To when you were there ( and when you weren't)

by Softagroboy

Summary:

Slade is given the ultimatum that he must marry soon to remain in power in his kingdom, which is a good thing, since he already has someone in his sights. What he doesn't expect is that the ocean-eyed young man could be so incredible and contain so many surprises with him, causing Slade's cold heart to fall deeper than shallow water.

Notes:

English isn't my first language so, very sorry for anything that's wrong! Hope y'all enjoy!

The sea.

 

Intense and inviting, so little cleared and mysterious, the bridge to other lands. Immense, skirting all realms. Exceptional in its greatness.

 

And yet it could fit perfectly into a boy's eyes.

 

It wasn't the first time the king had noticed the young man; walking around the kingdom one could see his subjects, and someone as handsome as that certainly brought attention to himself. And Slade was not blind.

 

He somehow kept his gaze fixed on the boy from the first time he saw him, and absolutely everything caught his attention, from the black hair as if squid ink had been spilled on it, flowing in soft curls that formed angry ends everywhere, but it was still a beautiful mess, then the skin in a cinnamon tone that made the king wonder if this was the smell, all of this painted by the immensity of the ocean that, although he had seen few times, Slade could swear he had drowned once or twice. 

 

Then, seeing those blue eyes as angry as a sea storm made the king recognize on the spot who the boy the nobleman was harassing was. In his hall, his kingdom.

 

Of course Slade ignored everything he was taught, nobles can have whatever they want and should not be interrupted. To hell with that, he wouldn't be doing something on that level in his castle.

 

Obviously having an interest in the boy was a small factor that caused the king to act, but he really wouldn't let a nobleman dare that much to anyone else, especially if you could see the discomfort in his gaze.

 

It didn't take him long to make an excuse to one of the princesses who surrounded him - the rumor that he was looking for someone to marry irritated him even more at balls, especially knowing who he had created - and follow the disgusting lord, he had been gone for a while, but Slade didn't forget the path he had been led down.

 

At some crossroads in the corridors, at the bottom of the last one that led to the servants' wing, Slade found them.

 

The scene was... confusing.

 

The lord looked petrified, the boy held tightly to his shirt sleeve, and Slade had to move to the side, curious about what was going on - well, maybe he had misinterpreted the situation and was just jealous - to find one of the banquet knives in his other hand. The boy did not tremble, his gaze still stormy, intensifying as he stared at the lord, the blade pointed at his belly, threatening but not deadly.

 

Slade suppressed a hiss of admiration, both at the young man's courage - who would challenge a lord's authority like that? - and his... beauty. Somehow, the boy was extremely handsome like this, the anger shining through his body.

 

“ I think it's time to stop going after defenseless boys. Your mother is looking for you, lord. ”, He suppressed the hatred in his voice as best he could, keeping his gaze glued to the storm there.

 

Slowly the dung turned around, being released from the grip the boy had and then ran away, like a mouse when found.

 

Slade lifted his chin, the knife in the young man's hand was still raised, unsteady, pointing in the direction of the lord who was trying to find his way back to the hall.

 

“ Touch me again, and you will never be able to touch anything else! ”, Slade ran his eyes in the direction his sea storm was facing, only to find a shadow walking faster.

 

At that moment, knowing that the threat somehow went to himself as well - a part at least - the king had decided.

 

He would be getting married.

 

To the ocean-eyed boy, no matter when that was going to happen.

Finding the young man was not that difficult, especially when he did not have a place to stay, but was working towards it.

 

Slade found him in a tavern, working as one of the expert brewers, and perhaps the king could understand the frequent clientele, because the boy was really quite handsome.

 

At first he was not noticed, mainly because he went there only as a commoner and did not make himself seen, for at least three days.

 

Then one of the subjects eventually realized that the king was sneaking into the tavern in a lonely corner as he spent the whole night facing the barrel, watching.

 

Of course, the boy was not impressed by Slade, the crown or any title, in fact, Slade was ignored every day, and that only made him want to find out more about the boy.

 

Then, one day between the hot summer and the dreary autumn, Slade raised his mug, saluting the handsome brewer while not looking away, walking towards him as if he were not a king, as if he had not seen the boy with a knife pointed at the belly of a lord.

 

“ We are closing in an hour. ”,  The boy grumbled, without any willpower.

 

“ There will be a ball, at the castle. Food and drink and all that real stuff. ”, Slade leaned his body against the wood, tipping the rest of the mug over. “ A real invitation.”

 

“ Impressive, do you go around to all the taverns handing out these invitations or do you think I am an idiot?”.

 

“ The people are invited, I just wanted to make sure I'd find you there,", Slade smiled, leaving his mug on the counter.

 

He wasn't lying, it was one of the dances Wintergreen mentioned, finding some wife and shit like that, - the idea of opening it up to the kingdom came after Slade commented about maybe there being hidden beauties among the poor - Slade hated it, but if it indicated he could see those sea eyes, he'd be accepting.

 

“ Then you'll have to look very hard.”

 

And the king's heart opened with a kind of hope.

When the ball came, Slade looked, he really looked for the boy. At least he tried very hard to stay away from cupcakes that surrounded him.

 

Royal balls were boring and unbearable normally, when you let every village come, having a clear advertisement of being looking for marriage basically nailed to your door made it even more terrible.

 

And Slade just needed to breathe a little, he had been king for a year, and despite being trained his whole life, ruling was never as easy as it seemed.

 

Giving his tenth excuse for getting away from a duchess that night, Slade walked to wherever the draft indicated a little more room for himself, which was difficult with a crown on his head, no doubt.

 

He planned to go to the balcony, he knew he would have a second of peace looking at the never ending garden, but then there was a feeling in the back of his neck, burning as if something was wrong.

 

That damned lord was cornering someone else, and Slade had had enough of that at his parties at least.

 

He was already going to help, before he even realized who the cornered one was. And oh, the storm eyes were a little scared.

 

The lord held so close by the waist that he barely gave room to grab any possible weapon, and the boy was breathing so hurriedly, he would probably go into some kind of crisis.

 

Slade interrupted some stupid sentence, he knew this because his eyes, so beautiful, were wide in shock and disgust, and it certainly wasn't because he punched the lord.

 

Well, yeah, the king had no apparent reason to stand in the way of whatever that nobleman wanted, kind of nobody ever cared enough about other royalty harassing and raping people at parties because... Slade knew.

 

But he didn't need to let that happen in his castle.

 

“ Enough of that.”,  He spat so hard in the lord's face that he could feel the hatred in himself.

 

The lord stared from Slade to the boy, and could see the anger blossoming for having been hindered again. The eyes as intense as the sea did not blink, but looked at the man so expressive.

 

It wasn't fear.

 

There was hatred burning like oil in the sea, ready to sink the remains of a sinking ship.

 

“ You'd better get back to the party.”, Slade had to straighten his posture, it was his land and his castle, the lord would at least listen to him.

 

Beside him, because the king just stood in the middle, preventing the channel from just grabbing the boy again, Slade heard words in another language and they sounded very angry. But he kept his gaze locked on the shithead walking away, hands raised to his sides as the threat was clear.

When he turned around, the bluish anger was directed at him, and heavens, Slade felt the turn his heart made in his own stomach.

 

“ Is everything alright? ”

 

“ Young boy, you should be bowing, the king just saved you.”, The voice of one of the dukes startled the boy's response. Any other response was spoken for as the burning look turned to indignation.

 

And then, just when Slade thought there would be something, because he was raised and accustomed to bowing to you, the boy lifted his chin higher, eyes half-closed in greater defiance.

 

“Disgusting dogs. ”

 

Slade just blinked, surprised and somewhat amazed at all the audacity.

 

The duke would answer something to his satisfaction, he was sure of it, so the king just held up his hand, stopping any speech, only to stare at the boy, far more curious about who he was talking to than offended by any lack of reverence or politeness - actually, a little excited about it.

 

“ Walk me to a quieter place?”, the outstretched hand was refused with a cold and slightly painful slap. “ It's still in plain sight, and you can calm down without eyes on you.”

 

“ I'd rather not, it's too easy for the nobles to corner anyone in these places." Quick mouth, Slade was liking the boy even more, if possible.

 

“ Again, in plain sight. ” He laughed softly, because the whole situation was somewhat amusing, not the harassment clearly, but how... He just felt like laughing.

 

He walked past the boy, hoping he was being followed, but not entirely trusting that. He wouldn't arrest him and stop him from running if he wanted to, he just avoided something on that level... and somehow he had too much interest for it to ruin anything just by doing something like that.

 

So, stopping near the balcony railing, Slade just stared at the garden, the cold wind was invigorating after a crowded hall, and the half-energetic presence beside him didn't bother him, it seemed very natural.

 

“ So your hobby is inviting your subjects to be stalked at balls? ”, there was something in the boy's voice that made Slade stare.

 

A redness in his eyes gave away a feeling that the king knew was being hidden at all costs, but there was a trembling in the hands hanging around his body.

 

Slade's smile died.

 

“No...I didn't invite you to this.”

 

“ I know what they say about these royal balls, that if you're lucky a nobleman will find you handsome and you'll have a chance... that doesn't mean I want to be seen as a piece of meat by your little friends, and it doesn't matter if you're noble, king or whatever. I came here to start a quiet life.”, Fingers twitched as the boy spoke, never looking away from Slade's watery eyes, there was as much trust as anger.

 

“The lords and dukes come to these balls, even if I don't invite them, I thought that after the last time this imbecile would be far away. I didn't want him to ruin your evening like this.”

 

“ He spoils my day, my night and everything. A relentless pursuit.”,  His palm rubbed a few tears from his eyes.

 

Slade felt the chill attack him.

 

There were rumors about a new resident, about the lord who didn't know when to stop. Slade couldn't help but spin his mind in search of the name.

 

“ Grayson, right?”,  he leaned his body against the railing, because his mind with Wintergreen's voice told him that it wouldn't be nice to try to get close, and for once in his life it was good to hear any voice that sounded like his friend.

 

“ Dick.”, The tired sigh somehow went straight to Slade's heart.

 

They both remained like that for a while, just Slade staring at Dick and Dick staring at anything but the king.

 

It wasn't comfortable, but it would be even less so if Slade tried to comfort in any way.

 

Still, he needed to do something, there was the growing anxiety in his skin of having to do something.

 

Then, looking directly into Dick's face, there was a bit of courage.

 

“ Maybe there is some way that he can leave you alone, and not just him....”

 

Dick finally looked at him, with eyes so knowing that it made Slade feel dumb.

 

“ You... can be my betrothed.”, Speaking the idea made it sound dumber, but Slade somehow had already made up his mind about it, even without Dick answering.

 

“ I thought people married for love.” 

 

“ For now this might guarantee some kind of protection. There's still the whole courtship part ”, The arms folded across his chest sounded pathetic to Slade, he himself sounded pathetic in his ears, and Billy's voice was cackling from himself in his mind. “ And then, maybe the wedding. But I think protection might be good.”

