he frowned.  “You know what I’m not okay with?  The fact that I have to lean up to kiss you.”  

Rupert smiled.  “You’re just mad because I had a growth spurt and you didn’t.”  

“Look, I didn’t go through puberty twice to cap out a five foot ten, okay?”  Amir pulled Rupert down for another kiss.  “I love you.”  

“Even though I keep goofing off?”  

“I mean, you were kind of pushing my buttons earlier.”  

Rupert leaned down and breathed in Amir’s ear, “I thought you liked it when I pushed your buttons.”  Then he gave his earlobe a little kiss.  

“Rupert,” Amir whispered.  “Stop being so smooth and fight me some more.”  

Rupert released Amir and Amir stepped away, his face hot.  Rupert’s cheeks were also red but he had that twinkle in his eye.  

“If you’re not going to fight fair,” Amir warned, “then neither am I.”  

“Fine by me,” Rupert said.  He raised his quarterstaff again.  “Ready when you are.”  

Amir took a deep breath to clear his head and charged.  

Amir took a bite of his toast as he reviewed his daily schedule.  Rupert sat beside him, devouring some pancakes.  

“We’ve got that meeting with the advisors today after lunch,” Amir said.  

“Gross.  I can’t stand Lord Barry.”  Rupert wiped his face on a napkin and took a sip of his juice.  “We’ve also got dinner with your mother and Queen Lavinia tonight.”  

“That’s tonight ?”  Amir groaned.  He hadn’t written it down.  “I thought that was next week?”  

“It was but then Lavinia demanded to move it up.”  

Amir remembered now.  He set his schedule down and looked over at Rupert, who had taken to pushing his food around with his fork.  Very unlike him.  “Did you write her back?”  

Rupert shook his head, avoiding Amir’s gaze.  “I had Chamberlain do it.”  

Rupert’s relationship with his mother had grown … tense … after what had happened with Malkia.  Lavinia had lied to Rupert about everything for his entire life, but not telling him about the genocide of an entire kingdom seemed to be the final straw for him.  Amir didn’t know all of the details.  He recalled Rupert being gone almost the entire night, only for him to return to their bedchamber just before dawn, crawl into bed wordlessly, and shake his head when Amir asked him where he'd been.  It wasn’t until later that Amir found out about the fight, and that Lavinia had left the castle in the middle of the night.  

They hadn’t spoken since.  Any correspondence utilized Chamberlain as a go-between.  

“Rupert, you’re going to have to deal with this.”  

“I’ve already dealt with it.  She’s out of my life.”  

“She’s your mother -”  

“And our fathers were genocidal tyrants.  Blood doesn’t mean anything.”  

A tense silence.  

Rupert broke it with a sigh and ran his hand over his face.  “I’m sorry.  It’s just – I’m already not looking forward to dinner as it is.  She’s the queen of the West.  That’s all she can be to me right now.  That’s all I want her to be to me right now.  And so we’re going to discuss business at dinner, and if your mother wants to talk to us afterwards we can do that in the drawing room.  And that’s that.”  

Amir took Rupert’s face in his hands.  “I just hate how upset you still get over this.  If you’d really dealt with it, wouldn’t it be less painful by now?”  

Rupert smiled ruefully.  “You have no idea what it’s like.”  

Amir pressed a long kiss to his forehead and pulled him close.  “You’re right.”  He closed his eyes.  He couldn’t imagine what he’d do without his own mother.  “Whatever you do, I’m with you.  You know that.”  

Rupert hugged him back.  “I do.”  

They broke apart and went back to eating.  “Looks like we have a break in between holding audience and lunch.  Wanna do something?”  

Rupert rolled his eyes at the parchment.  “Wow.  Fifteen whole minutes.”  

“It’s better than it used to be.”  Time management was a skill, not a talent.  

“I don’t know.  I’d suggest going to the library but it’s too easy to get sucked into a book.  I would totally lose track of time.”  Rupert finished eating and set his plate aside.  “Why don’t we take Fitzroy and Porridge out for a walk?  We haven’t done that together in a while.”  

Amir sighed in agreement, taking Rupert’s hand and bringing it to his lips.  They’d both known that free time would be scarce – merging two kingdoms was nothing to sneeze at, after all.  And even though they technically had a “recreational period” scheduled in around midafternoon, Rupert liked to use that time to see to the animal sanctuary he’d started.  They’d often spend dinner with a visiting dignitary or a noble, and then he and Rupert would discuss kingdom management in the drawing room.  Both of them were usually wiped out by the time their late-night snack came, and they would eat it, crawl into bed, and Amir would be out like a light.  

Breakfast was the only time that Amir could guarantee to have Rupert all to himself.  Yes, they were both the princes so they technically spent the majority of the day together but it wasn’t the same.  

“What’re you thinking about?” Rupert asked.  

“I’m wondering when the next holiday is.”  

“About a month away.  But it’s more of a festival, and custom dictates we host it here so we wouldn’t really be able to relax.”  

Amir frowned in defeat.  

“I know.”  Rupert brushed his hair back and kissed his temple.  “I wish we could take a day off.  I want to be able to sleep as late as I want.”  

“I just want you all to myself.”  He pulled Rupert into his lap, earning a laugh when he playfully nipped at his neck.  

“You can have me on our honeymoon, whenever that’ll be.”  

Amir groaned.  “We still need to have a wedding.”  

“When did securing our future become such a hassle?”  

Amir looked up at Rupert seriously.  “But you’re worth every single headache.”  

Rupert grinned.  “So are you.”  Then he leaned down and kissed him.  

“I’ve been denied by both the request manager and the business manager so I thought I’d come to you.”  The man said, standing before the two thrones.  He looked between Rupert and Amir.  “Hopefully you can help me.”  

“What do you need?” Rupert asked.  He was wearing robes of deep green that made his eyes pop and Amir knew for a fact that the fabric was soft.  He wanted to bury his hands in them.  Or bury his face in Rupert’s chest.  Or both.  

Amir didn’t mind holding audience because he could see the merit in it and he loved helping his people.  He also appreciated the ability to hear about problems from the source, rather than in some dry report.  Getting to know his citizens on a personal level was also a huge benefit.  

“I’ve been fined twice now because I’m paying my workers less than what the law says but I can’t afford to pay them more, and the fines are only adding to the economic stress.”  

They’d instituted a minimum wage law about a year and a half ago, when they discovered that people were starving while business owners thrived.  It wasn’t overly popular with the wealthy but the working class seemed to appreciate it.  

