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I.
Damen wasn’t a light sleeper by nature, but ever since he started spending his nights with Laurent, he had learned to be more attentive towards the slightest movement beside him. Laurent wasn’t usually fitful, but there were times when he would suddenly grow rigid in Damen’s arms, as if momentarily forgetting where he was. Other times, he would curl closer to Damen as he sought for more warmth. It was fairly easy for them to fall back asleep after the slight disturbance, but today, Damen woke to find Laurent perched at the edge of their bed.
His back was to him, but Damen could see the lines of tension around Laurent’s body judging from how tightly he held himself. He looked small all of a sudden, and the sight made Damen’s heart ache.
“Laurent?” he called and instinctively reached towards him, but Laurent only drew his knees tighter against his chest when he sensed Damen’s movements.
“Don’t,” Laurent warned, although it came out sounding more like a shaky exhale.
“Alright” Damen settled back against the pillows and prepared himself for a long night ahead. “What can I do for you?”
“Just...stay with me.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“You should sleep then.”
“You know I can’t not until you feel well enough to come back to bed.”
Laurent turned to look at him then, but a deep sadness had replaced the usual look of indifference in his eyes. “I dreamt about you.”
“Oh? What was it about?” Damen prompted, but instead of responding, Laurent turned away and folded back into himself. Damen slowly made his way towards the edge of the bed. He settled next to Laurent, careful to leave a few inches of space between them in vase his presence was unwelcome. “Can I touch you?”
Laurent nodded mutely, but relaxed against Damen’s tentative embrace. They stayed like that for a few moments as the silence continued to stretch between them, and Damen was just about to drift off when Laurent spoke again. “It wasn’t even a bad dream. It was about an ideal world where Akielos and Vere never went to war, and I met you for the first time in Ios on your coronation day. You had a wife and a child…and you were happy.”
“I am happy now.” Damen felt it was necessary to add.
Laurent shook his head, as if refusing to accept the thought, and went on. “It made me think that perhaps you would be better off if you hadn’t met me.”
“Laurent,” Damen tried to protest but startled when he felt Laurent’s hand trail down his back. His reaction only made Laurent grow even tenser.
“You wouldn’t have these.” He continued to trace the scars, but Damen pulled Laurent’s hand away and pressed it firmly against his own chest. “That’s enough.”
“I’ve caused you so much pain,” Laurent said, seemingly in a daze.
“So have I,” Damen pointed out.
“Not on purpose.”
“Are you going to tell me Kastor’s betrayal was your fault as well? Because that hurt me more than what you did, and it would’ve happened anyway regardless of whether or not you are part of my life.”
Laurent said nothing and refused to meet Damen’s eyes. Anyone else would mistake his silence for acceptance, but Damen knew it was always a verbal sparring when it comes to Laurent. He was probably piecing together an elaborate argument in his head, but Damen pressed on before Laurent could make him doubt himself. “I’ve long since forgiven you Laurent, but if I had to do that all over again just so I can have you in my life, I would gladly do so.”
“You’re an idiot, then,” Laurent told him, though there was no venom behind his words. Damen knew he had won, but he wanted to take a step further to clear the doubt from Laurent’s eyes.
“Laurent, I cannot imagine a life without you, but even if we had met under different circumstances, it would change noting between us.”
“You would hate me,” Laurent said with a self-deprecating smile.
“I wouldn’t.”
“Or perhaps you would be driven by blind lust at first sight.”
“That does sound more likely. But you wouldn’t let me anywhere near you if that were the case.”
“Exactly. We’d remain as strangers.”
“I would have persisted. I’d work to earn your friendship first, and then I’d court you.”
Laurent’s smile turned sardonic.
“Does the idea of me courting you seem so absurd?” Damen asked.
“Not at all,” Laurent replied smoothly. “But I’ve been courted many times before and it did not end well for any of them.”
“But I’m different.”
“I know. You are very stubborn, but I’m sure you won’t waste your time chasing me when there are others who are vying for your affections.”
“You underestimate me,” Damen said and nuzzled Laurent’s hair playfully.
“You don’t know the lengths I’m willing to go through just to get your answer.”
“You mean the lengths you’d go through for a good fuck?” Laurent asked wryly. The tension had drained from his body completely, and now he was leaning against Damen’s side, openly affectionate.
Damen frowned. “You know you’re more than just a good fuck.”
