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Brows furrowed, Orion took a deep breath and ignored the dull throbbing of the headache pestering him all day long. The stack of documents beside him as ever-growing, regardless of how much he had already worked through. Although peace had returned, it seemed that his workload was steadily increasing nonetheless.
The new king of Eterno was doing a good job; Orion couldn't deny that. Seeing the relationship between Eterno and Alba improving had seemed impossible for so many years. The other stars too were flourishing. Even Sirena had become less of a recluse and even offered new trading routes to the other stars. The relationship between Sirena and Lama was at an all-time high, and Orion was keen on improving it further.
All of these changes were beneficial to Lama, and Orion wasted no opportunity in furthering the benefits, not only for his star, but the others as well. That, however, led to much more work to do. Ever since he was young, he had become used to the hard work of becoming a king. His father had made sure to groom him into the perfect heir. Normally, this kind of work was no issue.
If it weren't for two people didn't insist on being the biggest nuisances on the planet.
"Well, what do you think?"
As usual, Erin was with him, watching over his king even during the—in Erin's eyes—very boring task of paperwork. After all their time shared, Orion had gotten used to his silly attics and usually knew how to handle him. As long he could give Erin something to do. Sometimes, that simply meant observing. Even if peace had unfolded its wings around the planet, there would always be threats lying in wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.
If it were only Erin to deal with, it would be no problem. However, Sardinia had insisted on coming to Lama—supposedly to learn more about the star and its people. It wasn't the first time, and Orion appreciated his attempts to become more familiar with the Laman culture. Considering the upcoming change, it was highly necessary. Orion had already done his fair share of learning more about Sirena, even if he'd probably never fully understand their laid-back lifestyle. Maybe learning more about Lama would inspire Sardinia on how to discipline his people some more. In fact, the idea of Sardinia visiting him wasn't the issue at hand.
What Orion had failed to realize was that Sirena's king was more than happy to humor Erin, and the chaotic energy between them made Orion want to pull out his hair at times.
While he was busy at his desk, Erin and Sardinia were sitting nearby. Erin was happily babbling about something that Orion had managed to block out. Every now and then, he stole a glance at them. Sardinia's eyes were fixed on Erin's present—a gray cat plushie. Its face had a creepily strong resemblance to Orion. Of course Erin would get something like that. Sardinia cradled it in his arms, eyes shining brightly, with a soft smile adorning his face.
"It's very cute," Sardinia said and pressed the plushie close, his lips brushing against one of the small ears.
Erin grinned. "It resembles His Majesty so much. You just have to love it!"
At that remark, Orion clicked his tongue and returned to the documents. They needed to be finished soon. He knew Sardinia had a lot to take care of as well, but Orion suspected he hadn't even started. It was quite the task to ensure Sardinia remembered. With Erin around, it became even harder to convince Sardinia to focus on his work. Everything needed to be done until that day. If he had to, he'd force Sardinia to sit down and work on his share, even if he had to drag him all the way to the palace in Sirena.
Ah, his signature didn't belong there. Orion gritted his teeth. It wasn't the first mistake he made, but the deadline was approaching quickly. If he hadn't wasted so much time trying to convince Sardinia to start working, he wouldn't be lagging behind so much.
Erin moved closer to Sardinia and threw his arm around his shoulder. "Just imagine how cute they'd be!"
Sardinia shot a glance at Orion, a knowing smile on his face. "I wonder whom they'd come after more."
With his free hand, Erin poked the cat plushie. "Well, if they're like this little guy, then probably more after His Majesty?" He smirked at Orion. "I wouldn't mind a lot of tiny princes looking like His Majesty running around!"
Orion's face flushed. "Erin!"
Both of them laughed, and for once, Orion felt his anger dissolving quickly. Hearing Sardinia's laugh made his heart grow warm—not only did Sardinia look like an angel, he also sounded like one.
If only he behaved like one.
"I would like that," Sardinia said. "My own tiny Orions…"
"Right? They'd be soooo cute!" Erin said with a lot of enthusiasm. "Now imagine them all with that grumpy face!" He pointed at Orion.
Orion's eye twitched, but before he could say anything, Sardinia threw in, his eyes still fixed on Orion, "Even now, he still tries to keep up the tough act, but did you know I saw him getting very emotional when he heard Shinkai the other day?"
"I didn't!" Erin exclaimed. "I mean, I know he's a big softie, but still! Did he cry?"
Orion glared at them. "You're on thin ice, Erin."
Much to his dismay, Sardinia simply went on, "Almost. His eyes were welling up, and I don't think anyone has ever praised Shinkai so much." Sardinia laughed, clear like a bell. "The poor boy was so flustered!"