“Do you have any expense reports we could look at?” Rupert asked.  “You might be able to get a stimulus if you’re truly struggling.”  

The man shuffled his feet.  “I, uh, left those at the store.”  

“Well why don’t you bring them back and we’ll look over them, see what we can do.”  

The man bowed and left.  Rupert and Amir exchanged a glance.  The fact that he’d been denied on two separate occasions was suspicious.  He was either really bad at business or a liar.  

Rupert quirked a brow in agreement and they turned just as a familiar face entered.  

“Your Highnesses.”  Joan bowed in greeting.  “Some of my knights have brought word from a few northern villages.  The winters are harsh and come early.  They’re worried about having enough provisions in stock to last the season.”  

“Do we have any trade routes established?”  

“No but they would be open to one.”  

Amir looked over at Lord Chamberlain, who was sitting off to the side.  “Could you inform the business manager and schedule an appointment with her?”  

“Of course, Your Highness.”  He stood and walked slowly out of the room, bracing himself on his cane.  

“I’m going to talk to the healer again,” Rupert said once he was gone.  It had been his idea to give Chamberlain a place to sit, rather than make him stand.  

“I don’t think there’s much else they can do for him.  He’s just... old.”  

“But that doesn’t mean he should live in pain.”  Rupert frowned.  “What if we moved his bedchamber to the first floor?  The stairs wouldn’t be a problem then.”  

Amir shook his head.  “He’d need to go up and down the stairs anyway.  And besides, it’s much warmer upstairs.  The cold air will agitate his bad knee.”  

Rupert bit his lip, then his eyes lit up.  “Oh!  What if we had a thing installed for him?”  He turned to Amir.  “You know what I -?  I forget what it’s called but the servants use it for dishes?”  He mimed pulling down a rope.  “And there’s like this platform that they put stuff on and then they use the rope?”  

Amir nodded.  “Yes.  I know what you’re talking about.”  The name eluded him, as well.  “But that requires two people to use.  It’s impractical.”  

“We’ll just modify the design a little and then have it built.”  Rupert leaned his head back, his eyes faraway.  He reached up and fiddled with the chain around his neck, a sign that he was thinking.  “We’ll need to reconfigure the weights on the pulley so he can hoist and lower himself without using too much of his strength.  Probably reinforced ropes – chains would get caught too easily but what if we could somehow braid wires into rope?  But then we’d run the risk of him cutting his hand.”  

“Rupert, love.”  Amir wished he didn’t have to interrupt.  He loved watching Rupert think aloud, how he always played with his necklace as he did it, and how his eyes lit up whenever he added to his original idea.  “Can we table this for later?”  

“Oh!  Right, yes.”  Rupert straightened back up.  “Sorry, Sir Joan.  Was there anything else we can do for you?”  

She shook her head, though she was smiling fondly.  “No, Your Highnesses.  I’ll take my leave.”  

Amir looked over at Rupert again and then frowned, reaching over and tucking his necklace back into his shirt for him.  Rupert jumped a little in surprise before smiling apologetically.  “I should probably stop wearing it if I’m going to fiddle with it.”  

“You’ve worn it every day for almost two years and haven’t gotten caught yet.  I don’t think anyone’s going to figure it out just from seeing a ring on a chain, but we should still be careful.”  

“Are you wearing yours?”  

Amir pulled his own necklace out from under his shirt as an answer.  The blinding smile Rupert gave him melted his heart.  

Chapter Text

Rupert and Amir sat side by side, fingers interlocked, as they listened to the standard obligatory updates to the state of the kingdom that had not seen much change in the last few months.  

These were necessary meetings but they had a tendency to drag on, even if most of the news was good.  

“We’ve been making the necessary preparations for the fall but I don’t think we should be worried.  Almost no one got sick last year.  There was only one illness-related death last winter and she was nearly ninety years old,” Basimah, the medical advisor, concluded.  “Overall, I would say we’re ahead of the target.”  

“Good,” Amir said.  He absentmindedly ran his thumb over Rupert’s index finger.  “Are there any new trends we should be aware of?”  

“No.  In fact, we’ve seen a sharp decline in most illnesses and injuries.  And now that you’ve made medicine free to all, no one is putting off going to the healer.”  

Rupert sighed in relief.  “That’s excellent.  Thank you, Basimah.”  

Amir turned to Lady Kai, the diplomatic advisor.  “Any news from the outer villages?”  

She turned from Basimah to address him.  “Three northern villages requested aid.  They worry about having enough food to last the winter.  Prey animals have grown scarce.  A few of my pages report signs of overhunting in the area.”  

“They would need to seriously cut back on that for a year or two or they’ll kill everything,” Sydnee, Master of the Hunt, said.  “That would mean importing food, though.  What are their exports?”  

“I’m sorry,” Lord Barry, the economic advisor, snapped.  “I didn’t realize you were the expert on trade.”  He turned to Lady Kai.  “What are the villages’ exports?”  

“Don’t interrupt,” Amir warned him, but gestured to Lady Kai to answer.  

She glanced over at Master Sydnee, attempting to disregard Lord Barry’s interruption.  “Wood, mainly.  But they’d need to be careful of logging because otherwise they could drive the native species out and lose their wind barriers.  Winters are harsh up north.”  

“Do any of them raise sheep?” Rupert asked.  

“There’s at least one sheep breeder in each village, but not enough to stake an entire economy on.  Not to mention, you don’t want to focus too much on just one export.  You’d run the risk of losing everything if there’s a disease or disaster.”  

Rupert squeezed Amir’s hand and Amir squeezed back.  He knew what Rupert was thinking.  “Our first priority will be to make sure that they can survive the winter,” Amir said.  

“Your Highness,” Lord Barry protested with a sneer, “if I may interject , if you do that, you run the risk of the villages growing dependent upon you.  They might stop working as hard because they believe you’ll keep bailing them out.”  

“Our people need to be able to depend upon us,” Amir said evenly.  His skin crawled every time Lord Barry opened his mouth.  He knew that he was the most sought-after economist in all the land but sometimes that made him all the more insufferable.  

“Can you cite precedent?” Rupert asked.  “Or is this just speculation?”  

Lord Barry fixed his cold eyes on Rupert.  Amir bristled.  “Eighty years ago, there was a village who was suffering like these and the lords provided assistance.  Within ten years, the village collapsed in its entirety.”  