Laurent only hummed in agreement. He must really be exhausted if he didn’t have a clever retort prepared.
“Come back to bed,” Damen said and tugged at Laurent’s hand as he moved back towards the pillows. Laurent wordlessly followed his suit, and Damen waited for him to settle comfortably in his arms before he spoke again. “I meant it when I said I would court you with all the grace and courtesy you deserve.”
“Perhaps you would get your chance,” Laurent responded wistfully. Damen wondered how he managed t sound so eloquent despite the exhaustion slowly taking over him.
“Perhaps,” he echoed, and for once, Damen was the one who fell asleep with an intricate plan in his head.
II.
The pressing matters that came with running two kingdoms kept Damen and Laurent apart for most days of the week, which was why it was relatively easy for Damen to slip away from the palace to visit the local blacksmith without Laurent noticing.
He had decided that his first courting gift to Laurent would be a sword. It was an Akielon tradition to give a blade as a symbol of their willingness to protect the person they were courting. Damen knew they had both made that clear during Laurent’s trial, but he still wanted to give Laurent a sword mostly because he didn’t seem to have one of his own.
Laurent was an excellent swordsman, and yet he armed himself with borrowed swords and never seemed to prefer one over another. It felt impersonal, much like his chambers in Vere, and Damen hoped he could give Laurent something he would appreciate and cherish.
The sword took about three days to forge, and the blacksmith personally delivered it to the palace despite Damen’s insistence to pick it up from his shop.
Damen hid the sword in their private training grounds, and on a particularly idle day, he asked Laurent to spar with him.
“Is there something wrong?” Laurent asked when he met Damen at the training grounds. Damen was sitting casually on a bench after hiding Laurent’s new sword behind a wall tapestry.
“Nothing,” he assured as he strode over to Laurent. “I just wish to spend time with you.” He understood Laurent’s concern, since they rarely ever sparred unless they needed to take their frustrations out on each other. Damen hoped his plan wouldn’t raise any suspicions, but Laurent was no longer looking at him questioningly when he handed him a practice him a practice blade.
“There are other ways to spend time together,” Laurent said with a suggestive smile and slowly trailed the edge of his sword down Damen’s chest. Damen swatted it away with his own sword before it could go any further.
“I’m doing you a favor,” he said. “I’m making sure you don’t get rusty.”
Laurent swung at his sword in response, nearly knocking it out of Damen’s loose grip. “I think you’re the one who’s getting rusty.”
“We haven’t started yet,” Damen told him. Laurent flourished his sword again, and this time, Damen was prepared to parry it.
“Well?” Laurent tilted his head at him. “Are we starting yet?”
And so began the game of cat and mouse. It brought back an unbidden memory for a moment, of a different training ground, littered with armor and splintered wood, the sound of a knife clattering on the floor, and the image of Laurent, feral with rage and writhing underneath him, but Damen was able to banish the thought immediately.
Things were different now. Laurent was no longer lethal but playful, and Damen was grinning uncontrollably. They had nothing to prove to each other, and they spent the whole time circling the arena, as if they were engaged in a dance instead of a fight.
Laurent stepped forward occasionally to meet Damen’s blade, and then he would dart out of reach with a playful laugh, as if daring Damen to catch him. Damen indulged his deceptive maneuvering, but after a while, he began his attempts to back Laurent into a corner.
It was difficult, considering how agile Laurent was. He always managed to slip away right before Damen stepped into his space. It took several rounds to successfully corner and disarm Laurent, but instead of telling him to yield, Damen dropped his own sword and tackled Laurent into an embrace.
“Wh—Damen,” Laurent gasped as he was bodily lifted off his feet. He tried to squirm away as Damen spun him around, but after a few failed attempts, he resigned himself to his fate and let out a breathless laugh.
It was rare to hear Laurent laugh so freely. It made Damen’s heart swell, and he absently tried to memorize the sound so he could tuck it away in his memory.
“What was that for?” Laurent asked once his feet were touching the ground again.
Damen kept his arm around Laurent’s waist, not wanting to part with him yet. “I was wooing you.”
“Consider me wooed then,” Laurent said. “You’re still as good as I remembered. I was worried I might have to divorce you if you lose all this.” He gave Damen’s biceps an appreciative squeeze.
Damen saw the opportunity and took it. “But we are yet to be married, and I haven’t had the chance to properly court you.”