"I wish I could've seen that!" Erin let out a hum. "I think a little princess with his face would be great too. Oh, now I really need to see your babies. They'll be perfect. And the best part of it all? I'll get to babysit them!"
"Don't you dare," Orion said a little too quickly.
"Ha! So you do want King Sardinia's children! I don't think a pregnant belly would suit you very much though, Your Majesty." Erin snorted with laughter, and Sardinia couldn't hold himself back either.
Face red with embarrassment and anger, Orion grabbed the first thing he could get his fingers on and threw it at Erin who dodged with ease.
"Now, calm down, you two," Sardinia said calmly, raising his hands, but still couldn't stop his chuckles. "I for one wouldn't mind pampering him then."
Erin formed an "o" with his mouth and raised his hand. "I want to pamper him too!"
How unbelievable they were. It wouldn't surprise him if Erin and Sardinia were secretly long-lost brothers.
"I can't believe you're encouraging him," Orion growled.
Sardinia giggled and squeezed the plushie. "Oh, Orion, don't pout—"
"—or else you'll get wrinkles!"
Orion rose to his feet and pushed back his chair. "What did I tell you?"
"That I'm on thin ice, Your Majesty," Erin dutifully reported.
"Then shut up, or I'll throw you out. Maybe then I'll get this done."
Sardinia narrowed his eyes, seemingly wanting to say something, but he kept his mouth shut.
Erin, on the other hand, pulled his lips into a pout and said, "Well, I have to entertain King Sardinia! What else is he supposed to do? I mean, look how bored he is!" He pointed at Sardinia. "It's rude to invite your lover and then let him watch you do nothing but fill out boring papers!"
"For the record, he invited himself. I actually told him not to." Sitting back down, he glanced at Sardinia giving him his most innocent smile. "Besides, he has his own work to do. In fact, he should actually go and take care of it. We won't get everything finished in time otherwise."
"Orion, you're—" Sardinia began with a sudden sharp edge.
Erin sighed dramatically before interrupting him. "I'm sorry, King Sardinia. This is what the rest of your life is going to look like. First, he makes all those big promises, and then he does this! Poor King Sardinia, you deserve better."
Ignoring Erin's remark, Sardinia glowered at Orion, his eyes dark.
Orion rubbed his temples, ordering the headache to disappear at once, but it remained disobedient like Erin. "Have you considered becoming an actor, Erin? I'm sure the people of Sirena would love your acting."
Sardinia patted Erin's head. Whatever he wanted to talk about, he wasn't going to do so in front of Erin. "Don't worry about me. I know how to tame him. When I'm done with him, he'll be docile as a lamb," he purred.
Was there jealousy flashing across Erin's face? Erin and Sardinia got along well most of the time, but this could spark tension—not that he already had more than enough to deal with. Erin had to accept someone else was going be as close to Orion, if not even closer. The planned alliance between Lama and Sirena wasn't just a political one, after all.
Lowering his voice, Sardinia continued talking to Erin who quickly returned to his bubbly self. Maybe Orion imagined it. Either way, they were talking in a way that was not disruptive for once, allowing Orion to focus on his work again. The more he stared at the papers, the more his vision grew blurry. But he couldn't take a break. Not yet. This needed to be finished, so it could be sent to Alba and Bestia.
Orion frowned. Alba was the least predictable. Although the new king was working hard on restoring a peaceful relationship to Eterno, a new alliance could easily topple the delicate balance if it were considered a threat. Orion didn't want them to be caught off-guard, hence the letters he was preparing. He wasn't expecting any complaints, but it was better to eliminate any beforehand.
Things could change very quickly.
… was this step too early? It had only been two years, after all. Two years since they had almost witnessed the end of the world. If they weren't careful, simple disagreements could spark into a fire incinerating the budding peace. It was important to handle it sensibly. They needed to calculate every possible outcome and think of ways to counter any signs of unrest.
In times like that, Orion wondered what a regular life would be like, without royal duties to bind him. Only the regular worries of life would be on his mind, not the responsibility for an entire star weighing down on him. If Sardinia too were a simple man, they wouldn't have to think twice about their love, about their marriage, about their future together. There would be no pressing need for an heir. Their decisions wouldn't affect the whole planet.
They could simply be and love each other.
Despite their rocky beginnings, he loved Sardinia fiercely and fought for their love. No one else could he consider by his side, but he knew they both had duties to fulfill, whether he liked it or not. Difficult decisions had to be made sooner or later, decisions that both painfully knew were inevitable. Decisions that could ruin everything.
Every king had to make sacrifices at some point, as much as Orion despised that. All his life, he had kept his eyes on the future, willing to do whatever it took to live for his people and his star. They all depended on him.
He was their king.
And that meant putting aside personal happiness for the greater good.