 

“ What if you find another promised woman? Some woman who is beautiful and good? ”, Dick wasn't considering the proposal yet, it was just curiosity, Slade could see.

 

“ You would already have time to get money, for a house of your own, or to leave the kingdom, go to a safer place. ”

 

Dick pondered for a moment, his head tilting as he watched Slade.

 

The no was firm, and the king couldn't say he could hide his smile as he watched the boy walk away.

 

Dick was Slade's pledge, even if it was a challenge to win the boy over.

 

Slade would not give up.

The first flower was ignored, the second a bit annoying, but the tenth made Dick crush it.

 

He knew where they came from, he had seen them in the castle garden from the balcony that night.

 

And Slade did not hesitate to send the eleventh, which Dick did not receive.

 

The king's visits through the village were so frequent that they no longer sounded trumpets, and Dick would like them to do so because he would know the moment when he could slip into a yard and linger.

 

It was a bit annoying, especially when he had denied that shit. But well, Slade apparently didn't care.

 

But still, he wouldn't come close.

 

No, he just walked by the village to see if the lord was around, making sure Dick wasn't disturbed, but he himself didn't visit the tavern every day.

 

In fact, the flowers were just simple gifts, given from the king's heart, and although he wanted to be able to see the beautiful face every day, Slade limited himself to the days of mass, when many of the subjects said their prayers. Then he would go into the tavern, look around, and ask for a pint.

 

When the bell chimed, indicating the end of mass, he was gone, and did not bother Dick.

 

Which somehow irritated the younger man even more, if that were possible.

 

Anyway, there was the talk in the kingdom, that finally Slade had chosen someone to rule by his side, and that the young woman was lucky.

 

Dick cringed when he heard someone talking about this in the tavern. He just wanted to get some money, he didn't expect to get the attention of a king.

 

At least the lord had stopped for a while, left alone, which was definitely good.

The burning in the back of his head was as present as ever, Dick knew that if he turned around he would find the king staring at him. Slade didn't stare like the others, disgust or disgusting things, no, it was something Dick didn't know, but he had an anxiety in his chest growing whenever he caught the cold eyes on himself.

 

It was a different chill that ran through his body, somewhat of irritation, but... something there.

 

Dick ignored it, just like the other times.

The end of the day was always the difficult time in the tavern, by means of the fact that for those who frequented there, there was no end of the day. Well, Dick stumbled upon some drunks on his way out.

 

The kingdom was a quiet place to live, as far as possible. And the possible was now low, especially knowing that there was someone following him.

 

Dick wasn't afraid, not really, he had a sense of how to defend himself.

 

But there was something about being followed on a cold night and the darkness dragging beside him that left a chill running down Dick's spine.

 

At least he had good reflexes, enough that he was able to pull away in time to evade the tug on his arm.

 

It wasn't the lord, at least.

 

“ A cutie coming out of the tavern…”,  The humming voice gave Dick some sort of stomach sickness, and he saw two alternatives for the end of the conversation.

 

He waited for neither. Before the man could finish any beginning of the sentence, Dick had his fist closed against the fellow's face, then pulled away, the pain exploding in his bones, but it had been strong enough to knock him out.

 

“ Wow.”

 

And as much as it was a surprise, Dick's nervousness wasn't so heightened by seeing the king standing nearby, staring with arched blond eyebrows.

 

“ Do you do anything for your kingdom besides hanging out in taverns and watching the attendants? Because, frankly, the whole thing is a mess.”,  Dick pointed at the man on the floor, and was quickly ignored.

 

“ Well, I'm making arrangements about things.”, Slade tilted his head, not at all bothered by the man's whining, in fact, Slade just brushed him off like a pile of crap.

 

“ You must have some kind of dungeon for this stuff, don't you? It would be nice to use, they do that a lot in other kingdoms.”

 

“ It's a good idea, my council can evaluate it.”, Because, Dick had heard of the kingdom, and those who bothered the king's proposed rules didn't stay in dungeons, there was no time for that.

 

Hangings were for thieves, and those who did worse things got worse deaths.

 

Dick didn't like this idea very much, but he would no longer be in this kingdom in a few months.

 

“ Anything else?”,  Slade was now covertly trying to kick the man away.

 

The truth was that the king just couldn't find the right words, a part of his mind went watching Dick punch the guy, and he kind of liked that.

 

“ Yes, stop going to the tavern” 

 

“ I'm afraid I'll not”

 

“ It's uncomfortable for you to just stand there. It frightens the customers.” 

 

“ Sorry, I'm busy with business when I go there.”, The bigger one came closer, real fabric dragging on the rotten floor, poor handmaidens.

 

“ I didn't know that staring at me was 'business' ”, Dick squinted his eyes, and Slade felt his heart plummet again.

 

“ I'm courting you, the flowers, everything.”

 

Suddenly Dick felt like a bratty child. The arched eyebrow could be an indication of that.

 

“ The flowers? Oh, yes. I threw them away. I'm allergic. ”

 

The king seemed somewhat shaken by this information, and Dick allowed himself to smile like nothing but a lovely young man.

 

“ I'd like you to come to the castle tomorrow. ”, Slade caught the confusion in the boy's gaze; there was no news of any real event. “I am serious when I say that I want you as my pledge. ”

 

There was a heavy sigh and then the boy's shoulders slumped, Dick stared at the floor but looked defeated enough.

 

“You shouldn't be choosing a woman?”, the grumbling was low, Slade could feel much more than agony behind those words. Dick seemed so restless all of a sudden. “ Heirs to the throne are usually the main quest when kings marry.”

 

“ I hope my death will not be of old age. And when I die, on a battlefield, whoever kills me will have the right to the throne, so what good are heirs? They are for incapable kings. ”,  The shrug was real, and I hoped that this would somehow reassure Dick, which it didn't, he looked even smaller. “ Look, I still think you can get more out of this, if you don't want to go to the castle tomorrow, come with me on a tour of the kingdom in the afternoon. ”

 

And it was a quiet, good and measured offer. Everyone in town knew who Dick was, seeing him at Slade's side would fulfill the part of being protected. Still, it felt wrong.

 

Slade didn't care, he just longed for the boy to accept soon. He felt the need to have him with him and would no doubt fight for that.

The meeting the next afternoon was surprising, first Slade didn't expect Dick to end up showing up near the village where he had offered to meet.

 

Second, even Dick didn't expect to go, it was kind of a last minute decision, which explained the shortness of breath.

“ What have you heard about me?”

 

The question caught the king, he hadn't expected the first words of the day to be those. Slade held his hand up in the air, which was toward Dick - he would say it was for a handshake but knew better his willingness to squeeze the smaller man's waist in a hug - and stared at him, pondering the shallow rumors.

 

“ Someone new was in my kingdom. That was all.”, He shrugged, the truth was always a bit tedious.

 

Dick blinked twice in a row.

 

“ And how did you know it was me?” The look in his eyes was hiding a lot more than Dick was asking, Slade just needed some time to figure out what Dick really meant.

 

“ I didn't know until you started coming to the tavern, and frankly I've had my eye on you for other things.”,  He smiled, holding the corner of his lip, turning his attention to his blue eyes. “ Kind of like the color of your eyes.”

 

There was a moment of silence from both of them, Dick looked like he wanted to say something, but was fighting the words in his throat, and Slade didn't mind just staring at the boy.

 

After a few more minutes of nothing, Dick held out his hand, in the most curt way possible, not lifting his head to look into the king's eyes, but there was all the firmness one could show.

 

“ What is this damned ride? ”

 

Slade laughed, a low, quiet laugh, like the ones you give when something surprises you, and he would not deny that the acceptance of the contest had happened.

 

“ Just... seeing the village? It's something I always need to do... I thought having some company would be nice. ”

And indeed, it was.

 

The two made their way through the remote part, going even further away, basically Slade was taking the younger man to see the crop fields and farmers who lived there, where there were also larger offers of jobs with guaranteed housing, since from what the king knew, Dick was having a hard time, plus of course it was harder for the lord to follow so far away from the central part.

 

Anyway, the day was fruitful all the way around, stopping to talk to some of the villagers and having Slade stay to hear all the complaints - Dick was amused at how most of the farmers didn't care that this was the king and just pointed their hoes as if they were one of their king's sharp swords.

 

Dick didn't think about how he still wasn't exactly welcome in the kingdom, at least in that small, peasant-cared part of it, there was no innuendo to the boy. And so it was a more peaceful day.

 

Slade drove him back to the center in the late afternoon, in time for the tavern to open, despite that, he was not inclined to leave, instead he just stood around, watching while the two waited for the owner of the place so Dick could enter as well.

 

Slade continued to stand there, even after the minor had entered the place, just making sure that the Lord would not be around - he knew about the event nearby and had no doubt that the bastard would take advantage of the opportunity - but also thinking a bit about the facts during the day.

 

He had never seen a smile as big as the boy's before, and perhaps his heart had knotted in his stomach. It was disgusting, but somehow Dick had something about him.

It wasn't until a week later that Dick was more accepting of the idea that Slade was choosing him, of course, Slade never gave the minor a chance to understand anything other than that, but still, Dick wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea.

 

First, Slade was not known for being a good-natured king, despite having inherited the throne a little over a year ago, the king carries his reputation in battle with pride on his chest. Besides not always resolving conflicts inside and outside his kingdom in the most peaceful way possible. And this was a bit frightening.

 

Second, Slade didn't know him, which might be a comfort, but the idea was terrifying Dick as he noticed how the king was inclined to show he was truly enjoying himself.

 

And somehow, having someone who didn't know him liking you was starting to make Dick much more queasy than he could have imagined.

 

Or maybe it was the fact that at some point he would need to show who he was if he was going to take this seriously-because he knew that at some point he would be putting himself in a no-win situation-and Slade would not want him.

 

So the next time he met with the king, Dick brought up again the discussion about Slade needing to get a princess, someone more qualified for the position of consort.

 

And that's what they were at now, Slade stared at him with confusion in his icy eyes, and Dick felt even smaller.

 

“ I have been offered many princesses, but none had ever caught my eye.”,  The statement was soft, the proximity of the words and the body louder than you. “ And you charmed me when you threatened that lord with a knife.”

 

Dick couldn't help but let a nervous laugh escape, hair tucked behind his own ear and the sigh escaping his lungs.

 

“ I have a feeling you're going to give me a lot of headaches.”

 

“ I'll make a point of it, if you must know. ”,  Slade smiled gently, holding out the blue hydrangea he was holding in his hands.

 

“ I didn't get a good look at the garden at that dance.”, Dick stared at the flower in his white hands, pulling gently at it as he brushed the knuckles of his fingers against Slade's. - I think it would be interesting to see it there.

Slade complied, by the end of the week Dick was inside the castle, being led with one hand on his shoulder - there was no bad weight, just Slade's warm palm holding in place, no further down at any time - to the garden he had seen weeks ago.

 

It was still a dead place, poorly tended and not delicate at all, but Dick could see the hydrangeas placed in a place that would honestly soon die, the intense sun would wither their petals to death.