“ Ramshead ,” Rupert said.  “I read that report.  It wasn’t the assistance that caused the collapse, it was the fact that the rulers continued to give them relief in the form of money rather than help them create their own viable exports, so the economy stagnated when the lords pulled their funding without warning.  Amir and I strive to avoid such negligence at all costs.”  

Lord Barry held his gaze.  Rupert, for his part, showed no obvious signs of nervousness but he tightened his grip on Amir’s hand.  Rupert was a master when it came to formal confrontations but that didn’t mean he liked doing it.  Amir bumped Rupert’s knee with his own, not taking his eyes off of the advisor.  

“I forget how well-read you are, Prince Rupert,” Lord Barry said but it didn’t sound like a compliment.  “But I trust you understand my concern.  You and Prince Amir are both so young , and you have disregarded traditional practice almost in its entirety.  Creating a minimum wage, paying for medicine with taxes, taxing us, your most loyal advisors.  This is all unprecedented and I worry about the long-term effects that your short-sightedness could cause.”  

“Hold your tongue,” Lord Rhian, the Chief Historian, said.  “You speak to the Crown Prince.  Besides, my scribes and I have been keeping records, and we’ve noticed that productivity and general happiness is at an all-time high.  The people are spending more money, the rates of illnesses and injuries have dropped, and we’re seeing an excellent yield in product from almost everyone.  These two have made remarkable progress in these past three years.”  

Amir glowed.  “We’re only trying to do what’s right for our people.”  

“But are you doing what’s right for all of your people?” Lord Barry asked.  “I still don’t understand why we need to be taxed.  Are we not public servants?”  

"Lord Barry,” Rupert sighed, “Amir and I spent six months mapping out wages and salaries before getting them approved by a team of highly-qualified accountants.  We took every precaution to make sure that you could afford to pay the taxes.  And that money goes towards paying for medicine, providing stimuli when families and businesses need it, and saving for emergency funding.”  Then he fixed Lord Barry with a look.  “Why does a tax matter when you already have so much?  You’re not going without .  Or would you prefer to let a village starve so you can buy a third carriage?  Do you have so little care for other people?”  

Lord Barry sputtered but Rupert continued.  “If that is the case, then you need to rethink what the role of a public servant really is.” 

The ensuing silence was deafening.  Even the cup-bearer hesitated to pour tea.  The advisors turned to watch Lord Barry for a response.  

Amir looked at Rupert.  His face was stoic but there was a slight tremble to his hands, a sign of his nervousness.  

He turned to Lord Rhian, changing the subject.  “So, how goes the record-keeping?”  

The meeting ended fifteen minutes later and the two princes headed back upstairs.  

As soon as they were inside their bedroom, Amir pulled Rupert close and crashed his mouth against his.  

“What -?” Rupert said hoarsely when Amir released him half a moment later, only to begin undoing the buttons and ties on his robes.  

“You have no idea how hot it was, watching you light into Barry like that.  I swear it took all my self-control not to drag you into the nearest alcove and have you right then and there.”  

Rupert’s hands covered Amir’s, stopping him.  “Really?”  His voice was incredulous.  

Amir nodded, reaching up and placing his hands on Rupert’s shoulders.  “I love it when you stand up for what you believe in.  And when you put an old privileged rich man in his place?  It’s the sexiest thing you’ve ever done.”  

“ That’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever done?”  He bit his lip, his eyes traveling over Amir’s body.  “Oh, you’re killing me.  I – I can’t - ugh , I have to go to the animal sanctuary today.”  

“Do you have to go now ?”  Amir leaned up, letting his lips brush against Rupert’s teasingly because he knew that drove him insane.  

Rupert closed his eyes, swallowing a whine.  “Okay.  We can make out for fifteen minutes but then I really need to go.”  

“I’ll take it.”  And then Amir kissed Rupert properly.  

They ended up by the window, Rupert sitting on the sill while Amir stood between his legs.  One of his hands was on Rupert’s thigh while the other was buried in his hair, the hair tie having vanished some time ago.  Rupert’s arms were around Amir’s back as they kissed and kissed and kissed.  

Contrary what they’d been told by a well-meaning noble at their engagement party, kissing had not grown boring after three years.  It had actually grown more enjoyable as they learned what worked, what didn’t, what really worked .  

Rupert pulled away and Amir chased, leaning forward until he felt the edge of the windowsill press into him.  “Amir.”  Rupert’s rough voice made Amir smile.  They definitely knew what the other liked.  “Amir, babe, I need to go.”  

“Yeah.”  He kissed him one final time and Rupert obliged for a moment before nudging him back and hopping off of the sill.  They shared a look and Rupert began to change into work clothes.  Amir sat on the bed and watched him undress, taking in the lithe muscles of his back and those broad shoulders...  

Rupert had a fairly wiry build but he’d always been strong.  Amir still had no idea how this was possible, considering he’d never done much in the way of physical training before they met, but Rupert himself didn’t seem to know either.  

Amir loved to run his hands over Rupert’s skin, trace his muscle and his soft curves and his stretch marks and the faint discoloration of his wrists and the freckles he acquired in the summertime and the little scar he had on his stomach from when he tripped as a child and fell onto a jagged stone.  

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Amir said honestly.  He didn’t remember the last time he’d told Rupert how much he meant to him.  “I love you.”  

“I love you too.”  Rupert pulled on his shirt and kissed Amir’s forehead.  “Have you seen my hair tie?”  

“Is it still on the windowsill?”  

Rupert located it and tied his hair back before joining Amir on the bed.  He kissed his cheek, then his jaw, then his temple.  “I love you too,” he repeated.  “I need to get going.  I’ll see you at around four-thirty.”  

“Okay.”  Amir glanced around for something to do while Rupert was away and spotted a thick book on Rupert’s nightstand.  He recognized it – Advanced Theories on the Principles of Economics .  Lord Barry had authored it about seven years ago.  He himself had struggled to get through the first chapter.  Economics had never been his strongest subject – he understood how everything worked in practice but the theories and terminology threw him off.  

Maybe it was time to try and relearn.  He reached for the book.  

“Don’t you dare.”  

He jumped, his head jerking to Rupert, who’d just come back into the room.  His arms were folded across his chest.  

“What do you mean, don’t you dare ?”  

“The last time you tried to read that, you got a headache that lasted an hour and a half.  Besides, it’s outdated and nearly impossible to read.  This is my third time reading it and I’m not even halfway through after a month.”  

“Then why are you bothering with it?”  

“I’m trying to translate it into common terms.  Not everyone grew up with access to this kind of vocabulary.  I’m also working with two of Lord Barry’s apprentices to update it.  Then we’ll run the new and improved version by him and release it to the public.”  