“I thought we were past that point.”
“Are we?”
They were standing so close to where the wall tapestry was hanging. Damen let go of Laurent’s waist and strode past him to retrieve the sword from its hiding place. “I have something for you.”
“Is it a kiss?” Laurent said as he turned to look at Damen. “How very predict—” he trailed off when he saw what Damen was holding. It was an Akielon-style long sword that had been customized to suit Laurent’s height and build, but unlike any other sword made in Akielos, there was a starburst carved on the pommel of the hilt.
Laurent simply stared at it for a moment before asking. “What is this?”
“It’s a sword,” Damen stated, his tone a matter-of-fact. “It’s my courting gift to you,” he amended after receiving a glare.
Laurent took the sword from his outstretched hands and turned it over to admire it. Something unfathomable flickered across his expression, and Damen somehow knew he was thinking of Auguste. Damen’s heart lurched as he wondered what kind of painful memories he might have incited, but when Laurent met his gaze, his eyes were fond instead of cold. “I should have known you were stubborn enough to pursue this idea.”
“So…do I have a chance?”
Laurent let out an un-princely snort. “You ask me that as if you do not bed me every night.”
“But I’d like to know,” Damen insisted. “If I was one of your suitors, would I have a chance?”
“I’m afraid I’m quite biased. Perhaps I should invite all my previous suitors to challenge you to a duel. It would definitely settle things fairly.”
“You know I’d win easily.”
“Don’t get too confident now” Laurent told him and then he looked at the sword again, seeming lost in thought. “Of course you would have a chance. Truly, I thank you for this. I don’t think anyone but Auguste has ever given me a sword.”
“Perhaps you terrify people too much,” Damen said teasingly.
“A wise decision, really,” Laurent agreed and propped the sword against the nearby wall. Damen took it as an invitation to pull him back into his arms, but Laurent stopped him with a firm hand against his chest. “I just accepted your courting gift.”
“I am aware,” Damen said with a note of bemusement.
Laurent raised a brow at him. “Are you also aware that we’re not allowed to be in the same room without a chaperone and that we are not allowed to kiss or touch each other anywhere but on our hands?”
“That’s just cruel.”
“Those are the rules.”
Damen slipped his arm around Laurent’s waist. “Well, I’ve never been one to follow rules.”
“You cheat,” Laurent said but allowed Damen to kiss him anyway.
III.
Damen found himself wondering what it would’ve been like if he had asked for Aleron’s permission to court Laurent. He would most likely be expected to adhere to the rules since it was the standard procedure to courting royalty. However, Damen couldn’t imagine himself committing to the rules now, especially when he and Laurent could barely keep their hands off each other, so Damen started thinking of different ways they could break them.
Laurent would probably want a chase. He’d go to the marketplace with Damen, then he’d take Damen’s hand all of a sudden and run into a crowd to lose their chaperones. And then they’d spend the rest of the day roaming the kingdom in ridiculous disguises. The idea appealed to Damen, although they couldn’t exactly pursue it now that they were both kings and not princes who could go about shirking their duties. Still, he wanted to arrange something thrilling for Laurent because he had rarely left the palace since his ascension.
Damen’s thoughts strayed towards the ladder that was embedded in the walls outside the palace, carefully hidden from an outsider’s perspective and was only accessible from the balcony of the royal chambers. It was meant to provide a quick escape in case of an attack, but it was also the perfect means for a prince to defy his father’s orders and steal into the night with a lover. His father had forbidden him from going out late at night when he was younger, but that didn’t stop Damen from sneaking into the gardens or to a local pub. He could probably get away with doing the same with Laurent, except they might go riding instead. No one would dare stop them, but there was just an added thrill to pretending they were escaping the palace for a late night tryst.
The following day, Damen made sure to stay a respectful distance from Laurent once they got out of bed. He greeted Laurent by kissing his hand and spent the rest of the day making sure they were never alone in a room without a chaperone.
Laurent realized what he was doing the moment Damen only kissed his hand and nowhere else. He indulged Damen’s antics but rolled his eyes every time their gazes met throughout the day. Laurent was expecting him to cave first, but Damen had no plans to keep up the illusion for long. He just needed an excuse to be reckless.