 

Outside there was a lake, surrounded by mud and not at all prepared to be the famous beautiful lake of visitation. Dick was somewhat amazed at how ugly that garden was.

 

“ We are still building, I have no idea what to put in it, my servants give me many ideas but I am not a person who... understands flowers. ”, Slade tried to explain as soon as Dick stopped by a dead foot.

 

The boy laughed softly, eyebrows arching as his shoulders shook with laughter.

 

Slade pulled his hand away, and for a second Dick regretted the loss of warmth.

 

“ Clearly you are not, those hydrangeas will burn, the pond needs grass around it to get rid of all that mud, some decorative rocks are good too. Plant flowers that handle sun well in places that will get sun, and fruit trees to attract little birds that will bring more seeds to the garden.”,  Dick turned around, only to find his heart skipping a beat. Slade was staring at him with all the intensity in the world, there was a smile on his face, and for the first time in a long time, someone was not staring at him like he was prey. The king was smiling with such admiration that it was cutting the smallest one off.

 

Dick suddenly felt uneasy, very aware of himself, of who he was, of where he was walking.

 

“ What's the matter?”, Slade raised his eyebrows, but all the simple, unassuming feeling from before was still there.

 

“ This garden scares me, you need it changed soon.”,  Dick hid it, and if that was what it really was, it was good to hide it for as long as he could.

 

“ I'll be working on it. Would you like to go anywhere else?”

 

“ I'm not sure you're really going to move here, I could have done several things already. ”, Strands of hair fell on his shoulder as he watched the king, maybe it was just the will to keep talking.

 

The younger man bent down, gathered some earth in his hands and rubbed it, watching the brown color spread between his fingers.

 

It was not a bad soil.

The next few months passed with the blur of a change of seasons, so hectic and messy that Slade can barely scale straight in thought the events.

 

But one day he remembered well.

 

Late autumn, when the rain soaked the earth for the last time, also washing the blood from the armor of his entire army on the march back to the kingdom. Slade was tired, finished, and a little wounded, nothing that wouldn't heal within weeks, but it still made wearing the pierced armor uncomfortable.

 

So the biggest surprise for him, besides being shot at the camp still, was finding the oceanic eyes waiting for him at the entrance to the castle.

 

Dick was standing at the great doors, hand on heart and eyebrows together watching man by man collapse down the steps, looking for a spot to rest.

 

Slade had promised that the battle would last three days at most, a week had passed since his going and when the king stood in front of his promised, he could see the anger licking the blue.

 

“ A week.”, Dick grumbled, eyes quickly lowering, checking every spot on Slade's armor. “ I didn't think you would be efficient to solve in three days but I wasn't aware of your total inefficiency.”

 

“ We had to move camp.”, Slade sighed, the weight of his shoulders dropping as soon as he was close to Dick. “It is tradition for the king to be greeted with a kiss.”

 

They had been nothing but kisses on the cheek, Dick stared at him indignantly.

 

“ You're covered in blood and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I truly hope it's someone else's blood. I'm not touching you until you don't look like you fell in a pool of blood and are wearing normal clothes.”, The smaller man turned around, walking into the foyer.

 

Dick didn't explain, but he also wanted Slade to be sure of his injuries.

As soon as the seams were in place and the king was wearing a cotton outfit rather than iron, Slade went into the library, where he knew Dick would be because it was too cold now to stay in the garden at that time.

 

Dick had a book in his lap, but his legs were wobbling with anxiety; he was not concentrating on reading.

 

Slade fell down beside him on the floor, face resting on the arms of the armchair, staring at those blue eyes going through lines and lines.

 

“ Were you badly hurt?”, The boy turned his face slightly, still not taking his fake attention off the page.

 

“ The other army was worse.”,  Slade ran his fingers down Dick's arm, wrapping his hand around the younger man's and then pulling it to himself, lips meeting it's back. “ Had a lot of fun here?”

 

“ I don't want you going into those battles alone.”, Dick closed the book aggressively, but didn't let go of Slade's hand.

 

“ Wars are inevitable, love. I have to be there for the army.”, Slade squinted his eyes.

 

It hadn't been long since he had caught himself calling Dick by affectionate nicknames, and Dick felt the chill in his stomach every time.

 

“ It would be easier if he would be like the other kings and just stay out of it. Or try to resolve it diplomatically, no one would have to die.”,  The minor's sad expression made Slade's heart shrink a few inches in his chest, sinking and sinking.

 

Dick finally released Slade's no, only to then hold the king's face, shaking his head from side to side as he searched.

 

There was no visible bruise, that didn't make it any better.

 

“ The winter ball will be soon, Billy will help you decide on the decorations with the maids.”,  Slade inevitably closed his eyes as he felt the fingers running through his hair, Dick was gentle but he picked up on strong points sometimes.

 

“ Take me along in the wars.”,  Dick grumbled, closer to Slade's face than the man could ever imagine.

 

As soon as he opened his eyes, all he could see was the ocean, it looked calm, but Slade knew that blue well enough to know when the storm was coming.

 

“ There will be a meeting after the dance. We will decide about helping other kingdoms with their crops, food and meat. I want you with me.”

 

“ You won't go into any other battles until I can go along. I don't want to be just an ornament for your meetings and your parties, if I'm really going to be your husband, I want to be by your side at all times.”, Dick touched foreheads, and there was the storm, clear and loud.

 

“ You will decide, at the meeting, how it will be done, what will be done.”  Slade held his chin between his fingers, rubbing nose to nose for a moment. “ After that, we will announce you as my future husband. The whole kingdom already knows, but now all the kingdoms will know. ”

 

“ Slade…”

 

“ And then, you will never leave my side again.”

And now, looking at Dick at the dance, Slade felt much more like keeping his promise.

 

Dick was the total attention, basically, not only was he wearing a royal ensemble that perfectly matched every muscle on his body, the blue satin color highlighted his eyes. It seemed that Dick had always belonged to royalty, and Slade couldn't admire him more.

 

The smaller one didn't stick to himself, not that it made Slade a little more scattered from the casual political conversations, after all, he watched Dick come and go with other guests around the ball, but it was much more concern that something would happen, so Slade might miss some boring words.

 

The castle was full, the two ballrooms, connected by a large archway at the back of the first, overflowed with people. For the first time in existence, the ball had been open to everyone in the kingdom.

 

Dick did it.

 

Slade couldn't help but smile at his future consort's speech as they discussed the ball. " If not to shelter everyone here at the onset of winter, give them food and assurance that they won't get cold, how do you expect the king to trust that his new king cares?".

 

And who was Slade to stop Dick from deciding anything? Especially now that I could see him much more at ease with the bakers than with all of high society. I wouldn't judge him.

 

But of course he still needed to keep an eye on one damned wretch.

 

Opening the ball meant letting the Lord in, and Dick assured Slade that nothing would be happening.

 

But Slade couldn't be reassured, especially when he caught the creep blatantly staring at Dick and his body.

 

“ If you want to be more obvious, take a sword and challenge him to a duel.”, Dick's voice caught in Slade's ear, the smaller man's hand glued to the king's shoulder.

 

“ I could do that. ”

 

“ Slade, don't.” Dick sighed, and Slade felt a shiver run through his hair. “ Why don't you ask me to a dance instead? I'm your fiancé, aren't I? Show him then.” 

 

The king turned around, he could feel Dick trembling, knew how the lord's gaze actually affected him. The dance wasn't just to make Slade calm, it was to have some way to distract Dick as well.

 

The hand was accepted so quickly that Slade could barely see when Dick placed it on his own waist and brought their bodies closer together, swallowing dryly at the thoughtful blue eyes on him.

 

“ Have you helped yourself?”, Slade intertwined both fingers, feeling the comforting warmth of Dick's body. He liked that, liked how the smaller man could soothe his nerves so easily.

 

“ I was expecting a gentleman to serve me, but you were too busy throwing invisible daggers into that lord's bald head.” 

 

“ You should eat.”  Slade rubbed his grip against Dick's waist.

 

The dances were one of the only times that had so much closeness and intimacy of touch, they were both catching every second of it.

 

“ I won't starve to death, but these people will if we don't make a fruitful deal.”,  Dick squinted his eyes, he had studied everything he needed for the meeting, and Slade felt like kissing him.

 

“ We can help two kingdoms without our own kingdom lacking food.”

 

“ I can't choose which kingdoms will starve. It's not fair.”,  Dick pressed his lips against his teeth, he was sweating a little as Slade spun him around the track. “The princess of the neighboring kingdom has been staring at you for quite a while.”

 

“ Many things are not fair, we can't help all the kingdoms and let ours starve. There are many babies being born and will be born throughout the winter. Choices have consequences Dick, it's not easy to govern, but you will know how to make the right one.”, The comment about the princess was ignored, just as Slade ignored any attempt by Dick to show the king another alternative, another consort.

 

“ How do you live with these choices?”,  The sigh was sincere, Dick leaned his face against Slade's chest. It was far more than was allowed in a dance, neither of them minded that.

 

“ You will know, Dick, you will make the right choice, and I will be there with you. They need to know that you will rule by my side and not behind me.”, Slade's arms wrapped around the smaller figure, completely still on the dance floor as the other partners sidestepped both of them.

 

“ What if you regret it?”, because Dick knew that Slade would regret it at some point.

 

“ I won't. ”, Slade pulled Dick's head back, causing the smaller figure to stare at him.

 

There was a hint of tears in his blue eyes, Dick looked beautiful in any situation, but Slade felt the pain in his heart again as he saw the sadness in Dick's eyes.

 

Slade wanted to find out what it was, because the minor always seemed bothered by something, or always willing to attack Slade the first woman that existed so that Slade would marry her.

 

There was a chance that Dick didn't like the king, deep down it could very well be that...and the thought disturbed Slade a little.

 

“ I won't. ”,  He promised softly, just for the two of them to hear.

 

Dick sniffled, twice in a row, before pushing his head up and capturing Slade's lips in a quick kiss.

And that was enough to make Slade unable to concentrate for the rest of the evening.

 

Especially when Dick just stepped out from between his arms and walked over to the guests, as if he hadn't just burned three traditions and every rule of royalty possible.

 

Slade couldn't have fallen in love with someone different.

The meeting did not go so well.

 

The first thing that indicated total disaster from there was the fact that as soon as Dick entered the room, none of the traders were comfortable.

 

Their consorts were in the other room, it was expected that Dick would be there as well.

 

“ Um, young boy, maybe you'd like to have tea with the queens? I bet getting a taste of royal information would be good for... a future consort. ”  One of the kings commented as Dick approached the table.

 

Slade stood up and pulled out the chair next to his for Dick to sit in, eyebrow arched as he had the answers on the tip of his tongue.

 

“ Actually, Your Majesty, it is not against the rules of conduct for consorts to participate in negotiations, you just like to exclude your wives from any decisions.”, Dick answered, sitting back in his chair and smiling softly at Slade. “ But, I will fulfill the royal role of a consort and help my king rule.”

 

Slade had a sincere smile on his face, calmly running his hand over his chin as he stared at anyone who had any objections.

