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Melburn sat behind his desk, anger simmering just beneath the surface. He wasn't sure if leaving before he was noticed had been the best course of action. He should have made himself known and confronted them, him, in the moment.
Him.
Jack O’Neill.
Young knight of King Hammond’s court.
Promising in the field, disciplined, efficient.
The kind of soldier the court kept close because he was trustworthy. The kind Jacob Carter, the Commander of the Royal Forces, would take an interest in, in more ways than one. There was something subtly irreverent about Jack, too. Subtle enough not to be reprimanded, but present in the way he did not completely follow court expectations. It was the sort of thing people might call charming.
Including Daniel, apparently.
The scene replayed in his mind. Jack in Daniel's bed. Leaning towards his son, kissing him, one hand tangled in Daniel's hair, the other hidden under the cover but no doubt circling the younger man's waist possessively. The scene had been intimate, and Melburn had frozen before closing the door silently.
Melburn didn't have anything against the young knight, except for the fact Jacob Carter revealed two days ago, at the end of the private court council, that he would take advantage of the Summer Solstice Festival to announce his daughter's engagement. To Jack O'Neill.
Jack was using his son. And for what? Some fun before taking a wife? Before getting himself into a politically beneficial marriage? Or worse. Did he plan to keep Daniel as a secret lover?
Well, Melburn would not allow that.
His anger was still burning when a knock came on his door.
"You asked to see me, Minister Jackson?"
Melburn looked up at the young knight.
"Sir O'Neill, come in." Melburn gestured to the chair on the other side of his desk. "Sit."
Jack complied. It was the first time he had been summoned to the Minister of Foreign Relation' office, and he wasn't sure what to expect. Did he messed up, somehow, with a foreign dignitary or something? Jack's gaze followed the other man when he got up and moved to the window, his hands clasped behind his back.
"I saw you this morning. In my son's bed."
Jack's breath hitched, that was worse than anything he could have come up with.
"Minister…"
"Quiet," Melburn said as he turned. "You will listen to me carefully. Is that clear?"
Jack nodded once, swallowing, but didn't lower his gaze.
"I will not allow you to use my son. Daniel deserves better. Even if he agreed to some arrangement with you, I will not allow it. I know my son, and this is going to end in pain. Daniel doesn't give his affection easily, but when he does, he is all in. He will convince himself that those stolen moments with you are enough, but it will destroy him." Melburn paused, he had closed the distance between him and Jack as he spoke, and he leaned in, his eyes burning into Jack's skull. "Every time you left him, every time he saw you with her, day after day, it will cut deeper. And slowly he will…"
"Wait. What?" Jack blurted when the words registered in his mind.
"What did I say?" Melburn snapped. "You will remain silent."
"No," Jack stood forcing Melburn to take a step back. "Who is "her"?"
"Don't play games with me, O'Neill. Jacob Carter announced it to the council."
Jack stared at him, confused.
"Minister, I don't have a clue of what you are talking about."
"Your engagement announcement to Samantha Carter at the Solstice Festival."
Jack froze, all colors draining from his face.
"No. No, no, no, no. No," he shook his head, disbelievingly. "I never agree to this. There is no way I'm marrying Carter's daughter.
Melburn looked at him closely. The reaction was too spontaneous, too immediate to be anything but honest. Could Jacob Carter decide to arrange such a thing without consulting Jack first?
Jack took a deep breath, then turned to the Minister.
"I'm not using your son, sir. I promise. I…" Jack looked away for a second, not really comfortable at what he wanted to say next, not to the man in front of him. "I love him," he finally said, surprising Melburn.
"We kept our relationship a secret because we wanted it to be ours. To not have people interfere, we needed time to figure out what we wanted. And, well, with Daniel being your son, the son of one of the most respected Minister of King Hammond, we knew we would be scrutinized by the court."
"You love him," Melburn repeated.
"Yes."
"Does Daniel know that."
"He does."
"How long?"
Jack glanced down at his feet. "Ten months."
Melburn frowned, thinking of the timeline, Daniel hadn't been around the castle at that time. "Ten months ago, Daniel took a trip to the university."
"I was part of the security detail," Jack informed him.
Melburn walked back to the window.
"You want to be with my son?"
"Yes. I want to be there for him. To protect him. Stand beside him, no matter what."
Melburn let his eyes wander outside, his mind turning a mile a minute.
Jack watched him from the other side of the office. If spending time with Daniel had taught Jack anything, it was to let a Jackson process information and wait patiently.
Melburn thought of the implication of it all. When Carter had let the council know about his plan, the King had been delighted. Jack was a favorite of his, and he had seen Samantha grow up within these walls, he was really fond of the young woman. He was also really fond of Daniel. When the Jacksons' had settled down at the court after Melburn had been offered his current position, Daniel was 7 years old. The King had quickly grown attached to the young boy with big curious eyes always hiding in the library, his head in a book heavier than him and in languages that people didn't speak anymore.
"You realized that means going against Carter. He will not be pleased."
"I'm not really pleased with him myself right now."
"Fair enough," Melburn conceded, he wouldn't be in Jack's shoes either. "You will have to stand up to Carter before the Festival. It will already be a blow to his ego when he will have to backtrack his declaration to the council and to the King, no need to add to it."
"You think he will backtrack?"
"I'm sorry to say that the only way for him to do it, will be to reveal your relationship with Daniel."
"I can't do that. Not without Daniel's consent."
Melburn smiled, pleased at that reaction, Daniel well being and happiness was his primary concern.
"If you and Daniel stand together, he won't have a choice. And, the King may be surprised and sympathize with Samantha but he won't stand between you and Daniel."
"You think he would support us?"
"He is quite fond of Daniel. If the two of you are on the same page and show it, he will side with the romance over an unwanted arrangement. And he may not be too please with Jacob planning your personal life behind your back, either. But before we meet with them I want to talk with my son in private."
"We? You would come with me?"
"If Daniel is on the same page as you here, I will be standing by your side."
Jack's eyes widened.
"You… You mean… Are you giving me your approval to be with your son?"
Melburn looked at him for a minute, silently.
"I am. But don't be foolish, Sir O'Neill, if you hurt my son, you will have to answer to me," Melburn's gaze was hard, but behind the stony expression, Jack could see the love for his son sparkling.
"I wouldn't expect anything less, Minister Jackson." Jack smiled, after all, he could relate to this man when it comes to protect the best interests and the heart of one young scholar by the name of Daniel Jackson.