"Oh, King Sardinia, I forgot to tell you!" Erin exclaimed in a sing-song voice, breaking through Orion's spiraling thoughts. "If His Majesty is soooooo busy again, take this little guy and—" His voice dropped to a whisper. He wiggled his eyebrows and, out of the corner of his eye, glanced occasionally at Orion, acting like the sneaky little beast he was.
"Erin!"
A faint blush crept onto Sardinia's cheeks. Giggling, he covered his mouth with the back of his slender hand and gazed at Orion through half-lidded eyes. "I don't think that's necessary. I'm very skilled at that."
Orion's face went red. "Sardinia!"
That made the pair laugh even harder than before. Sardinia wiped a tear from his eye. "Don't take it so seriously. Erin gave me a piece of advice. That's all."
"Exactly!"
Orion let out an exasperated sigh. For all he cared, they really were from the same brood. "If you have nothing better to do, go ahead and show him around, Erin. He wanted to see more of Lama, didn't he?"
That made Erin gasp, eyes wide. "Your Majesty, you can't possibly order me to take your fiancé on a date in your stead!" He let out a miserable noise and fidgeted with his fingers. "You should have told me earlier I'm supposed to become King Sardinia's mistress!"
Both Orion and Sardinia blinked at Erin. Was this what the rest of his life was going to be like, Orion wondered. With Sardinia around, Erin seemed to be getting worse than usual. And once they saw each other more often? Orion and Sardinia still hadn't decided whose palace would be the main residence or if both remained in their own and only visited each other occasionally. The latter seemed like the sensible choice when it came to Erin.
But the thought of being separated from Sardinia so often made his heart ache. As much as Sardinia liked to rile him up, he knew Sardinia felt nothing but love for him. If they used the Laman ships, it would be possible to reach Sirena within a couple of hours. Either way, with one king gone, whether short-term or long-term, it could easily invite all kinds of problems.
Yet another thing they hadn't been able to discuss in detail and find a solution for.
"If I hear one more sound from you, you'll have fun in Eterno's scorching heat for the next six months," Orion threatened, eye twitching again.
"Isn't that a little harsh?" Sardinia objected.
Orion looked at him with a blank face. "Would you like to join him?"
Sardinia's expression hardened. "If that's supposed to be a joke, it's not very funny."
With a huff, Orion turned back to the pile of papers. Once the letters for Alba and Bestia were done, he would have to check in with his agenda. There was supposed to be a meeting later today, wasn't there? "It's not a joke. Besides, if you had announced your arrival beforehand, we wouldn't be in this situation. But unlike you, I take my work very seriously. I cannot skip days just because I feel like it."
Averting his gaze, Sardinia crossed his arms, still squeezing the plushie tightly. Like Erin, he kept his mouth shut.
Seeing him scowl like that, however, made Orion wonder if he had been too harsh. What he had said wasn't wrong, though. If he had known earlier, he would have gladly offered him to visit on a different day. In fact, with enough of a notice, Orion could have adjusted his schedule, so that he would able to spend all day with Sardinia. Visiting on a whim, however, was the wrong approach.
Things didn't work like this in Lama, and the earlier Sardinia accepted it, the better.
That was another kink they needed to smooth away. The cultures of Lama and Sirena were very different. An alliance meant more interactions between all kinds of people from both stars. With Sirena opening up more to the other stars, it was going in the right direction. But sooner or later, they would clash.
Without getting interrupted, Orion thought he'd be able to focus better again, but the silence had become uncomfortable. Arguments between them were far from rare. Was it going to worsen once they were married? Orion wanted to say no, but he needed to be realistic.
He shook his head. They always managed to make up in the end, and this was probably going to be the same way. For now, they needed to focus on the alliance. Despite, or perhaps because, of the current peace, it wasn't wise to step on anyone's toes. Fang and Hope had taken in the news quite well, but Alba's new king had been reserved with little words for his fellow kings. Unlike the others, he wasn't familiar with them, and it would take more time to change that. At least things were going well between Alba and Lama.
Would things have been different if Carnelian were still king?
In those two years, Alba's new king hadn't shown any signs of aggression yet. From what Orion knew, he was a good king and a worthy successor of Carnelian. Whether it would remain that way would have to be seen once Orion and Sardinia were officially married.
No, he wasn't going down that rabbit hole—he had enough on his mind.
Clenched his fists, Orion eyed Sardinia. He looked unhappy, and Orion couldn't ignore that. They needed to talk about it. In the future, differences in perspective were likely going to cause more friction between their stars, and they needed to solve it in a reasonable time.
Then again, hadn't it seemed just as impossible for Orion and Sardinia to fall in love in the first place? That hadn't needed a miracle either.