 

The silence around him didn't mean that everyone there agreed with this, in fact, much of it just made it that much worse.

 

Dick and Slade needed to choose carefully who they would be benefiting and what they would ask in return. Slade would like help in the army for future wars, but Dick knew better, no kingdom would swear allegiance when they could benefit by helping the other kingdom in war.

 

Despite the disagreement between the two, Slade did not interfere when Dick asked for political support. But even so, it was difficult for a real agreement to be established.

 

A good part of the kings were too busy being outraged by Dick's presence, the other part was furious with the way the minor carefully analyzed each of the kingdoms and asked for the inputs to know which one he should choose.

 

In the end, two small kingdoms that would barely have a chance of surviving the winter were chosen, and the kings promised all the political support they could possibly need.

 

No one was happy as they left the room, and Dick remained seated, staring at the table with his stomach in a twist.

 

“ You did well.”,  Slade laid his hand calmly on Dick's shoulder, massaging the tense points there.

 

“ Which one would you have chosen?”

 

“ A big one would look after the army, but you did well, Dick.”, Slade gathered up some of the curls that formed at the end of Dick's hair and curled them around his own finger.

 

Dick closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair, completely tired. His mind hurt, and so did his stomach, and hunger clashed with annoying nausea.

 

“ They're not going to make it easy for us.”,  Slade grumbled, but there was no reprisal for Dick's choices in his voice.

 

“ I didn't expect them to.”, Dick smiled as he felt the king's thumb on his cheek.

 

It was a small gesture, but every now and then the boy found himself smiling at small gestures. He knew well where his heart was falling, and the fall seemed painful.

When the announcement of the engagement was made, the kingdom was surprised, which drew a laugh from Slade. The king lived with Dick on his arm, they shouldn't be surprised that he was the one who would be marrying the majesty.

 

Except, of course, that it was two men and that had never happened before.

 

Slade didn't care, he was just fine having the lesser one by his side, and looking forward to seeing Dick rule by his side.

 

The main problem was, they couldn't get married.

 

Slade was very angry about this, especially since he planned to get married in late spring and enjoy the blooming fields, the garden that was starting to look good thanks to Dick.

 

But they could not marry, not without changing the mandate that explained that the crown should be a king and a queen.

 

And Slade would change that.

Dick didn't seem to mind the delay, and Slade had to remind himself that he had accepted the request because he had nowhere else to go. Which was hard, but Slade would be winning him over until the wedding day.

 

Well, actually, Dick was already a little too into it, body and mind. But he never minded explaining it to Slade, especially knowing what awaited him once the king found out more about it.

 

And that was becoming a big problem for Dick's heart.

 

He wished he didn't fall in love with the king, in fact when he first came to the kingdom he never thought he would like someone like him. Heavens Slade was bloodthirsty in the extreme, and Dick himself had witnessed enough turns of war staining the hall carpet. Slade wasn't gentle either, he didn't mind starting royal fights at balls or threatening others of royalty. He was crass in much of his royal appointments and almost never let anyone see his weaknesses.

 

But then, being so close to the king ended up showing all his vulnerabilities. And Slade was just a man, a very kind man to Dick.

 

Dick, from the beginning, had full access to the castle, library, ballroom, kitchen, bedrooms, everything.

 

But now, completing one year since the crazy proposal the king made to him, Dick had a free pass to the kingdom, anywhere, he could come and go as he pleased.

 

Slade still kept the smile on his face as he waited for another reaction from Dick besides the curse that came out of his mouth.

 

“ It's almost as if you told me to run away.”, Dick swallowed hard, turning the brooch from side to side.

 

“  You've never been locked up, you can go anywhere you want, this brooch isn't a chain, it's a key. The castle is your home, if you want it to be, but it doesn't have to be your only home.”, Slade closed Dick's hand around the brooch with his own, a much larger hand - Slade was taller too, and Dick pleaded that he had simply reached the peak of his growth because... he was already attractive enough.

 

“ I... Slade.”

 

“I also want to say that... even though we can't make anything official yet, I'm fighting the laws. ”, The voice was low, even though it was just the two of them in the break room, the sound of the wood burning in the fireplace being the only thing to break the infernal silence. “ And, since we are not conventional about the rules, if you feel like coming to my room during the night, you can come. I can't sleep early.”

 

Dick tried, but couldn't help his cheeks blushing softly at this.

 

Couples didn't sleep together before marriage, and despite the kisses exchanged over and over again, Slade and he had no intimacy, not this intimacy.

 

Dick was terrified.

 

But the brooch was placed on his cloak, the cloak he wore in the castle, similar to Slade's.

 

The two of them sat the rest of the evening on the floor near the fireplace. Slade held some books containing the governing laws of the kingdom, he had been studying them for so many months already.

 

Dick also had a book, his favorite battered booklet from when he was a child, one that his mother had made for him and he always read before going to bed. But Dick couldn't read it now, his body seemed too shaky for that, so close to Slade, sharing something so intimate it didn't seem real.

 

But it was real, everything was extremely real there.

 

Before the boy could realize it, he had crawled himself between the king's legs, which was easy because of Slade's half splayed position, and then strong arms were quietly rubbing his cloak, whispering pleasantries about how cold it was in the castle and leaving deafening kisses on the black threads.

 

They both fell asleep there, Slade with one arm wrapped around Dick, keeping his own cloak tight around the smaller one while holding the open law book on his leg, Dick was leaning against the king's torso, his own book on the rug between his legs and his breathing calm.

 

He was no longer trembling.

Dick began to wear the brooch regularly, almost once a week at least he would leave the kingdom, with one of the horses from the royal stable. He usually returned the next day, or at most three days later.

 

Slade never complained about this, but as soon as Dick was back, the king constantly hung around. The boy was beginning to find this cute.

 

The garden wasn't finished yet, but Dick spent most of his days there, planting some flowers and taking care of the rest, of course Slade would fight with him when he found him kneeling in the dirt, mostly because they had people to do it, but Dick loved the feeling of doing something when everything he tried to do outside the garden was cut off early on by servants.

 

That didn't stop Slade from standing behind Dick, completely indignant about it.

 

“ We have servants for that.”

 

“ Not everyone is stingy, Slade, and likes to work.” Dick grumbled, clearly not a tone to use with majesty, but Dick didn't care.

 

The boy took the opportunity to turn his face, finding Slade watching him, a chill ran down his spine, a familiar but senseless anxiety, Slade couldn't see the sash wrapped around his chest, not with all those layers of clothing on top.

 

“ If you're going to stand there and watch, you might as well come and help.”,  He threw a cake of dirt on the king's pants.

 

It didn't take long before Slade was at his side, listening carefully to Dick's instructions, how he should plant, which flowers would look best.

 

The garden already had grass covering any past mud, but still lacked a few gray spots to be colored with flowers. Dick was studying some that could survive from the scorching sun to the harshest winter.

 

“ We have a ball to go to, in the neighboring kingdom.”, Slade announced as he kneaded the soil around the newly placed plant.

 

Dick frowned, putting aside the knife with which he was digging the holes.

 

“ Our presence is important for the alliance, but we don't need to stay in the hall all night.” 

 

And Dick kind of... liked the idea, especially the possibilities of where they would be.

 

Two nights ago, after a meeting with the kingdom council, Slade pulled him into one of the corners near the bedrooms, Dick was as enraged as the king himself, even more so, by the insinuations they had to hear from the council. Slade kissed him for real in that corner.

 

His waist still burned from the strong touch Slade had, tightening but not hurting, just firm enough for Dick to feel safe.

 

Dick kind of hoped for more kisses like that.

 

“ All right.”,  He bit back the smile on his own lip, because Slade had no idea what Dick was thinking and that was a very good thing actually.

 

Despite the invitation to sleep next to Slade, Dick never accepted. The king didn't seem hurt by it, but the younger man was aware of the expectation.

 

After all, he could understand the needs of the human body.

 

And of course Slade found him attractive, if the whole kissing thing wasn't a correct demonstration, but Dick figured the attraction wouldn't extend for long. That didn't stop the boy himself from starting to find Slade really attractive.

 

Not that he hadn't from the beginning, the penetrating gaze was strong and always present in him, but now, knowing the king much better, Dick kept wandering his mind when he was embraced in the fireplace, Slade's warmth being a spot on his back and even, Slade after training with his guards, this vision was good, really good, especially the moment the king started to take off his armor.

 

“ Dick…”,  Slade stared at him with half-lidded eyes, and Dick shook his head, becoming aware of where he was again. 

“Did you hear what I said?”

 

“  No.... I kept thinking about the flowers.” Hoped he wasn't bad at lying.

 

“ Oh yes, the flowers.”, The smile on Slade's face indicated that he wasn't buying it, but he didn't insist. “ I said that Wintergreen commented on you starting to participate in the training, and I think it's a good idea.”

 

“ The training with the guards?”

 

Dick tilted his head to the side quietly; at the end of the day, everyone went to the larger lake near the forest to wash up. Dick denied with his head, there was no chance of that happening.

 

“ With me.”,  Slade arched his eyebrow. “Before I decided who would be my future consort, I agreed with Billy that no matter who I chose, they would know how to defend themselves in case of invasion. I won't always be present in the kingdom, and you won't always be able to come along with me, so I want you to know how to defend yourself, more than you already do.”

 

Training alone with Slade, Dick could feel his heart racing in anxiety.

 

He planned to hide for longer, all that was necessary, but apparently he would soon need to face the king's clear rejection.

 

“ When are you going to start?”,  his voice was low.

 

“ After the ball.”,  Slade frowned at his lack of excitement.

 

Dick, Slade thought, seemed very excited watching the training he had with the guards, so the logical thing would be to invite him to one.

 

Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea in the end.

The dance only served to make Dick more tempted to Slade's kisses, in addition to the constant worry about training.

 

They both wore typical and matching clothing. Slade was wearing one of the black robes, basically the same as the one he usually wore, the main difference was the embroidered details in a more matte black, carrying the kingdom symbol along the black fabric; Dick was wearing a new version, made especially for him, a blue that followed with sparkles along the length and the edges in a matte black, all the details and kingdom symbols were embroidered, in dark blue. Slade also handed Dick a crown, the one he would wear after the wedding, the king wouldn't tell, but it took him over three of the advisors to get the crown. Dick looked stunning.

 

This only helped for Slade's desire to just steal the lesser of the ball that neither of them really wanted to be at and take him to some private corner, however, every time he thought too hard about doing that he remembered the lord dragging Dick away. Slade would stop on the spot and just go back to forcing smiles on the other nobles.

 

Dick, on the other hand, would gladly accept just being carried from there by Slade.

 

Sharing the royal carriage with the king made the boy again aware of how handsome Slade was, and all the contrast they made as a couple and that made Dick imagine things, like Slade grabbing him and kissing him.

 

Maybe he really wanted that.

It took another half hour before Dick's patience ran out, he needed to get used to interacting this much at real parties, that's what he would do a lot of in the future, but now? With so many looks on himself, Dick wanted only the one that mattered.