“He won’t like that at all.”  

Rupert smiled.  “Oh, I know.”  

Amir laughed, setting the book down on the table.  “Fine.  As long as I get to read your version when you’re done.”  

“Of course.  I was going to run it by you anyway.”  Rupert turned to leave but then stopped.  “Right.  I came back here for a reason.”  

“To tell me you love me?”  

“To get my bag.”  But Rupert gave Amir a quick kiss.  “Love you.”  

He left for real this time and Amir smiled, reaching up and touching his necklace.  He paused for a moment, considering, then unclasped the chain.  He removed the ring and slid it onto his left ring finger, where it belonged.  He held his hand out, examining it and grinning.  His heart warmed.  

Growing up, he’d always known that he’d have to marry eventually, for the good of the kingdom.  As a child he hoped that he’d be able to find someone he could love.  And he did.  

But never in his wildest dreams could he have ever imagined that it would feel like this .  

He was the luckiest man in the world, and while he felt like he’d never be able to express it enough, he knew he didn’t need to.  Rupert already knew, and he felt the same .  

He laughed to himself a little, then pulled the ring off and put it back on its chain.  Someday he’d be able to wear it all the time, and that was enough of a promise for him.  

Rupert walked through the door at four-thirty and Amir looked up from his documents.  He’d decided to spend his time on his own personal project, which was making education more accessible.  There were already some programs in place but they needed constant attention.  The lower class (he hated that term) was not dumb by any means and they loved the opportunity to learn more but there was a shortage of tutors.  He himself had given a few lectures but he didn’t think he was the best teacher.  

“Hey, love,” he greeted as Rupert set down his bag.  “How’d it go?”  

“Really well.  Wence is doing a great job managing the place, and that bird with the broken wing is healing right up.  We should be able to release her in less than a week.”  He untied his hair and it fell almost to his shoulders.  He’d probably want to get it cut soon – Rupert didn’t like having very long hair.  “Also, the wolf we rescued is definitely pregnant, so that should be fun.”  

“How in the world have you not been eaten yet?”  

“What, by Cookie?  No, she’s a sweetheart.  I mean, she was terrified at first because her leg was in bad shape and she was separated from her pack but once she realized we weren’t going to hurt her she totally changed.”  He sat down on the bed, unlacing his work boots.  

“Doesn’t hurt that you also make a point to leave food in their territory.”  

“Only a little so they don’t see me as a threat.  Those wolves love me.”  

“So do the deer and the rabbits and the crows and even snakes.”  Amir shuddered at the image.  “I swear, you’ve got some kind of weird power.  Animals like you.”  

“I can’t help it if I’m lovable.”  Rupert picked up the robes he’d worn earlier.  “Although I wish Cookie didn’t love me so much.  She keeps trying to shove her tongue inside my mouth.”  

“Should I be jealous?”  

“Absolutely.”  He looked over his shoulder at Amir.  “I’m gonna go wash up.”  

“Is that what you’re going to wear?”  He gestured to the clothes in Rupert’s arms.  

“Yeah, why?  What are you, Constable of Fashion?” he teased.  “It’s not like they're dirty.”  

“It’s just … don’t you want to wear something more formal to dinner?”  

Rupert’s face fell and Amir almost wished he hadn’t said anything.  “Right.  Dinner.”  Rupert looked at their shared wardrobe.  “I should, shouldn’t I?  I’ll, um, I’ll choose when I get back.”  He draped the robes over the screen and walked into their bath suite, shutting the door behind him.  

Amir sighed.  He wished Rupert wasn’t so worried about talking to Lavinia.  She was his mother, after all, and she clearly loved him.  Sure, her methods hadn’t been the best but she acted out of a desire to protect her son.  Amir understood that and he wished Rupert could, too.  

If they talked it out, Rupert might see her side of things and then he’d feel better.  

Amir stood and walked out of their room, making the journey downstairs to the kitchens.  No matter how necessary that conversation was, it’d be hard on Rupert, especially after three years without speaking.  

The head cook greeted Amir cheerfully and he smiled at her before saying, “I was wondering if I could request something … different for our late snack.”  He couldn’t delay the inevitable but he could at least provide comfort after the fact.  

When he got back to the bedroom, Rupert was out of the washroom and tying up the collar of his shirt.  Or, he was trying to.  He appeared to be struggling.  

“Need help?”  Amir walked over to him and fastened the tie.  He knew just how Rupert liked it and inwardly glowed with pride at the fact.  

Then he noticed how badly Rupert’s hands were shaking and the delight dissipated.  He took them in his own, bringing them to his lips.  “My love,” he said softly.  

“I’m fine,” Rupert lied.  

“I’m sure she missed you.”  When Rupert didn’t reply, he went on.  “And I think she’ll be thrilled to see you again.  She’s not going to be angry, or anything.”  He pressed his lips to Rupert’s forehead.  “Your mother loves you so much.”  

Rupert pulled away to fix his hair in the mirror, not meeting Amir’s eyes.  

“You should talk to her after dinner.  I’m sure you have a lot to catch up on, and maybe you’ll feel better about all of this.”  He paused, watching Rupert comb his fingers through his hair.  “I know you miss her too.”  

Rupert closed his eyes.  “Yeah,” he said after a moment.  

There was a knock on the door.  They turned to see Sylvie, one of their staff, poke his head in.  

“The queens have arrived,” he said.  “We’ve escorted them to the private dining room.”  

“Thank you.”  Amir dismissed him, then looked over at Rupert.  Some of the color had drained from his face.  “It’ll be okay,” he reassured him.  “I’ve got you.”  He offered Rupert his hand.  “I love you.”  

“I love you too.”  His eyes stared straight ahead as he took Amir’s proffered hand.  “It’s just dinner.”  

“It’s just dinner.”  

They walked down the stairs, hand in hand, and stopped in front of the massive dining room doors.  Rupert took an audible breath and Amir nodded to the guards, who then opened the doors for them.  

The queens stood from their seats.  Rupert and Amir bowed before sitting down at the table.  The queens sat back down.  One of the servants placed fingerbowls down.  

“Thank you, Kier,” Amir said before turning to his mother.  Atossa smiled at him with a graceful dip of her chin.  “How was your trip?”  

“Smooth.  The roads are excellent and I think the ride was even fifteen minutes shorter than last time.”  

Kier removed the finger bowls and placed bowls of soup in front of everyone, then poured wine.  Lavinia took a long drink and then cleared her throat.  “So.  Rupert,” she began awkwardly.  “Your hair’s gotten long.”  