That night, when Laurent retired to their room, Damen didn’t follow him. Instead, he went to the stable and asked the attendant to prepare their horses. It was late enough that there was nobody around when Damen led the horses to the gardens, but he knew Laurent would still be awake. He had a habit of bringing his work to their chambers sometimes, and he was likely waiting up for Damen even though he would never admit it.
Surely enough, by the time Damen scaled up the exterior ladder, he found Laurent sitting at the desk with his chair angled strategically so he could watch the door and pretend to be engrossed in his paperwork as soon as it opened.
Damen was grinning to himself as he swung over the ramparts and landed on the balcony with a soft thud. The sound was enough to make Laurent start, but his expression turned nonchalant when he saw it was Damen.
“I don’t recall locking you out of our chambers,” Laurent said “although I have every right to.”
“I am merely following the rules like you suggested,” Damen replied. He must still have a ridiculous grin on his face because Laurent stood from his chair and raised a brow at him.
“You are awfully happy for someone who’s about to spend the night sleeping in the balcony.”
“I wasn’t planning to sleep,” Damen said as he strode towards Laurent. “I came to ask if you’d like to go for a ride with me.”
The corner of Laurent’s mouth twitched in the beginnings of a smile, but his expression remained neutral. “I thought you were following the rules.”
“For now,” Damen corrected and held out a hand to Laurent. “We’re about to break them.”
Laurent looked like he was biting back a clever remark, but he took Damen’s hand anyway and allowed Damen to lead him to the balcony. “I thought we were going riding.”
“We are,” Damen said and without a warning, he let go of Laurent’s hand and hefted himself over the balcony. Laurent gasped and made an abortive move to yank him back by the chiton, while Damen secured his grip and turned in time to see Laurent gaping at him. It only lasted for a moment, and then his features arranged into a scowl.
“Have you forgotten where the door is?” Laurent asked, although his tone was curious instead of disapproving.
“No, but where’s the fun in taking the easy route?”
Laurent tried to appear unimpressed, but Damen could tell he was feeling giddy from the way his eyes gleamed.
“Try not to fall to your death,” Laurent finally said, and this time, he didn’t bother to fight back his smile. ‘It’s a game I like’ Damen recalled his words the first time he was graced with the same look. He grinned back at Laurent. “Is that a yes then?”
“It is,” Laurent replied, sounding impatient. “Now hurry up before the guards see you hanging off the side of the castle.”
Damen descended the ladder swiftly, and Laurent followed as soon as Damen stepped onto the ground. When Laurent reached the last two steps, he called out to Damen and told him to catch him.
Damen caught him around the waist, but the suddenness of it sent them both stumbling, which was probably what Laurent intended. Damen managed to stay on his feet—that was until Laurent squirmed out of his arms and tackled him to the ground.
Laurent let out a boyish laugh when he realized he’d put Damen on his back. The laughter was intoxicating, and Damen marveled at how easy it was now for Laurent to let his guard down.
“That’s enough,” Damen grunted as he made an attempt to sit up, but Laurent remained stubbornly in place.
“Wouldn’t you rather fuck me here?” Laurent suggested. Damen didn’t respond, but he slipped an arm around Laurent’s waist and tugged him aside so their positions were reversed.
“That’s tempting,” Damen said. “But I have other plans for us.” He stood up and pulled Laurent to his feet along with him. He led them to the gardens, where their horses were waiting, and Damen took off as soon as he mounted, forcing Laurent to spur his own horse into a gallop.
They rode into the outskirts of Ios, where the villages slowly receded into a vast clearing and an open sky. They didn’t stop until they reached the point where the palace became nothing but a looming shadow and the endless expanse of the Ellosean Sea stretched out before them. Here, they were no longer two kings carrying the burden of a burgeoning empire. They were free to be who they were meant to in a different life—two young men who were reckless and in love.
They dismounted once they neared the edge of the cliff and simply stood there to admire the world that was so much bigger than their kingdoms. It was hard for Damen to focus on the view, when Laurent himself was an ethereal sight with his hair crowned by starlight. And yet, Laurent was the one who looked at Damen as if he could scarcely believe he was real.
Damen recognized something despondent brewing in the dark pools of Laurent’s eyes, but instead of acknowledging it, he turned back to the sea and asked. “Can you swim?”
The question caught Laurent off guard. His eyes flickered towards the water, then back to Damen’s face. “I never learned,” he said. “Don’t tell me you were planning to push me off.”