 

“ Your Majesty.”, He tugged on Slade's sleeve, drawing his attention away from a conversation that seemed definitely important. “ I'd like to... a walk around the lake, I hear there's a lake with a really nice fountain open to guests and I'm a little dizzy... if it's not too much, I'll be heading over there.”

 

Dick hoped Slade would follow him, but he didn't say.

 

“ Sure.”, Then Slade turned around, the smaller man's smile wilting for a moment, before he heard Slade commenting to the wheel. “ I'll be back later.”

 

Then again the king's eyes were locked on you, and Dick felt that was right.

 

Slade wrapped his hand around Dick's shoulder, comforting grip as he guided him to where he hoped was the blessed lake.

 

“ I couldn't wait until you wanted to get out of the way.”, Slade grumbled, a little amusement in his voice.

 

“ What? Are you going to tell me you can't handle a few hours of direct socializing?”

 

There was a giggling snort on Dick's lips, swept away entirely as he noticed the look Slade had on his face.

 

“ Normally, I can handle it, but having you whirling back and forth in the lounge is a temptation, I just wanted to have a moment alone.”

 

Dick chose silence, because he wanted that moment alone too, because he didn't want to risk saying how he would like to actually be kissing Slade.

 

The lake was large, as they had said, it went around a good block of the huge garden the castle had, and yes there was a fountain gushing water over it, Dick might try to understand how they managed to build that, if he hadn't turned to Slade and grabbed his face the moment they reached the darkness outside.

 

“ If you wanted to go out kissing you just had to have asked.”, Slade laughed softly, too amused by the situation to notice how Dick was pushing him into one of the columns this time.

 

The king's back slammed against the concrete - that was probably it, Dick hadn't spent any time analyzing what material the castle was made of - and then Slade's sharp eyes were on Dick.

 

The smaller man just hummed, took the older man's hands in his and put them around his waist, feeling satisfied with that.

 

It was funny how Slade just seemed to freeze there.

 

“ I want to kiss you.”, Dick blinked with all the simplicity there was, because he really wanted this, he wanted to enjoy the last moments he could be around Slade, with Slade touching him and the king's voracious lips against his, feeling the tightness at his waist from the big hands and the curve the older man needed to make so they were at a similar height, Dick wanted all of this one last time before the training, before he was kicked out of the castle, before Slade knew about him.

 

Taking a breath or two, Dick moved his face up a little, meeting Slade's lips. Two hands gripping the older man's face, thumb running along the line of his cheek and jaw as he closed his eyes and enjoyed all the sensations there: the big hands squeezing and pressing against his waist but not hurting, Slade's firm but soft lips, the beard growing that he would probably remove in two days, the body bigger than his own completely against him, the fabric of his clothes getting in the way, and Slade's tongue sliding over his mouth as if he had known it there all his life.

Dick could feel every hair on his body rise in the constant shiver that seemed to rise from his bones. He had never experienced such a good feeling before, at least he couldn't remember it.

 

Automatically, like an impulse of his own, the smaller one slid Slade's hands away, going lower. It was all very, very warm, very close, very good. Dick felt his whole insides burn in sparks like fireworks as he wrapped his arms around Slade's neck, pulling him even closer, only to arch softly as he felt the quick grip on his ass.

 

Slade had wanted to touch Dick's whole body, but he had seen the knife the smaller man had carried around his ankle earlier, - the lord would be at the dance too - and he had seen the look of hatred so many times for things like that that he almost felt afraid to touch him, and also, he didn't want to ruin everything they had been building.

 

Dick, on the other hand, leaned much closer to Slade, waiting for the touches, wanting every possible contact with the man, this could be his last time, he wouldn't miss for anything the desire that began to rise inside his chest.

 

But then, the air and the whole breathing thing. Slade pulled away, still had his hands still on the smaller man's ass, but not squeezing, palms outstretched as he licked the rest of the taste of Dick's mouth from his lips, cheeks red and breathing heavily.

 

Dick was also a mess of his own, but the smile present on his face was sin and Slade wouldn't mind sinning some more.

 

“ You can, you know, touch me like that.”, Dick grumbled softly, because he didn't always have to make the first move, did he?

 

“ You have a kitchen knife on your ankle.”

 

“ And you have a dagger in your coat sleeve, we're a dangerous couple and everyone knows it, now, Your Majesty, are you going to kiss me again or not?”

 

“ As you wish, future consort.”,  Slade held Dick closer, squeezing his ass, and then kissed him voraciously, the same excitement as before, fully returned by Dick.

They looked at the lake, at the end, when they needed to wait a few minutes for Slade to return to a normal color and the beastly laughter of the two stopped, then they both walked through the garden.

 

Dick pointed out that several of the flowers would soon die, even if they couldn't see clearly in the dark, the smaller one of course also pointed out how Slade needed to start helping more with the garden.

 

Slade just passed his arm around Dick's waist and commented about planting roses in one of the corners where the sunlight was in the perfect amount, and Dick already touched by all that had happened in the last few moments, felt his body melt with Slade's closeness and huskiness.

 

It was almost like a dream, and it was almost time to wake up.

Returning to the castle was a bucket of cold water, Dick was very aware of what was about to happen, so from the moment he set foot inside the castle, the boy was an anxious wreck of nerves, just waiting for the moment when the training would begin.

 

It took a while, it wasn't at the exact moment that Slade was free of obligations, the king went off to his own training with his guards and Dick was just left wandering around, feeling the pit in his stomach. When the end of the day came and nothing came to him, Dick was sure that it was just a joke and Slade would not be training him, after all, the guards existed precisely to protect, Dick would not need to know how to defend himself.

 

Until, after lunch the other day, Slade leaned over Dick from the armchair he was in and, leaving a few quiet kisses along the minor's cheek line, whispered:

 

“ Today, as soon as the guards return to their posts, meet me in the field. Let's get started.”

 

And Dick could feel all the anxiety eating away inside again.

 

He couldn't read or distract himself with anything else until the hour, he just stared at the fire in the fireplace, dancing and dancing in uneven flames, the heat being enough to make him sweat along with all his anxiety and fear.

At the moment when no more guards were on the field, Dick appeared in his own armor, it was heavy and limited almost all his movements, the boy felt completely out of place in it, unlike Slade, whose armor seemed perfect for him, with all the fittings in the right places for protection, there was a small feeling of envy.

 

“ What... happened?”, The king approached, his attention firmly fixed on the wrong bindings Dick had made to secure the necessary armor. “ Who put it on?”

 

“ No one, Your Majesty.”,  He could feel a little pride in dressing himself, but it was much deeper than pride, it involved trusting someone, and no one in the castle seemed trustworthy.

 

“ Heavens, that's why you're a mess.”, Slade denied with his head, turning Dick on his back, which only alarmed the smaller man.

 

In less than a few seconds, Dick was facing forward again, extending his sword between him and Slade, making a very visible distance.

 

His chest was rising and falling and his heart seemed to be in his mouth, it was much more reaction than anything.

 

The king held up his hands, indicating that he wasn't holding anything there, but there was a certain glint in his eyes, which made Dick embarrassed.

 

“ I'm not going to hurt you, Richard. I was just trying to fix your armor.”, The frozen eye watched the blade lower to the ground, Dick needed to relax, at some point Slade would find out and the whole fantasy would be over. “ Can I help you with that?”

 

Dick considered a no, what guaranteed him that Slade wouldn't just rip the mesh out of the steel? He had heard enough in the tavern about how kings didn't respect the laws for a marriage, how they didn't mind having their queens before marriage, or any other women, but yet Slade never went beyond that, there was no gossip around the castle about the king's mistresses, or anything like that. The boy bowed his head, agreeing before.

 

Slade stepped closer once more, warm hands wrapping around Dick's shoulders and then adjusting the shoulder pads of his armor.

 

“ You can ask the servants to dress you; they know how to adjust the armor to your body.”, The hands were now on his waist, arranging the overlapping protective iron, and then there was no longer the nagging nagging at his hip.

 

Dick should know how to wear armor, but he could never get it.

 

“ It's heavy.”

 

“ Hm?”, Slade engaged the zipper on the collar, finally leaving all skin covered and in protection. Dick turned to face him.

 

“ It's heavy and limits movement, armor should protect but it should also be enough to move around. How did you wear it and run?”

 

“ We don't run, we fight.”,  The blond eyebrows were knitted together on Slade's forehead, and Dick sighed, maybe the training was much worse than he expected. “ Do you know how to hold swords and knives, do you know how to use them too, or do you just like to threaten with them?”

 

“ I could cut your throat. ”

 

“ Then, show me.”

 

Slade held up the boy's sword with his own, there was all the defiance in the world burning in those cloudy blue eyes, while Dick hid the fear in his ocean storm.

 

Dick landed the first blow, the sound of Slade's blade blocking it burst through Dick's ear, plunging the smaller boy further into it.

 

The boy forced the blow further, but Slade managed to keep the blade stationary, only turning his wrist for a moment and then getting rid of the attack. He didn't wait for Dick to have any chance to regain control of the sword, Slade landed his own blade above Dick's chest, not touching, but only millimeters away.

 

Dick swallowed dryly, stepped back a little, only to have the king approach, circling him like a wolf about to attack its prey, and Dick felt like prey. His heart was beating loudly, lungs glued to his back as he tried to focus, to remember how he always did to protect himself, but the sword was too long, too long, and Dick closed his eyes.

 

Slade wasn't a real threat, he wouldn't hurt Dick, ever, but the smaller man was so out of place in a land that wasn't his, a home that wasn't his, a life that didn't feel right to be his.

 

Slade's blow was stopped, inches from Dick's shoulder. As soon as he focused on the king, Dick noticed his own sword blocking. Slade was standing in front of him, gaze as indecipherable as if he didn't know him.

 

The boy ran his own blade through the king's and engaged the pommel, forcing downward until Slade let go from the pressure-and to avoid the cut on his hand.

 

The sword was pulled away so that Slade could bend down and pick up his own, but as soon as the king's protected fingers reached the hilt, Dick felt the kick to his shin, accompanied by a leg hooking into his own. Before he could see, he was on the ground, Slade with his own sword pointed in his face.

 

“Don't let your guard down.”

 

He wasn't.

 

Dick kicked Slade's hand hard, knocking the sword to the ground again, but before the king could duck again, Dick crouched down. Using his legs as momentum he grabbed Slade's hand and knocked him down, falling on top and making weight to keep him from getting up.

 

There was still a resounding thunder in his chest, screaming at himself to run away before Slade knew and threw him to the wolves again.

 

But Slade remained on the ground, hands on either side of his head as he blinked, the surprise seemed genuine in his eyes.

 

“ I don't like the limitations of armor. ”, Dick grumbled, his breathing was unsteady, but at least his voice wasn't failing.

 

“ I think that's good for today... it's a very good start.”

 

“ You're just not accepting that I brought you down.”,  Dick laughed, resting his hands on the king's protected chest.

 

“ My ego is a little bruised, but I'm too much in love to care about that right now.”,  The gleam in his eyes was so sincere that Dick felt his skin tingle again.