“Yes,” Rupert said tersely.  

A stretch of silence.  Rupert hadn’t even looked at her yet.  He just stared into the soup bowl, mechanically lifting the spoon to his mouth.  Amir nudged Rupert’s knee with his own.  Rupert didn’t respond.  

“You had a meeting with your advisors today, did you not?” asked Atossa, attempting to break some of the tension.  “How did that go?”  

“It went well.  The general consensus is that people seem to be really happy with how we’re ruling.  We’re definitely still on track to expand our borders at the year’s end.”  

Both Rupert and Amir were still inexperienced when it came to ruling entirely on their own, so they’d worked out a plan with the queens.  Each queen would rule over her respective kingdom while the princes presided over the Heartland, and every year the Heartland’s borders would grow to encompass more of the East and the West.  The entire plan was supposed to take about ten years but Amir felt like they could speed up the process.  They were both proving to be excellent rulers and complemented each other where they needed it most.  Amir kept Rupert on track and Rupert reminded Amir to use both his head and his heart.  

Amir smiled over at Rupert but it fell when he saw that Rupert still hadn’t looked up from his now-empty soup bowl.  He nudged his knee again, then adjusted so that his thigh was touching Rupert’s.  

“Speaking of the year’s end.”  Lavinia looked at Rupert too, her anxiety clear in the purse of her lips.  “Will we see a wedding by then?  You two still haven’t gotten married.”  She glanced at Atossa and whispered, “Right?”  

“No, you have not.”  Atossa reached over and patted Lavinia’s hand once before removing it.  “Are there any plans as of yet?”  

Rupert finally tore his gaze away from the bowl but chose to look directly at Atossa.  “Not yet.  And we probably won’t be able to by the end of the year.  There are a few northern villages that need our help so we’ll need to go up there.  Amir’s also expanding his education program and I just found out that one of the wolves is pregnant at our sanctuary -”  

“Oh, your sanctuary!” Lavinia gasped.  “Yes, Rupert, tell us.  How is that going?”  

“Fine,” he answered without sparing her so much as a glance.  “And I’m working on translating a book into layman’s terms.  We’ve just got a lot on our plate.”  

Kier removed their bowls and placed a serving of chicken in front of each of them.  

“I know how busy you two are,” Lavinia said.  “But that’s not going to stop any time soon.  Better put it on your calendar now so you can plan around it!”  

That was a good point.  He looked at Rupert and took his hand.  “Maybe we should set a date.”  

“We can talk about it later.”  He pushed his chicken around on his plate.  “How are things in the East Proper?  Any uprisings, illnesses, shortages?”  

“I actually received a report the other day that the price of purple dye has gone up considerably,” Atossa replied.  “The mollusks used to make it are growing scarce.”  

“Good riddance,” Lavinia laughed.  “Purple is such an artificial color.  It’s so ostentatious but boring at the same time.”  

Rupert’s fork stopped.  “Purple’s my favorite color.”  

Lavinia stopped mid-laugh and looked at him as if he’d grown another head.  “Don’t be silly, dear.  Your favorite color is red.  You had your room decorated in it.”  

“No, that’s your favorite color.  You had my room painted red.”  He turned his attention back to Atossa.  “Is there any way to breed the mollusks in captivity until the species recovers?”  

“Perhaps.  I’m more concerned with why they are so few, if it’s indicative of a larger issue.”  

“Have there been reports of any other species petering off like that?” Amir asked.  

“None that I’ve heard.”  She looked over at Lavinia, who had finished off her wine and was waiting for more.  “What about you, Lavinia?  How are things in the West?”  

“They’re great.  No, no, they’re wonderful .  We’ve rebuilt the garden and I had the most beautiful orchids installed.  And we had a royal ball last week just for fun and everyone spoke so highly of it.  Except for Lady Marjorie, of course, but I think she’s still just bitter that she didn’t get to marry her daughter off to Rupert.  Ah, have I ever told you that she and I were once rivals for Ufgherd’s affections?  Not that she stood a chance against me, of course – poor dear.”  

Lavinia continued on as Atossa and Amir listened politely.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rupert down his glass of wine and look to Kier for more.  He tapped his foot against Rupert’s, silently telling him to pace himself, but Rupert gave no indication that he’d even felt it.  

The rest of dinner went by.  Rupert mostly picked at his food and engaged with Atossa, all but ignoring Lavinia.  Amir and Atossa both tried to include her in the conversation but the chill radiating from Rupert seemed to keep her from talking much more.  

Once the last of the dishes were cleared away, Lavinia stood.  “Well.  If there’s nothing else that needs discussing, I suppose I should -”  

“Yes.”  Rupert stood too.  “Safe trip, Your Majesty.”  

The honorific seemed to strike Lavinia in the chest.  Her chin trembled just slightly but she was able to stop it.  

Amir looked at his mother helplessly.  “Mother, why don’t you go on up to the drawing room?  Rupert and I will meet you there.”  He looked at their servant.  “Kier, could you …?”  

“Of course, Your Highness.”  He led Atossa out of the dining room.  

Rupert glanced at Amir, confused, as Amir stood and walked through the doors.  Rupert followed him.  “Where are we going?” he asked.  

Amir turned and whispered, “I’m going up to the drawing room.  You’re staying here and talking to your mother.”  

Rupert’s face flushed.  “Amir,” he hissed, keeping his voice low, “I told you -”  

“You told me that you missed her before dinner but you spent the entire evening being just short of hostile.  Clearly you two have something you need to talk out.”  

“No, we don’t.  All I need is for her to leave.”  

“Rupert, you’re breaking her heart.  I know you still care about her.  So go.  Talk to her.  Tell her what you really feel.  She’ll listen to you, and she’ll forgive you.”  

Rupert looked at him for a long time, then wordlessly turned on his heel.  The guards opened the doors again and Rupert walked through, his head high and shoulders tensely square.  Amir smiled a little to himself and went upstairs to join his mother.  

“Where’s Rupert?” Atossa asked when he came in alone.  

“He’s talking to Queen Lavinia.”  He joined her on the couch.  

“That’s surprising, given his behavior at dinner.”  

“Well, I might have nudged him a little.”  Amir helped himself to a cup of tea.  “I just think that if they have an actual conversation, he’ll come around.  And who knows, maybe he’ll even apologize.”  

“Apologize?” Atossa echoed.  