Damen laughed and shook his head. “It would be unwise to dive from this height, although we can ride down the beach and I’ll teach you how to swim there.”
“I’d like that,” Laurent told him. “But did we come all this way so you can offer me swimming lessons.”
“No, I was thinking of watching the sunrise together,” Damen said and gestured at the bedrolls that were packed behind their saddles.
“That’s an awfully long time to wait. What are we to do in the mean time?”
“I want to get to know you better.” It sounded absurd at first, and Damen almost took it back, but then he realized there was still so much he didn’t know about Laurent. They weren’t exactly strangers. They understood each other better than anyone else, but they had lived separate lives longer than they did together, and they had only scratched the surface of a much deeper treasure trove.
Laurent seemed to consider the idea for a moment before nodding. “I’d like that as well,” he said with a wistful smile. “Though, I went through all this trouble to get here, don’t I at least get a kiss?”
“Do you miss me that much already?” Damen teased, but he slipped his finger under Laurent’s chin and tilted his face up until their lips met. Their kisses seemed impossibly sweeter now that they weren’t laced with a sense of urgency and yet Damen still tried to savor everything from the faint taste of citrus on Laurent’s lips, to the warmth of his hands around Damen’s neck, to the breeze that caressed their hair, and the sound of lapping waves that encompassed them.
Damen had never felt so at peace in his entire life, and he couldn’t imagine himself living in any other version of reality other than the present moment.
“I love you,” Damen blurted as soon as they pulled away, hoping it would convey all the thoughts he couldn’t articulate. He watched with a hint of satisfaction as Laurent was shocked into complete silence.
“I love you too,” Laurent echoed after several heartbeats, sounding as if he was unfamiliar with the concept of exchanging endearments. He managed to compose himself a little, but he was still wide-eyed when he spoke. “Perhaps it might be too early to say. We are still courting after all.”
“I’ve never been surer of anything,” Damen said firmly. “Why, are you having doubts?”
“No,” Laurent assured then ducked his head in a way that was almost shy. “As I’ve said before, you already have me wooed.”
Damen couldn’t help but pull Laurent in for another kiss; though this time he pressed his lips against Laurent’s forehead. Laurent practically melted in response, and Damen made a mental note to kiss him like that more often.
Eventually, they set up their bedrolls close to the edge of the cliff and sat together for the rest of the night, laying their hearts bare to each other underneath the light of the stars.
IV.
Damen decided to write letters to Laurent for the next few days. It wasn’t the most practical decision considering that they were under the same roof, but this was how Damen imagined he would court Laurent if they were still princes of two different kingdoms.
He’d never formally courted anyone before, so writing the first letter proved to be a challenge. He knew lovers tended to exchange poetry about each other, but Damen had never been good with words. The last time he tried to describe Laurent; he had compared him to a snake and a nest of scorpions. Granted, it was during a time when he thought Laurent was nothing more than a frigid bitch, but Damen knew he couldn’t come up with anything better than that.
After spending most of the morning pondering over the letter, Damen decided to write the way he always did in any correspondence, which was straight-forward and precise. And so he simply listed down everything he loved about Laurent, starting from the way he looked every morning, with his hair mussed and not impeccable for once. The small noise he made when he curled closer to Damen in his sleep, his wicked sense of humor and his caring nature. The way his face scrunched up whenever he was thinking in circles, his unwavering confidence, and the graceful way he moved while wielding sword. How gorgeous he looked in a chiton, his stunning smile and his tendency to blush at compliments.
At some point, Damen forced himself to stop before he filled up another parchment. He signed the letter and debated on whether he should send a messenger, but in the end, he opted to leave the letter on Laurent’s desk before going about with his day.
When Damen retired to their chambers later that night, the letter was nowhere in sight, but Laurent was sitting at his desk, dressed down to a loose night shirt. Damen went to him immediately and gathered Laurent into an embrace from behind. “Did you get my letter?”
“Yes” Laurent tilted his head back and met Damen’s lips in a heated kiss. He didn’t elaborate, so Damen pressed on when they broke apart. “What did you think?”
“I think you’re overly sentimental,” Laurent informed him and leaned back into the kiss. Damen knew he was doing it to hide a blush.
They took things to bed and made love until they were both utterly spent. It wasn’t until Laurent was fast asleep did Damen notice his letter tucked between the pages of Laurent’s favorite book on the nightstand. The sight made Damen feel ridiculously pleased.