 

“ I don't want servants to dress me.”

 

The shrug was genuine, Slade lifted his own torso, curious as to why.

 

“ All right, they won't do it never.”

 

Dick lowered his gaze, his hands were playing with the steel protecting Slade's entire front, it was enough to discount his anxiety, at least for the moment.

 

If Dick couldn't trust Slade, who would he be trusting in that castle?

 

The boy stood up, extending his hand to Slade, the look of such concern on his face that it made the king consider.

 

“ Your Majesty, I need to show you something.” His stomach turned to ice.

As they entered the break room, where they spent much of their time in the castle, because it was private and the curtains were thick enough, Dick locked the door before any servant could enter, it was a clear sign, but Dick would not doubt that they would try, the whispers that Dick might kill the king was something the boy heard over and over again.

 

Slade seemed so much more interested now, he didn't go to the armchair as usual, he just stood in the middle of the room, in his armor just like Dick.

 

“ I should have told you from the beginning but …”, Dick didn't stare into the cold eyes, he just focused on the floor, counting the details of the embroidery on the thick carpet. The curtains were drawn and nothing but the fireplace lit the room. “ I hope you understand that this is not something easy.”

 

“ Richard I”

 

“ No, Slade. Don't say anything for now, okay?”, Dick held up his hand, because all the courage he had gathered thanks to the adrenaline was wanting to escape his veins. “It's a secret I've kept for a long time, it's something of mine. I would tell you on our wedding night, but... it's not fair.”

 

Slade crossed his arms, eyebrows arched as he analyzed his future consort from top to bottom.

 

“ I've been gathering courage, and I was afraid you might want to go to the lake, but, maybe it would have been better to show than to drag you here ... and …”,  A strangled snort came from his lips, he was terrible at it.

 

Dick gave up the words, slamming his foot to the ground from the agony running through his bones, the smaller man began undoing the buckles of his armor, taking off his gloves and then the torso protection.

 

Slade still stared at him with interest, but respected the silence the minor asked for.

 

“ If you kick me out, if you cancel the proposal and prefer to look for another pledge, I'll understand.”,  The tears forming in his eyes at the idea had to be ignored as Dick took off his armor part by part.

 

He didn't want to be expelled, Dick wanted more stolen kisses, he wanted more of the feel of Slade's voice in his ear, he wanted to find out what it would be like to wake up next to the king after the wedding, and most of all, Dick wanted to know if they would be able to marry.

 

But he understood the risk he had put himself at from day one.

 

“ That damned lord... he chases me because he knows me, knows my past.”, With one last breath present in his lungs. Dick took off the last part of his armor, revealing the strips of cloth tied tightly around his breasts. “ But this is one of the reasons he harasses me.”

 

Dick tugged at the knot of the straps. There was shame painted on his face as the cloth fell to the floor, the only soft fall among the heavy metal, but it had caused a much bigger bang in his heart.

 

He did not stare at the king, did not want to see the clear rejection in his gaze, would only appreciate an order, any "go away".

 

Dick drummed his fingers nervously on his own still-covered thigh, waiting. Slade's boots came closer to him.

 

“ Richard.”, Slade had also taken off his glove, his hand rubbing Dick's cheek was gentle, lifting his face.

The storm crashed into the wall of ice.

 

And Dick lost his last breath as he realized that there was nothing beyond. They were the same eyes as when Slade first saw them, the same eyes as when the king met his gaze in the tavern, the same eyes staring at him at the dance in the middle of everyone. As if it had always been just the two of them, in an empty room, no matter where.

 

“ You don't want to know my”, Slade brushed his thumb across the smaller man's lips.

 

“ Richard.”, He swore softly, in a husky voice that made Dick's legs feel a little bit wobbly. “ You're Richard. My Richard.”

 

Dick felt the fat tears dripping, staining a path down his cheeks, he tasted salty when the smile was big.

 

“Dick?”

 

“ Yes, Your Majesty?”

 

“ Will you marry me, when we can convince these lunatics and fanatics that there is nothing wrong with two men getting married?”,  Slade was close, pressing his forehead against Dick's.

 

“ I do, my beloved.”

 

Slade held his other cheek, as if Dick were the most important stone in the crown, then tasted Dick's tears when he brought their lips together.

 

And there was nothing Slade didn't love about the lesser one.

Training followed determinedly.

 

Slade didn't let his defeat last time go unpunished, and before Dick could realize it, he was on the ground, with Slade's knee in his belly, unhurt, but nothing hurt more than a bruised ego and worst of all: Slade's smug, victorious smile lighting up his face.

 

Dick huffed and pushed the king up, trying to free himself, Slade hummed and stood up, waiting for the lesser to proceed.

 

“ Why do I get the feeling that you are only doing this to demonstrate your strength at the end?”, Dick squinted his eyes a little confused.

 

“ You leave too much room to get kicked in the ass when you don't take care of your legs. Other than that it's excellent, I can hardly counterattack or pierce your blocks.”,  The king rested his sword on the ground, still smiling broadly.

 

Dick leaned forward for a kiss, and Slade knew him now to know that he would welcome Dick's lips. Then the smaller man kicked the blade out of Slade's hand and aimed his own sword at the king's throat.

 

It was good that they did this training late in the afternoon and alone, otherwise he might be in trouble.

 

“ Very well. ”  Slade put Dick's sword down, eyes shining in a way that the smaller man could not recognize. “You never cease to amaze.”

 

Dick's smile was genuine, as was shrugging at that, it was part of him in the end.

 

" I think that's good for today, we can get back to our usual tasks."

 

Dick tilted his head, he didn't have many tasks for the rest of the day, Slade probably had several, including trying to find some loophole so they could get married.

 

" Slade, I think a bath in the lake will be good, to cool off the sweat." Although there is time for a proper bath in the tub in an hour. Slade didn't complain about the idea.

 

The king collected his swords and put them away on the stand, Dick stood beside him as they walked to the lake near the beginning of the forest.

 

There was no one else around and the guards didn't usually hang around there. Dick felt the chill in his stomach the same way.

 

Slade took off his own armor deftly enough for Dick to feel envious, but the smaller man was busy pulling off his own buckles and ripping off layer by layer until there were strips of cloth left.

 

Taking a deep breath, Dick turned around, meeting Slade finishing pulling his pants off.

 

The king himself was not staring at him, but Dick didn't mind in the least taking his gaze long enough at the older man's body.

 

Slade was a handsome man, and Dick could feel his own body heat as he noticed the other's muscles.

 

" You know, you could come closer and kiss me, since that's a desire that's quite explicit on your face. "

 

With a low laugh, Dick approached the water, calmly testing how cold it was to enter with his wrist. Slade stooped down beside him and wet his hands as well.

 

There was an opportunity in front of him, how could the king not catch it?

 

Without saying anything else, Slade splashed water on the smaller one, drawing a laugh from himself as Dick blinked in confusion and somewhat lost.

 

Before Slade could see, the smaller one was pushing him into the lake and falling right behind.

 

It was an icy plunge, Dick emerged soon after, only to find Slade pulling the water out of the blond strands. The king turned around, somewhat incredulous at Dick's feat, in his place in the water Dick was laughing like a completely naughty child.

 

 Slade swam over to the boy, Dick just wiped the excess water off his face, messing up his own hair as he watched Slade.

 

" Your hair has grown. " Dick grumbled, slightly interested, moving closer to the king in the water. He touched the cool strands and pulled them away from Slade's eyes.

 

"I haven't cut it in a while, do you like it this way?",  Slade wrapped his arms around Dick's waist, holding him there tightly.

 

For a moment Dick was ready to fight Slade; if they both drowned, he would come back from the dead to kill Slade again.

 

But then he touched the mud below him with his feet, steadying himself in the same way Slade was standing, the difference in height of the two present and striking.

 

" Almost no difference from last year, but it's not fair, you look good either way. ", He shrugged, resting his hands on Slade's chest.

 

It was the first time he had ever touched him shirtless.

 

Dick could feel Slade's body heat several times, especially when they took the afternoon off to study law. But there were always pieces of clothing dividing their skins, and now the contact felt very intimate.

 

He played lightly with the line of hair forming on the king's chest, somewhat amused by Slade's muscles and, well, his whole body.

 

" You too.", Slade calmly lifted Dick's chin with his forefinger. The boy had a meek, almost sleepy look on his face as he watched the cold stones that Slade dared to call eyes. " I think we should go back to the castle, it's cold and a hot bath is better than this cold water."

 

It was probably good, the cloth strips were already squeezing Dick's ribs, they would probably get even redder. The cold water was good for muscle pain, but they would soon catch a cold.

 

Dick didn't move, still feeling drowsy from the elder's presence.

 

" Yes.", He grumbled, ran one hand up to the back of Slade's head, and pulled him to himself, quietly kissing the mouth he had been craving over the days.

 

Slade didn't hesitate to return the kiss with the same intensity. He slid his tongue in gently, but in a way that was new to Dick, as if he could be devoured.

 

The smaller man ventured his fingers through the blond strands, burying and digging paths that would leave beautiful knots, well, let Slade's servants turn to undoing the mess.

 

His other hand remained on his chest, still fiddling with the soft hairs there, while Slade had his large hands on Dick's waist, deftly squeezing and squeezing, keeping Dick much closer than seemed possible.

 

Slade's hand slipped again, stopping at the beginning of the smaller man's ass, the tug glued all the distance the two had together. Dick pulled away, searching for air for his lungs.

 

Slade watched him, completely out of breath, his pupils consuming the clear blue of his eyes. Dick felt himself goose bumps.

 

The king's cheeks were red, Dick was sure of it, though the dusk made it hard to tell, but the boy knew his fiancé well, and whenever they kissed, Slade ended up red. Dick loved that.

 

Stretching out for another kiss, Dick bumped further against the king. A different kind of heat against his waist, much more concentrated than all the older man's natural body heat.

 

Dick raised his eyes again - previously directed entirely at Slade's panting lips - only to see that the king averted his own.

 

The smaller man's eyebrow widened in amusement.

 

"Oh oh.",  He hummed happily, hugging the king's neck only to disturb him. " What do we have here, hum?"

 

-"Let's go to the castle.",  Slade pulled his own waist away a little, but didn't let his hands drop.

 

"Of course, Your Majesty.",  Dick stood on his tiptoes, still rubbing a little against Slade, and deposited a spontaneous kiss on the king's lips.

 

It tasted like a lake, but the fun Dick was in was enough to disguise it.

 

As they walked out of the water, Minor began to wonder how many times this had happened, if this was the first or the fourth? Slade was definitely affected by you, as much as Slade himself affected him.

 

Deep down, he liked to know that.

 

He liked it even better when Slade wrapped his own cloak around Dick's body, leaving the smaller man with an opportunity to see the king against the sleeping sunlight.

 

Dick bit his lower lip.

 

He could stand there, staring at Slade wet and dripping, with a certain marked outline. But it was getting cold, and Slade was right about the hot water, even if they both needed to be cooled down at the moment.