“Yeah.  I mean, of course I understand why he’s angry.  She kept a lot from him.  But cutting her off for three years?  Isn’t that a little harsh?”  

Atossa carefully set her teacup down.  “Rupert has nothing to apologize for.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“He’s done nothing wrong.”  

“Nothing?”  Amir shook his head.  “Mom, what if I stopped talking to you for three years?  Wouldn’t you be upset?”  

“I’d be devastated.  But this isn’t about you or me or even Lavinia.”  She smoothed his hair back from his face.  “I don’t know the details of Rupert’s upbringing but I do know Lavinia.  And while she has changed in many ways in the years I’ve known her, she still has her faults.”  

“But Rupert wasn’t - he -” Amir shook his head.  “He hasn’t talked to her at all!  And he wasn’t even open with her about how she’d hurt him.  I just thought that if they could talk, maybe he'd understand.”  

“I thought they had talked the night before he cut her off.”  

“They fought .  Even I don’t know what -” He stopped.  “I don’t know what happened.”  

“Maybe he did tell her his grievances.  Maybe he didn’t.”  

“He’s been avoiding her.”  

“Avoiding?  Or has he simply decided that she has no place in his life beyond politics?”  

Amir shook his head, looking down at his lap.  “I just – if I felt like I couldn’t talk to you, I’d do everything in my power to fix it.”  

“As would I, my son.  But our relationship is not the same as Rupert and Lavinia’s.”  

Amir’s stomach turned.  “You don’t think I should’ve told Rupert to talk to her.”  

“You’ve certainly made wiser decisions.”  

“I should go and stop them, then.  Right?”  He started to stand but Atossa took his hand.  

“No,” she said firmly.  “That will only make things worse.”  

Amir sank back into the couch, burying his face in his hands.  “I don’t - I don’t understand.”  

Atossa put a comforting hand on his knee.  “Maybe you never will.  But you’re so young, Amir.  There’s so much you don’t know.”  

“It’s Rupert.   I know him better than I know anyone or anything else.”  He leaned his head back against the couch.  “And I still messed up, didn’t I?”  

Atossa gave him a small smile.  “You cannot know everything, dear.  You can only learn what you’re given and go forward.”  

“Is he going to be okay?”  He remembered the night Rupert and Lavinia had fought.  Rupert hadn’t spoken a word, he’d just curled up against Amir and hugged him tightly.  The next day he hadn’t acted like anything was wrong at all, but he stood on the balcony every evening for the following week, staring out at nothing, his hands gripping the railing so hard his knuckles were bone white.  Amir had tried to coax him back inside, not understanding at the time that Rupert just needed space to think.  

He’d been so sure that he knew Rupert back then, too.  

“Rupert is strong.  He will be fine.  But he might be upset with you, and he has reason.”  

“He does,” Amir agreed.  

“Remember, the key to successful marriage is open and honest communication.  You two will work it out and be better for it.”  

“We’re not married yet,” Amir lied.  His necklace suddenly felt heavy.  Only two people besides them knew and his mother wasn’t one of them.  

“Of course.”  But Atossa’s look told him that she knew more than she was letting on.  “Now, enough about this.  I’ve heard about how the kingdom is doing but I want to hear about you , Amir.  How are you doing?”  

Chapter Text

Amir walked into their bedroom and was surprised to see Rupert standing out on the balcony.  He figured he’d arrive first.  

He went outside to join him, placing a gentle hand on the small of his back to let him know he was here.  Rupert didn’t acknowledge his presence, eyes fixed on something in the distance.  Amir followed his gaze and saw Lavinia’s carriage departing.  His heart sank.  

“Rupert.”  He could only speak in a whisper.  “Rupert, I’m - I’m so sorry.”  

Rupert didn’t move until Lavinia’s carriage was out of sight.  He turned around, leaning back against the railing of the balcony, and sighed, closing his eyes.  

“I shouldn’t have -”  

“Amir.  I need …"  His brow furrowed and he looked over at him.  “I need to process.”  

“I’ll go back inside.”  

“No, no, I’m gonna go for a walk.”  

Amir watched Rupert leave and hugged himself tightly.  He’d thought he was helping Rupert but he was just hurting him.  

Why couldn’t he have left well enough alone?  Why did he always think that he knew best?  

He wiped his eyes and trudged back inside, plopping ungracefully onto the couch.  He grabbed a random book off the side table – one of Rupert’s Farsi manuals – and skimmed through it although he was only doing it to keep himself occupied.  His eyes danced over the printed figures and Rupert’s meticulous copies.  His handwriting in English was rushed, half print and half cursive, but he always took his time when he wrote in Farsi, careful not to make a mistake.  He’d been studying it for close to three years now and he was a fast learner.  His grasp of the language was to the point that he could understand what Amir was saying if he spoke to him in Farsi but he wasn’t the best at coming up with his own sentences on the fly.  

Rupert said he needed to learn it because it was spoken frequently in the East.  When Amir told him that everyone was raised speaking both English and Farsi, and that no one minded speaking to him solely in English, Rupert said that wasn’t the point.  He wanted to learn about their people, and to him that meant learning their language.  

He did so much for others.  It was what made him a great ruler.  But sometimes he forgot to do things for himself.  Amir had a similar habit and they were working on holding each other accountable.  He worried about Rupert, though.  Even his preferred pastime – working in the animal sanctuary – was to help others rather than himself.  

And yet when Rupert made a decision about his own life, about his own happiness, Amir ignored him and convinced him to talk to Lavinia even though he didn’t want to, even though he’d already made up his mind about her.  

Amir was a hypocrite.  

Sylvie brought their snack in an hour later – blackberry cobbler, just like Amir had requested – but Rupert still hadn’t returned.  Amir ignored the dessert and flipped through the pages of one of Rupert’s favorite books.  It was a story about a dragon (big surprise there) that was captured in its youth and forced to perform in a circus.  One of the actors eventually took pity on it and left its cage unlocked one night, and the dragon escaped but realized that it didn’t know how to live now that it was free because it had spent so long in captivity.  

A heavy subject for a children’s book, Amir thought, but the stories of his own youth had held similar themes.  He just hadn’t seen them because he was a child.  

Rupert had let him borrow it when they first got together, and Amir cried the first time he read it.  He hadn’t understood why the dragon’s joy was so short-lived, why it couldn’t just enjoy being free.  He still didn’t understand, not completely.  But he understood its grief.  

He was surprised when Rupert told him that he understood the dragon’s perspective and then refused to elaborate further.  

Thinking about it now made him feel sick to his stomach.  