Damen’s next letter was considerably more obscene. He didn’t know why, but he was overcome with a sudden determination to coax a bigger reaction from Laurent. And so Damen continued to list down the things he loved about him, although this time he didn’t bother to filter out the intimate details. He told Laurent how lovely his ass was, how much he loved it when Laurent wrapped his legs around Damen’s waist, and how he wouldn’t mind having Laurent’s cock inside him for once.
Laurent didn’t comment on the letter that night, and Damen didn’t bring it up either. Laurent seemed to be lost in thought the whole time, and for a moment Damen worried if he had offended him somehow.
“Are you alright?” Damen asked as they were getting ready for bed.
“I’m tired,” Laurent answered. It was the first time Damen heard him admit that. “We better get some rest. We have matters to attend to tomorrow.”
“Alright” it was difficult for Damen to gauge his mood, but Laurent still kissed him goodnight and curled up against his chest when they slept. He didn’t seem upset with him, like Damen initially thought. Perhaps Laurent was only scheming.
Damen didn’t have to speculate for long because he found himself on the receiving end of Laurent’s schemes the following day.
He was discussing the new policy drafts with Nikandros and the rest of the kyroi, when a squire came into the room bearing an urgent message. Frowning, Damen unrolled the parchment and immediately felt heat rise up to his cheeks. There was only one line written on the parchment, and it read: “If I had my cock inside you, I don’t think you would be able to walk the next morning.”
“Exalted?” Nikandros said, and Damen realized he had stared blankly at the message for a few seconds too long. “Is there something wrong?”
“Nothing,” Damen said and shifted in his seat to suppress any visceral reactions. “It’s merely a personal matter, nothing to be concerned about.”
Nikandros eyed him suspiciously in response, and for once, Damen was thankful for how well his complexion masked his blush. He instructed the kyroi to continue their deliberation while he took a new parchment and wrote his reply. “I would very much like to test your theory, although I wonder if you’ll make the same face while you climax or if you’d look even more ravishing when you’re inside me.”
He called the squire back and told him to deliver the message to Laurent, who was in the next room with his council.
Laurent’s reply didn’t come until midday, although this time, it was Nikandros who delivered the message to him.
“Would you are to explain why the King of Vere asked me how to say penetrate in Akielon?” Nikandros asked in a dry tone that suggested he would rather not hear the answer.
“He likely wants to expand his vocabulary…for strategizing,” Damen lied as he took the parchment from him. They were alone in the room after Damen had dismissed the kyroi so he could work on a treaty proposal, although his progress was laughable considering how many hours had already passed.
“I see,” Nikandros said, sounding concerned. He looked like he was having an internal debate on whether he should leave Damen alone or prod at him further. “I supposed that’s part of the King’s strategizing?” he motioned towards the parchment.
Damen shook his head. He wasn’t sure what was going on in his friend’s thoughts at the moment, but he knew it either involved sex or war. He felt the need to reassure Nikandros that it wasn’t the latter. “No, It’s a personal letter. We’ve been uh…writing to each other.”
Nikandros’ eyebrows almost climbed up to his hairline. “You both are aware that you are in the same place right?”
“Yes, but we wanted to uphold the courting traditions.”
“You are courting while fucking and making plans to unite your two kingdoms through marriage? I don’t know if anyone has told you this, but you are doing everything in the wrong order.”
Damen supposed it did sound ridiculous when spoken out loud, but he wasn’t about to admit that to Nikandros. “It’s not like you would know any better. How long has it been since you courted someone?”
“How long has it been since you died and came back with a pet snake and plans to build an empire?” Nikandros fired back, which made Damen laugh.
“I don’t make you do all the work, do I?”
“You do when you’re preoccupied, which always seems to be the case lately.”
“I’ve been scheming. I’m afraid the Veretian is starting to rub off me.”
“Alright, I suppose I’ll leave you to it then,” Nikandros said as he began to make his way out. He paused at the doorway and turned back. “Oh, and Damen… I don’t think courting letters are meant to be crude.”
“It will be the norm in our new empire,” Damen called out, earning him a snort from Nikandros before he disappeared down the hall.
Damen shook his head in amusement and tried to return to whatever he was doing, but then he remembered Laurent’s letter. He broke the seal and was immediately greeted by the scent of the oil they usually used as lubricant. Damen felt arousal build in the pit of his stomach, and it grew progressively worse as he read the message.