Slade wrapped an arm around himself, walking toward the castle at last, into the eyes of all the servants and guards. Dick didn't care, not anymore. The subjects were approving the idea of having him as their consort, he didn't have to worry about crossed glances here and there from a few servants and a few guards.

 

“ Colds are not good for the beginning of winter, your majesties.”, Wintergreen stood with his arms crossed, staring at the two of them with a disapproving look.

 

Dick would have worried if it had been a year earlier, it might have looked like William would not approve of him with the king, but now he understood that it was just genuine concern for his health.

 

The boy wondered if Slade had ever told his friend and advisor about himself.

On the last few steps, Slade circled his hand calmly around Dick's waist and then released him so that he could go to his own room alone, Dick didn't say anything but was a little disappointed.

 

“ Your tub is full, no servants should be in there, but check before you take off your robe.”,  The king touched the minor's cheek with his fingertips. “ We'll meet at dinner.”

The winter was harsh, Dick started to hate training. The cold made him shiver every time he touched the ground, it was also a great factor in making him fall less and less and start knocking Slade down a little more - even though sometimes the king was just letting it happen because he kind of... Dick flirted with him during training.

 

Not that Slade complained about it at any time that Dick could remember, but well, it was happening and that was it.

 

The good thing about winter, now that they were definitely much closer, were the afternoons when they had to research law books and law books, from their own kingdom and from other kingdoms, compare, search, and point out any loopholes or flaws. It was rather boring and Dick quickly found himself bored, but it was comfortable to be glued with his back to Slade's chest, resting his head on his shoulder while the licks of the flames in the fireplace warmed his cold feet.

Slade was always petting Dick, on his waist, his shoulders, arms, anywhere he could reach in the way the smaller one leaned against him, and it was good, it was very good. Dick would often fall into a peaceful sleep with that, feeling Slade's chest rise and fall vaguely like a good sleeping pill.

 

They were quiet afternoons, and Dick loved that. Most of all, he loved being surrounded by Slade.

As the days went by, Dick ended up making friends with his servants, which was very practical because when Slade went out on business that Dick could not yet attend, he was no longer alone.

 

The castle servants were sweet on you, especially the kitchen staff, where Dick always ventured when he had nothing else to study or train. It was good to get in there and help with pasta and sauces. Dick always brought some different spice that he learned from his parents, and Slade always loved this.

The spring dance came earlier than expected, Dick and Slade were supposed to be the hosts.

 

The boy forced the king to participate in all the preparation, from choosing the arrangements and decorations to even placing them. Which may have made the servants somewhat alarmed, they never had to work alongside Slade and Dick could see the nervousness.

 

He would be commiserating with his servants if he wasn't busy watching how handsome the king looked out of the fine clothes of royalty. Slade was not in his worked robes or embroidered and frilly shirts. It was just a black shirt open at the beginning of the chest and pants that were also black.

 

The blond hair was bigger too, and Dick wishes he could be feeling the unshaven beard still scraping against his neck in wet kisses.

 

He blinked a few times before refocusing. Slade smiled sideways because he was obviously aware of the look itself.

 

Slade enjoyed finding Dick staring at him, and he loved it even more when the smaller man didn't realize that he was also being watched, constantly, after all, Dick always wore clothes that highlighted his skin and eyes, and Slade was passionate about all the combinations.

 

What he wasn't in love with, however, was this damn floral arrangement that Dick insisted was the welcome sash.

 

Slade was already completely dirty from the ink they were trying to write, and well, the king had never been in a handwriting class.

 

It was funny, he could actually communicate in any language of any kingdom, he could have a sharp financial grip on the entire kingdom itself but he still had almost no legible handwriting.

 

This was the third strip he had tried to write, and of course he needed to do it, Dick challenged him on that and Slade would not be losing.

 

At least, he would try not to lose.

 

Slade found himself turning his attention away from the third track just as Dick was walking by with a large vase in hand.

 

The smile on his face was wide enough to give away how much he was enjoying preparing for the ball with his fiancé.

 

“ Your Majesty.... I think it's better to let someone else write it.”,  Wintergreen was standing beside her, staring at the banner as if it were an offense to his own lineage.

 

It was unfair, Slade had greatly improved the lyrics.

 

Dick laughed in the background, and King knew what a shit-eating grin the minor would have. He would blow him off with kisses if the place wasn't packed.

 

“ A few more tries, Billy.”, Slade blinked, furious as he dipped his brush into the paint can and tried again to write legibly on the fourth track.

It took Slade two more strips to get it, Wintergreen was denying with his head at the expense of the fabrics while Dick just laughed from his spot on the wooden ladder, which incredibly was easy to perch like a bird.

 

Slade let the smaller one hang the sash, decorated with a flower arrangement made by the handmaids. Dick seemed very happy about it, looking down from the top of the ladder at the entire hall decorated in bright, vibrant colors.

 

“ Now it looks like a ball that everyone will enjoy," he put his hand on his waist.

 

Slade stood near the stairs, ready to hold Dick at any hint of a fall, but the boy was too comfortable with his height to wobble there. The king turned around, looking at the whole hall and the color that place had. For the first time in many years, it looked like people were circulating regularly.

 

It was a certain pride to see Dick indulged in a noble feast.

 

Slade didn't see Dick come down two steps at once, much less see him approach, he just felt his arm encircle his own and the smaller man's head rest against his shoulder.

 

“ I want you to have the seamstresses make an amazing outfit for you.”,  The older man had his lips pressed against Dick's ear. The smaller man was used to it, but the hairs on the back of his neck would never stop cooing.

 

They would use the ball to officially announce their engagement, both for the information of their entire kingdom, and to put pressure on the legislature to accept the change in the law. Dick felt the anxiety in his stomach again.

 

“ They will need to take the measurements for this. ” The minor cringed somewhat bashfully at the idea, he was close to the handmaids, but no one but Slade really knew about you, at least there was no gossip around the castle so Dick assumed the king kept the secret.

 

“ I'll do it, just give them your opinion and make it clear how you want it."  Slade rubbed his hand over Dick's arm, smiling contentedly as he kissed his forehead softly.

 

Dick felt his heart warm a little, it was so unfair how thoughtful Slade could be of him.

 

The king stayed close to Dick for the rest of the day, he didn't want to risk having to write anything else down for the guests or Billy pestering him with some clever comment, besides, being around Dick was always good for him.

 

That was the excuse he used to keep his arms around the younger man, keeping him as close as he could, since he got anxious when he didn't. He couldn't wait until they were married and officially Dick could be in his quarters at night, he would probably end up sleeping much better with the smaller one beside him in bed.

The rest of the preparations for the ball went smoothly, Dick kept helping the servants with the vases and cloths that brought out an even more floral look. Slade escaped from the organization when he needed to go there for his usual training with his guards, and let Dick escape his own training so that he could finish everything he needed to.

 

At night, Slade was in the room assigned to Dick. They waited for dinner while Dick curled up in front of the fireplace, and he thought the idea of a fireplace in his room was stupid, having all the blankets he had for the winter, but now partially naked he was okay with using one.

 

" There's more wood if you need it." Slade stared at Dick amusedly, but never escaping his eyes.

 

The king was holding a regular ribbon. Dick was only holding the bottom part and the strips of cloth. There was a certain discomfort in the air that Slade could pick up, it was something important and personal to the boy.

 

" Do you want to take my measurements later? It could be useful so that the seamstresses could make our clothes faster."  Slade offered, it was a good proposal, he was just trying to get Dick to improve a little. "Or is there something else bothering you?"

 

" Concern for the guests."  Dick cringed for a moment, and Slade hated to see him like this.

 

The king knew exactly what the concern was, and if the groom hadn't been against making the disturbance so obvious, Slade himself would have put an end to that shitty lord by now.

 

" We can uninvite."

 

" It would be wrong, I can handle him, it's you that worry me. " And that caught Slade off guard. " There will be countless guests, now that the whole kingdom has received the invitations. The king can't stay on top of a single guest all night, Slade you can't." 

 

" You don't have to run away all night either."  Slade fastened the tape around Dick's arm, marking with a piece of charcoal where he would cut it to give the exact measurement.

 

" I won't, I'll have fun all night and if anyone bothers me I can manage. I've always done it that way. " Dick held his fiancé by the elbow, wanting to make that clear.

 

" I can't watch all the time," he would go on. "but Wintergreen will."

 

Dick took a deep breath, the king could see the flare of patience coming out of his darker blue eyes. But the smaller man didn't complain about the idea.

 

"William is easier to handle than you are, anyway."  Dick held out his arms for Slade to measure his bust.

 

The king smiled slightly, the idea was good deep down, let Wintergreen take care of the guests and just stay by Dick's side to make sure nothing would happen. Another charcoal mark on another ribbon. Dick didn't look at how big Slade cut it.

 

" He can also erase someone with one punch. " The suppression in Dick's gaze made the older man laugh. " He won't have to do that, but he knows."

They were both silent for a while, the wood crackling as it was consumed by fire was enough to not make the place uncomfortable. In fact, Dick didn't mind being quiet around Slade, although he always had something to comment on.

 

It was nice there, the warmth on his back as Slade bent down to measure his thighs. Dick could make a joke or two about the king being on his knees, but all the major's concentration on just taking Dick's measurements and not touching him to make him uncomfortable was enough for Dick to just watch intently.

 

Slade stood up as soon as he got everything he needed, enough strips cut and separated to explain to the seamstresses, all arranged on a piece of paper with notes indicating which was which.

 

The king handed Dick some more strips and then began to take off his own clothes.

 

The smaller man, unlike Slade, did not look away. Dick enjoyed studying Slade's body when he could, both with his eyes and his fingers.

 

" I guess when you get old you're going to be bald." The smaller man thought aloud, staring at Slade's hair.

 

Slade turned his face to Dick, pants between his legs as he blinked in utter confusion.

 

"The crown. Was your father bald?"

 

" You will be too then. " Slade shrugged, evading the other question as he finished removing the heavy one. He approached Dick calmly, arms dropped at his sides. " You may begin."

 

" I'm not wearing a crown all the time. " His blue eyes were closed, focused on taking the measurements of Slade's arm.

 

The older man laughed softly, even he didn't wear the crown that long. He knew it was just a conversation so they wouldn't fall into total silence again, but he still found Dick's random conclusion amusing.

 

" Do you think it will do any good?" The smaller man looked a little shaky as he took the measurement for his bust. Finding the eyes was difficult.

 

Slade bit his own jaw, clenching tooth against tooth. It was a long shot they would be taking, the shot might as well just come back to their own heads, but Slade figured that was better than nothing.

 

"They will feel pressured to allow the marriage. " Icy eyes watched Dick scratch out the measurement with the charcoal and then cut the strip. He also seemed very tense about it. " Several kings from other kingdoms will be there."

 

" I hope it works, but," The smaller man winced softly, looking defeated before he even tried, Slade felt the same way. " if they don't feel pressured to speed it up with their own king on top, the sight of others won't interfere much."

 

And many might not like it either, especially those who had offered their daughters' hands in search of a union. Slade sighed heavily, the mood was heavy again.