Perhaps he had been too harsh, indeed. He exhaled slowly, then opened his mouth to say something to soothe things over, when he noticed Erin fidgeting and chewing on his lower lip. His hands gripped his seat so hard his knuckles turned white.
Sardinia looked at him with pity. "I'm afraid poor Erin here will explode if you don't allow him to speak again. Do you really want that?"
Next to him, Erin was nodding so fast his head might fall off any second.
No Erin who would turn off every filters in his brain, regardless of whether they were alone or with company? Actually, that sounded quite nice.
"All right, Erin."
Erin glanced at Sardinia with an expression so serious it surprised Orion. "I'll serve you well, King Sardinia! Just as much as I love His Majesty, I'll love you too, so I don't mind if I have to take on His Majesty's dating duties!"
Orion slapped his palm against his forehead. "No one said anything about you going on a date with him!"
But Erin wasn't finished. Of course he wasn't. "And I'll make sure His Majesty won't forget to spoil you either, even when he's super-duper busy." A grin the devil would be proud of tugged at his lips. "He'll ensure you'll sing your sweet tunes for him every night."
"ERIN!" Blood rushing in his ears, Orion stood up, his chair screeching. Erin already jumped out of the way. "Get out this instant!"
Erin pouted. "This is so unfair! How come I get thrown out, but Shinkai can—"
"I'll have you prepared for the hounds' dinner if you remain here one more second!"
Finally obeying, Erin waved at Sardinia, before quickly rushing out of the office.
Of all things possible, Erin had to say that. Orion was breathing hard with anger.
Sardinia, on the other hand, seemed rather amused. "So it had been him the other day," he said nonchalantly, as if commenting on the weather.
Orion didn't think his face could grow even hotter. "That brat!" he spat out. "I will have to act on my threats."
Erin had always been like a shadow. Orion didn't mind that. At night, however, he wanted to be alone with Sardinia. Time together was rare to begin with. Having Shinkai around at times was already more than Orion was comfortable with, but Sardinia had insisted last time. At least Shinkai knew how to behave himself.
Sardinia rose to his feet, set the plushie on the desk, and halted behind Orion. His hands, cool as a refreshing splash of water on a hot day, were resting on his shoulders, slowly but firmly massaging him. "It shows he's doing a good job." Sardinia's breath was hot against his ear. "And so are you. Don't you think it's time for a little break?"
His hands traveled further down and down. Orion gulp. He tried not think where they were heading. "There's no time for that. We need this finished, and you"—he craned his neck to let Sardinia trail kisses along his jawline and down his neck—"haven't even started."
"All of this can be done later," Sardinia insisted in-between kisses. "You're so stressed—when was the last time you properly slept?"
The dark circles underneath his eyes were answer enough.
"It's not like you to worry so much."
Did Sardinia read his mind? His cards probably told him.
The alliance was going to work—they were going to make it work. Unlike those in the past, this alliance was not going to be built on seeking power and greed. Both Orion and Sardinia held nothing but love for their stars. The relationship to the other stars was good as well. Hope and Fang were good friends, and the new king of Alba had been sociable enough, even if he was more reserved than the other kings.
There was nothing to worry about.
"You've been working so hard, but you're neglecting yourself. Let me take care of you, Your Majesty."
Orion let out a quivering breath. If he rested enough, he would get more work done more easily, and with Sardinia's hands so far down, he wouldn't be able to concentrate anyway. A night shared with Sardinia—he licked his lips in anticipation.
As his fingers fumbled with the first belt, Sardinia purred, "Good boy. Let me reward you. After all that hard work, you deserve it."
"We should rather continue this in my chamber," Orion said. "I know Erin's going to come in sooner or later."
Sardinia chuckled. "You're right. I don't think you'll survive that if you can't even handle him listening in on our duet."
Orion pressed his lips into a tight line. He didn't want to get reminded of that. "It's unfitting for a Laman king," he said. Sardinia had a beautiful voice, whether he was singing or not, and Orion found pleasure in his songs, especially with Shinkai playing the flute. But Orion did not sing. At least not when he was certain other people could hear him.
Ignoring the heaviness of his limbs, Orion pulled Sardinia into a passionate kiss, wrapping his arms around his waist. Right now, it felt like the world had frozen all over, finally allowing him enough time with his fiancé. Seeing each other for meetings and other duties wasn't the same, especially since they couldn't steal away.
His lips trailed down Sardinia's delicate neck, earning him a breathy moan. That necklace was in the way—he'd take it off if Sardinia wasn't so fussy about anyone touching it. He couldn't wait to shower his body in kisses, marking what was his.
Sardinia's slender fingers combed through his hair. The other hand pressing against his chest, he let out a pleased sigh. "Let's go. I will take good care of my poor overworked husband."
Husband. How very right that sounded, he thought, as he scooped Sardinia up and carried him to his bed.