The door opened just as Amir set the book back down, and Rupert walked into the room.  His shoulders were slumped and he dragged his feet, like picking them up would take too much energy.  He grabbed his pajamas off of the screen and changed slowly, fingers fumbling a little with the strings of his shirt.  The he came over to the couch and sank down into the cushions, right next to Amir.  Amir watched him and waited for a sign that it was okay to touch him, to pull him close and run his fingers through his hair and kiss his head.  

Rupert reached out, still not looking at Amir, and Amir took his hand.  He squeezed it gently before bringing it up to his lips.  

“Do you want to talk about it or do you want a distraction?” he asked.  

Rupert shook his head, finally turning to face him.  His eyes were red-rimmed.  “Can we just cuddle for a minute?”  His voice was dry.  

Amir nodded and Rupert scooted close, resting his head on his shoulder.  Amir slid his arm around him and took his closest hand with his free one.  Rupert played lightly with his fingers.  Amir blinked and a few tears rolled down his cheek.  He’d always been a sympathetic crier, and even though he’d gotten a handle on it over the years he still cried whenever Rupert did.  

Rupert never cried – not from anguish.  He got tearful over good things, like getting married or being told that he and Amir were on track to be the best rulers the land had ever seen.  And sometimes Amir could make him cry from laughter.  But negative emotions didn’t affect him as much, at least not enough to bring him to tears.  So if Rupert was crying over this, it was bad .  

And it was Amir’s fault.  

“Please stop crying,” Rupert said, not looking up from Amir’s shoulder.  

“I’m not crying,” Amir lied.  

Rupert pulled away, only to reach up and caress Amir’s cheeks, wiping his tears away.  

“Stop it.”  Amir sniffed and willed himself to stop.  “I’m supposed to be comforting you right now, not the other way around.”  

Rupert crawled into Amir’s lap and leaned down, resting their foreheads together.  “You love me,” he whispered.  

“More than anything.”  Amir placed his hands on Rupert’s waist, then thought better of it and wrapped his arms around him properly.  “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.  And I’d do anything to make you happy.  And I’m - I’m so -”  

“Don’t apologize.  I understand.  I should’ve been more upfront with you.”  

“I should’ve listened to you.  You told me you wanted nothing to do with her.”  

“It was obvious that you didn’t understand, I just didn’t think to tell you.”  

“But I don’t need to understand everything to respect your decisions.  That’s something I need to work on.”  

“And I need to remind myself that you’re not going to stop loving me the second I reveal too much of myself to you.  That’s something I need to work on.”  

“You could never reveal too much to me.”  He blinked hard.  “And I’m so sorry that’s something you’re worried about.”  

“It’s not your fault.”  Rupert’s chin trembled and he looked away.  “And - and it’s not my fault either.”  

“It’s not,” Amir promised.  “It’s really not.”  

Rupert nodded, but then his shoulders began to shake and he covered his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut.  He choked back a sob and whatever small piece of Amir’s heart that was still intact shattered.  

“Come here, love.”  He pulled Rupert down, guiding his head to his shoulder.  Rupert hugged him tightly, face buried in Amir’s shirt, and cried.  “I’ve got you.”  Amir rubbed circles into his back.  “I’ve got you.”  

Rupert stilled a few minutes later, taking a few shuddering breaths before pulling away and wiping his face.  Then he frowned at the giant wet mark he’d left on Amir’s shoulder.  

“Do you wanna go to bed?” Amir asked, not giving him the chance to apologize.  

He opened his mouth to answer but stopped, looking at something over Amir’s shoulder.  “Is that – is that blackberry cobbler?”  

“Huh?”  Amir had completely forgotten about that.  “Oh.  Yeah.  I asked for it because I knew tonight would be stressful.”  

Rupert’s face lit up.  “ Babe ,” he cooed, hopping off his lap and all but sprinting to the table.  “That’s so sweet of you.”  

“It’s probably cold by now.”  

“Hey, blackberry cobbler is blackberry cobbler.”  He sat down at the table and waved Amir over.  “Come on, I can’t eat it all by myself.”  

“We both know that’s not true,” Amir chuckled.  But he complied, taking one of the forks.  They ate in silence for a few moments before he said, “I know you don’t want me to apologize but I am sorry.  I made you talk to Queen Lavinia and you got hurt.  That’s the last thing I wanted to happen.”  

“I know.  And I forgive you.”  

Amir didn’t think he deserved to be forgiven this quickly but he wasn’t surprised.  Rupert always forgave Amir.  He just hoped he wasn’t inadvertently taking it for granted.  

“I love you so much.”  

“I love you too.”  Rupert ate the last bite of the cobbler and licked his fork.  “But you didn’t make me .”  

“I did.”  

Rupert fixed him with a look.  “Have you ever been able to make me do anything?  You had a point, Amir.  I needed to talk to her, at least to tell her once and for all that I didn’t want a relationship with her.”  He sighed, leaning back in his chair.  “I just never expected her to apologize to me.”  

“She did?”  

Rupert nodded.  “Yeah.  She told me that she realized how terrible of a parent she’d been, and that she was especially sorry it took me cutting her off for her to see it.  And then she said that she wanted a relationship – a real relationship with me.”  

But Lavinia had left.  They’d both watched her carriage go.  “You told her no.”  

“I told her I wasn’t ready yet.  And that maybe I never would be.  And she told me she understood.”  He threw his hands up.  “That’s so weird for her.  I get that she’s trying but – but just because she apologized doesn’t mean I have to forgive her, no matter how sincere she was.  Because the fact of the matter is, she can’t erase what happened.  And I feel guilty about my decision even though I know that I shouldn’t.  And I watched her leave and I feel bad about that but I also …"  He took a breath, fiddling with his necklace.  “As soon as she was gone, it was like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest.  Or like I’d been drowning and could finally come up for air.”  

“I didn’t realize.”  

“That’s because I didn’t tell you.  I didn’t want you to know.”  He looked down at the now empty plate.  “I don’t even like admitting it to myself.”  

Amir scooted closer and took his free hand.  “If I could take all of this away from you, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”  

“I know you would.”  

“But all I have to offer is my support.  I’m with you all the way.  And I mean it – if I stop listening to you, please call me out.  I want to do better.”  

“I’ll try.  And if I’m being too vague about something, you can absolutely ask for clarification, and I’ll try to be more upfront.  Deal?”  

“Deal.”  He pulled Rupert in for a kiss.  His lips tasted like the sweet blackberry filling.  “Want to change the subject?”  