“Behave yourself. We still have a banquet with the Patran envoy tonight, unless you wish to be ravished on the dinner table.”
“It doesn’t seem like a terrible idea,” Damen wrote back.
“It is if you want the Patrans to call off our trade agreements,” came Laurent’s reply.
“Why are you thinking of such scandalous ideas, then? You should concentrate on your council meeting.” Damen handed his letter to the squire, who appeared to be more and more exasperated after every exchange.
Damen didn’t hear from Laurent after that, and they didn’t see each other until much later when the feast was already underway. They spent half of the evening exchanging pleasantries with the Patran dignitaries, and the other half sitting on their daises, watching their subjects getting progressively drunker.
Laurent was in a pensive mood, so Damen sat back and allowed the silence to envelope them like a blanket. It felt nice to have a moment to themselves amidst the growing chaos, that was until Laurent slid a folded-up parchment towards him.
“So is this how we speak to each other now?” Damen asked.
“There are just some things that aren’t meant to be said out loud,” Laurent replied, the corner of lips tugging into a smirk.
Damen read the letter and immediately felt heat travel straight down to his cock. It was easy to forget how good Laurent was at verbalizing the dirtiest things, and Damen didn’t know what he was thinking when he tried to beat Laurent at his own game.
Damen set the parchment aside, and in a last ditch effort to make Laurent blush, planted his hand firmly on Laurent’s thigh.
Laurent was able to school his expression, but he wasn’t able to stop the blush from creeping across his cheeks. He fixed Damen with a glare that would make a lesser man wither, though when Damen attempted to take his hand back, Laurent spread his legs further to give him better access.
“Do you wish to settle things here or in our chambers,” Laurent suggested.
“That depends,” Damen let his hand wander until it was mere inches away from Laurent’s crotch. “Which option would cause less offense?”
Laurent leaned closer and propped his chin on Damen’s shoulder. “It would no longer matter after a few more drinks.”
No one even batted an eye at the supposed frigid King of Vere openly showing affection, so Damen knew their absence wouldn’t be noticed either. He held out a hand to Laurent, who rolled his eyes in response.
“You and your Akielon sensibilities,” he muttered, but he took Damen’s hand and followed him out the door.
Laurent made good on all the promises in his letters.
V.
There was a collection of Akielon fairytales waiting in the library. It was meant to be Damen’s final courting gift to Laurent before he officially asked for his hand in marriage. But on the day when he was planning to present his gift, Laurent was nowhere to be found.
It didn’t strike him as odd, since Laurent valued solitude as much as he craved Damen’s company. He had a habit of disappearing for hours at a time, usually going out for a ride by himself when he needed to clear his head. The councilors and the guards were cryptic about Laurent’s whereabouts, but they didn’t seem particularly worried, so Damen directed his attention to fulfilling his duties for the day.
By noon, Damen expected Laurent would return to dine with him, but when he entered their private dining room, he found it empty save for the lone rose in the middle of the table. There was a note attached to it, telling him to meet at the beach, and Damen was a little embarrassed at how giddy he felt at the mere thought of Laurent surprising him with something.
Before he went to the stables, he made a detour to their chambers to retrieve a box he’d been hiding under a lose floorboard for weeks. He tucked the box safely into the fold of his chiton, then mounted his horse and took off into the direction of the beach.
Laurent was easy to spot with the sunlight turning his hair into a beacon. He was sitting on a blanket near the shore, with what appeared to be a full course meal laid out in front of him. He wasn’t wearing a chiton like Damen had hoped, but his loose white undershirt was enough to make up for it.
Laurent turned around immediately when he heard Damen approach. “You trust too easily,” he said in a chiding tone. “That note could’ve easily been forged by an assassin and you’d walk straight into his trap.”
“Are you here to lecture me about my safety?” Damen asked, amused at how adorable Laurent looked as he tried to glare at him while squinting against the sunlight.
“No, I’m here to kill you.”
“Really?” Damen reached out to pull Laurent to his feet, and then he ran his hands down Laurent’s sides, stopping once he reached his hips. “You don’t seem to be armed.”
Laurent shrugged and braced his hands against Damen’s chest. “I could always drown you and make it look like an accident.”
“Have you been plotting my demise the whole morning?”