Rupert groaned gratefully.  “More than anything.”  

“Okay.  Well, I think my mom knows about our secret.”  

Rupert gave a short laugh.  “I’m not surprised.  She’s pretty observant.  And I mean, it’s not like we don’t act married.  We can tell her after the ceremony.”  

“Which we still need to set a date for.”  

“Let’s just choose our real anniversary.  That way we only have to remember one.”  

That was actually a very good idea.  “Okay, yeah.”  Their anniversary was coming up soon so they’d just have to plan for next year.  They both were busy with everything anyway.  “ So we can tell Chamberlain tomorrow, have Chuck get the unofficial papers drawn up, and we’ll get married next - ”  He stopped short when he realized that he’d forgotten what day they got married .  “Next June.”  

Rupert arched an eyebrow.  “You forgot our anniversary.”  

“I - I should not have.  Because that’s a very important date.  And I know it’s mid-June.”  

“Yes.”  

“I feel like it’s next week?”  He buried his face in his hands.  “Ugh, I’m completely blanking, I’m sorry.”  

Rupert snorted.  “It’s okay.  I actually don’t remember, either.”  He stood, dancing out of the way when Amir swatted playfully at him.  “But I’ve got the certificate in our scrapbook.”  

“Scrapbook?”  

“Yup.  I got bored last winter when you were out trying to recruit more knights with Joan.  So I made a compilation of all our important documents.”  

Amir smiled, moving the dishes out of the way when Rupert pulled a thick album off of their bookshelf.  “That thing’s huge .  What all do you have in there?”  

“Just the important stuff.”  He set it down on the table.  “Like copies of our birth certificates, with the necessary modifications.”  He opened the book and Amir leaned closer to see.  “Did you know you’re almost a full hour older than me?”  

“No, I did not.”  

“Yup!  I’m married to a senior citizen.”  

“Yeah, one foot in the grave.”  

They shared a smile.  

“And then I put in my least hated portrait as a kid, then I sketched out your only portrait of you as a kid.”  

Amir made a face at the picture.  “That’s not a sketch.  That’s a full painting you did there, and the detail work is amazing.  But please turn the page.”  

Rupert laughed and complied.  “I also wrote out the prophecy.  Then I’ve got -”  

“My poetry,” Amir whispered.  

“Every single poem you ever wrote me is in here.”  Rupert smiled and bumped their shoulders together.  “I reread some of them whenever I’ve had a bad day.  You can tell by how much more worn these pages are.”  

“You’re so sweet.”  

“Yeah, keep that in mind when I show you the drawings I’ve done of you.”  

Amir rolled his eyes.  Rupert used to have trouble sleeping so he’d pass the night by drawing Amir as he slept.  He really was an excellent artist but Amir didn’t think the sketches were overly flattering.  He loved all of Rupert’s work but if he had to choose a least favorite, it would be the one where he was sleeping with an arm draped awkwardly over his face and his mouth half open.  

It happened to be the third drawing in the scrapbook.  

“I wish you didn’t hate this one so much,” Rupert said.  “It’s my favorite.”  He traced it gently.  “You just … exist in it, you know?  Getting to see you so relaxed, getting to see you without any of your royal persona, makes me feel even luckier to have you in my life.”  

“I could never hate anything you made, love.”  He kissed Rupert’s temple.  

They flipped through more drawings and poems and a few pressed flowers before they finally came to their certificate.  Rupert picked it up before Amir could read the date.  

“Oh, it was yesterday,” Rupert deadpanned.  

“It was not .”  Amir snatched it from him and looked at the paper.  “The sixteenth isn’t until next Wednesday.”  

Rupert stuck his tongue out at Amir before leaning against him.  “Almost two years,” he said.  “And I’m still as crazy about you as I’ve ever been.”  

“I fall in love with you more and more every day.”  

They shared a soft kiss.  “I am so glad we found each other,” Rupert whispered.  “I never thought a person could be anyone’s home before I met you.  But you are.  And no matter what happens to either of us, I know it’s going to be okay because we have each other, and we always will.”  

“ Of course we will.”  Amir brushed Rupert’s hair from his face.  “We’re Rupert and Amir.  We’re destiny .”  

Rupert chuckled.  “And if we weren’t, I’d find a way to rearrange the stars themselves to make it so.”  

Amir didn’t doubt it for a moment.  He pulled him in for another kiss but this one had a little more heat, a tentative promise.  

But then Rupert broke it and yelled, “ Dumbwaiter !”  

“What?”  

“Dumbwaiter!  That’s the thing we couldn’t remember the word for earlier today, when we were holding audience.”  

Amir smiled.  “You’re ridiculous.”  

“Yeah, I am.”  Rupert was suddenly in his arms again.  “And you love it.”  

“I do.”  He pressed a kiss to his cheek before asking, “Do you want to go to bed now?”  

Rupert nodded.  “It is getting pretty late and you have to be up before dawn again tomorrow.”  

“Or we can both get up before dawn tomorrow and train together some more.”  

“Do you want a divorce?”  

Amir laughed and pulled Rupert to his feet.  “Fine.”  Then he bit his lip.  “What if we trained right now?  I mean, you said this morning that I needed to work on my swordsmanship and practice does make perfect.”  

Rupert’s lips pursed as he tried not to laugh but he ultimately failed.  “That was terrible.”  He sat down on the bed.  “You’ve got a point, though.”  

Amir joined him, resting their foreheads together.  Their noses bumped but they didn’t kiss yet.  

“But you’d better really pay close attention to this lesson because there will be a test.”  

Amir grinned.  “I’m gonna do so much prep work.  Gotta be prepared.”  

Rupert shook his head fondly and pressed his lips to Amir’s.  They kissed slowly, not breaking it even as they lay back on the bed and readjusted to get comfortable.  Amir brought his hand to Rupert’s cheek and ran his thumb across it, his eyelashes fluttering.  

They couldn’t forget about all of their worries when they were together like this but they could set them aside to be dealt with later.  Amir could turn his full attention to loving and being with Rupert – his Rupert, his husband .  He could lose himself in the warmth of Rupert’s body against his, he could take solace in the fact that despite everything they were still here .  

The morning would come, as it always did, and bring new challenges.  But it didn’t scare Amir like it used to because Rupert was right, they were each other’s home and they would always have each other.  

The rest of the world faded as Amir’s foremost reality became Rupert .  

“I love you,” he whispered.  

And Rupert’s reply came, as inevitable as it was unnecessary.  “I love you too.”