“Yes,” Laurent answered with a laugh. “Or perhaps I was searching for a place to dine with you. It’s much more romantic here compared to our chambers, don’t you think?”
“I suppose so.” Damen adjusted his hold on Laurent and drew him in for a kiss. “You do realize this isn’t a competition, right?”
“I know,” Laurent said, still smiling. “I just wanted to try my hand at courting you.”
“You already have. I appreciated your letters, they were…very flattering.”
“The letters don’t count. I was only responding to your flattery. Now let me court you properly.” Laurent took his hand and led him to the picnic blanket, where an assortment of Akielon and Veretian dishes were waiting for them.
Damen settled close to Laurent and instinctively wrapped an arm around Laurent’s shoulders when he leaned back against him. “How long did you plan this?”
“Not long. I did it while you were asleep this morning,” Laurent replied nonchalantly while handing him a plate.
“It must have been hell for the kitchen staff.”
“I helped with the preparations.”
Damen raised a brow at that. “By terrorizing them?”
“I used to help in the kitchens when I was a boy you know,” Laurent said with a defensive edge to his tone.
“And what did you get in return?”
Laurent opened his mouth to deny it, but relented at Damen’s knowing look. “The cooks let me steal extra pastries before dinner.”
The thought of little Laurent sneaking into the kitchens to steal sweets provided such an endearing image, that Damen couldn’t help but plant a kiss on Laurent’s forehead. “That sounds more like you.”
Laurent leaned into the kiss, and then nuzzled Damen’s neck. “And what will I get in exchange for doing all this?” he gestured at the blanket laid out in front of them.
Damen allowed the silence to stretch on for a moment as he pondered his answer. “Swimming lessons?”
“You already offered me that.”
“We could make love here in the sand.”
“As romantic as that sounds, it doesn’t seem very comfortable.”
“Perhaps you’d like a marriage proposal?” Damen said innocently as he pulled out the box he had been hiding in his chiton. Laurent looked like he had a witty retort ready at hand, but he was stunned into silence when Damen presented him with a golden lion brooch. It wasn’t simply another courting gift, but a symbol of engagement, and Laurent knew that too.
“Why do you look so surprised?” Damen asked, relishing Laurent’s rare display of shock. “You knew courting would lead to this eventually.”
Laurent frowned at him. “You keep overturning my plans.”
Damen couldn’t help but laugh at his petulant expression. “What exactly were you planning?”
“There was supposed to be a maze involved, which ends with you fishing out a bottle that contains our engagement rings from the sea.”
“That seems unnecessarily complicated.”
“And a terrible waste of resources,” Laurent agreed. “Not that the council thinks any different about our wedding.”
Damen set the box aside, suddenly unsure of where their conversation was heading. He let go of Laurent for a moment and rearranged their positions so they were facing each other. “They do not approve?”
“They think it’s unnecessary,” Laurent said in the same detached tone he used whenever he was addressing his subjects. “We are already uniting our kingdoms, and they think it would be best to marry other people and have heirs to secure the throne.”
“And what did you tell them?” Damen ventured on.
“That it’s a matter only you and I can discuss.”
“Are you saying yes to me then?”
Laurent tilted his head at him. “Do you wish to spend the rest of your life with a pit viper?”
“You happen to be very sweet for a pit viper,” Damen told him.
Laurent’s frown turned into a pout, which further proved Damen’s point. “What about heirs? The council will never stop pestering us unless we present a solution.”
“That’s a problem for another time. Did you come all this way to dissuade me from marrying you?”
“I just want to make sure you’re aware of what you are committing to.”
“I’m fully aware,” Damen said firmly. “I’ve never known what it’s like to desire something so strongly because everything in my life had been readily given to me. But we fought hard for what we have now, and I’d like to cherish it with you, not just as your lover, but as your husband.” Then as an afterthought, he added. “If that’s what you want.”
“I want there to be no doubts about our relationship,” Laurent replied in an equally firm tone.
“I’m afraid there’s only one solution to that.”
Laurent sighed. “I suppose I’ll have to marry you.”
“You make it sound like a chore.”
“Well, there is a lot of paperwork involved.”
“Perhaps we should elope,” Damen suggested while holding out the box to him.
“Don’t be silly,” Laurent scolded as he accepted the golden lion pin from Damen. “Nikandros will hunt us down before we can even get far.”