 

" Which season would you rather be married in?" Shifting the focus was a good way to try to relax his fiancé, Slade hoped.

 

"I haven't given it much thought, but I think early summer sounds good, don't you?"

 

" Early summer is a good time, actually, although I prefer winter." Slade stared at the ceiling thoughtfully, whenever he imagined the two of them getting married, he could get the good image of the garden covered in white snow, the winter flowers adorning the surroundings while the guests were getting ready and eating their snacks. Dancing with the little one on a makeshift dance floor in their garden surrounded by the white felt was also a good image.

 

Dick was finally finishing taking the measurements, concentrating on Slade's legs. King did not look down, but gently rubbed his fingers through the back of the minor's neck and hair.

 

" Everything is going to be fine."  He assured.

 

Dick was still a tense line when Slade sat with him in the living room after dinner, the two of them again with the law books in their laps, intently reading everything they needed to.  Slade had fallen asleep first, lying with his head on Dick's thigh.

 

Dick kept turning page after page, hoping that somewhere in that jumble of words was the answer they were looking for.

The ball was stunning, all the flowers well-kept and bright as the guests, - nobles and commoners alike - danced all over the ballroom.

 

Slade was always dividing his attention between other kings in typical political conversation and Dick, who seemed as entertained as himself in conversation with some nobles.

 

The king was proud that the smaller one could develop arguments to stand up to anyone, that was amazing and fiery. Slade found himself more and more in love with the younger man's manner.

 

" So, Your Majesty, we have heard some rumors." One of the queens leaning on her husband's arm called Slade back to the wheel. " Is it true that you are going to marry a man?"

 

The tone of curiosity almost exceeded that of judgment. Slade merely shrugged. It was never rumors, it was just the truth, from the very beginning he had proposed the idea to the boy.

 

"Yes, my fiancé is talking to some other guests.' He nodded in Dick's direction.

 

The younger man's choice of clothes was perfect, it was easy to recognize him among the other nobles. While everyone else was trying to imitate floral patterns in their suits and dresses, the younger one held the attention with a suit with sleeves that almost dragged on the floor, in a gradient from gray to a beautiful blue that highlighted his eyes. The high-waisted pants in the same shade made everything much better and beautiful, and Slade loved how everything fit Dick and his amazing way of being.

 

Slade was truly an idiot in love the moment he managed to reach his fiancé, subtly circling his hand around his waist.

 

"They were asking for you. " The king accepted the glass of wine, knowing that much of the attention was now focused on the two of them.

 

" You already said I'm your fiancé, I've spent the last hour answering boring questions. " Dick seemed anxious, somehow, and very bored.

 

" Well, we've already fed gossip, I've seen some angry priests and a lot of grumbling kings, I think it's time for a dance." Slade turned the wine over, without missing a drop of the liquid. He dropped the cup on one of the tables set up around the hall and then held out his hand to his fiancé.

" Of course, why should I refuse this invitation?" his dark eyebrows were arched in clear amusement.

 

Dick accepted Slade's hand and the king pulled him tight, bumping him against his own body in the middle of the dance floor. The younger man couldn't hide his laughter, and soon he had his hand over his mouth as Slade guided him around the room with one hand on his waist.

 

Dick's blue sleeves flew around Slade, all he could see was the blue, blending into the background, blending into Dick. The smaller man's black strands stuck to his forehead, the smile infectious as they took their place among other couples joining the dance.

 

They knew deep down that this was an eternal moment.

 

Even if the eternal would end quickly.

Dick fell onto Slade's bed.

 

It was funny how they ended up there, especially since he knew that several kings didn't care about the rule of celibacy until marriage. Slade didn't look like one of them.

So the idea of going to Slade's room, once all the distant guests were housed to stay the rest of the night and eventually Dick's room became a guesthouse, got very interesting and practical.

 

Of course, the king didn't miss the opportunity to kiss the smaller man against the bedroom door as soon as they closed in. Slade loved kissing Dick, loved to feel the minor's body against his own, unregulated breathing and pecs touching, gasping desperately for air that was stolen from the other. Slade loved it, definitely loved it.

 

The king was placing the crown on his silly pillow when he heard the bed sink with a puft, the wine in his veins wasn't enough to make him drunk, but he was pretty cheerful at least.

 

“ Tired?”Slade subtly approached Dick and sat down beside him, it was strange to have to share a bed with his fiancé while they weren't married, but the king wouldn't be complaining about that at any time.

 

“ My feet are hurting,”  Dick sighed as he kicked his shoes free.

 

Slade watched the smaller man stand up and unbutton the shirt he was wearing, which was a cue for Slade to stop staring. The older man lay back against the mattress and sighed deeply, at least he would only have to get up to say goodbye to his guests in the morning and then he could go back to sleep - that of course, thanks to canceling all the appointments for the next day, they weren't really important.

 

Dick got off the mattress, wandering around the room as he changed clothes. Slade closed his eyes really tired from the dance.

 

Playing king at big events was terrible, having to keep an eye on lords with a habit of simply chasing people and harassing them was much worse. Dick helped a lot in this regard, keeping all the lord's targets away when the lord tried to get close, and then as soon as the bastard came toward Dick, before Slade could do anything Billy was already there, shoving the man out of the way.

 

That still didn't take away from how tired Slade was. His eyes closed before he even realized it, he could even tell he was in a light sleep when he felt Dick push his feet to the side, looking for a place on the bed. Slade rolled over and stretched out, pulling up his pillow and then lifting the covers.

 

Dick slid in, facing the older man and completely covered by the cloth. The king remained out of the covers, still unwilling to open his eyes, just face to face with the boy.

 

“ Good night," He mumbled softly, leaving a soft kiss on his forehead. Dick murmured something, and then Slade felt him approach, nose pressed against his neck. The older man smiled at that and slipped his arm around his covered waist, keeping Dick close to him all night.

The winter that year was harsher than they had expected. A good part of the crops were destroyed in the first week by the scorching snow. The garden died in a big way, and Slade was angry about the whole thing, especially with the whole council being religious fanatics and openly declaring that this was a plague on the engagement.

 

The king had to count to three to answer politely and not order everyone there to be killed, because this was his true will. However, the people liked the council, and at times they made the right choices. Slade just sank into his chair and watched as he bit his teeth again, stoking his hatred to disperse it in training.

 

As soon as he was released from that meeting, the king headed entirely to the field, it was all a confused blur due to all the rage within, it seemed he couldn't really breathe until he had his sword stuck in one of the wooden dolls used for training.

 

A hard tug pulled the blade out, but the dummy was finally unusable.

 

“ Wow,” Dick commented behind him, the smaller one holding his own sword, smaller than the other guards', but much more effective. “ Our enemies will be shaking in the field. ”

 

Slade didn't answer, his enemies were already trembling. He was a king known for the weight of his sword, not the delicacy of words, and today in particular he had no patience to verbalize anything but insults. He pointed with his blade at another dummy, quickly one of the novice guards placed it in front of him. The king struck again at the right points, the hatred making the blade sink deeper and deeper, until the moment the target's head snapped in half.

 

“ Bad meeting, I suppose.”

 

The blade cut a deep vein in the wood, Dick stepped forward, beside Slade now.

 

“ They are blaming our engagement on the harsh winter, ” the king struck another blow, so hard it ricocheted into the wood that it startled the guard beside him. Slade didn't care, he just needed to break that other dummy.

 

Dick raised his eyebrows, he was beginning to feel a little sorry for the dummy.

 

“ What did they suggest?"

 

Slade took another deep breath before pulling the sword out of its hole beside where the dummy's shoulder should have been. His gaze was lost in thought, Dick knew well.

 

" God was angry with two men announcing a wedding and wanting to change the laws of their own kingdom to make the wedding happen, so God just decided that a harsh winter was good to punish the whole village because of this King, " Slade's hand was white around the hilt of the sword.

That was disgusting, such a ridiculous thought that the King couldn't even formulate how impressed he was when he first heard it. The anger was immediate, even Wintergreen was surprised at his change of position, much more offensive and less receptive than before. Wintergreen who led the meeting from there.

 

Slade was in the process of ordering another dummy, now that that one too was already useless, when Dick slammed his sword against Slade's leg. It wasn't meant to hurt, just trying to get the king's attention.

 

" Let's go," Dick was ready to be the target, Slade tilted his head in confusion. - You'll end up with all the training dolls if you keep this up, a real challenge is more fun to cash in on.

 

" I don't want to hurt you." 

 

"You can try, but succeeding is another thing, beloved," There was as much provocation in his voice as there was in his gaze.

 

Slade sidestepped Dick.

 

The groom had shown how amazing he was at various times, Slade loved training with the boy, especially since they always ended up in some kind of kissing exchange. The king would need to concentrate on not venting all his anger on Dick.

 

There was no time to think of a good start to the attack, Dick turned quickly enough that Slade could only raise his sword and block, being broken soon after when the smaller boy brought another sword identical to the first, and ok, Slade was impressed with that.

 

" I found it around, asked the blacksmiths to help me improve the edge,"  Dick shrugged, but the broad smile was still on his face.

 

Slade moved his hand, his wrist was hurting a little already, but that didn't matter when he threw his weight around the sword. Dick deflected the trajectory to the ground, kicking the sword which became a sort of support so Slade wouldn't fall right away.

 

" It is much easier to move when you don't have a heavy sword holding you back."

 

" Imagine how it is for squires,"  Slade laughed, the sword had some dirt staining its blade. He shook and struck again, pushing Dick into the nearby wall. Some guards were gathering to watch the training.

 

The boy didn't seem shaken at all after several attacks from Slade, both blades were able to deflect and block very well. The next time Slade attacked, Dick caught him at an intersection of the blades, pushing back.

 

Dick was not so strong to be able to knock him out, but he made up for it by taking out the block so quickly and then spinning, striking the side of Slade's waist, faces close together as the blade just scraped the steel guard.

 

Slade lowered his face, noses touching as he half-closed his icy eyes, Dick remained smiling with infinite conviction, the king had almost fallen backwards.

 

" Let me handle this,"  Dick grumbled, still with an easy smile on his face.

 

" No, if it's hard for me…"

 

The truth was that the king was far more afraid of leaving the little one alone among the vultures than any of the others. Dick was more than capable of doing that on his own.

 

His fiancé shoved Slade and used that to get away, pointing his swords at the king again. Slade did not refuse the invitation and attacked, passing close to Dick's shoulder, a little lower and he would have hit him, the smaller man faced the stopped blade and pushed with the hilt of his own, a snort coming from his lips to push the lock of hair away.

 

Dick attacked again, but this time Slade was prepared, he stepped to the side and pushed Dick to the ground with his foot. The smaller man fell, but didn't stay there as Slade would have preferred - ending the fight was becoming a better and better idea, but Dick wouldn't accept defeat.

 

As soon as he was on his feet again Dick slammed the hilt of his sword against Slade's already sore wrist. The king was skilled at using a sword one-handed, but his weapon was too heavy for just one to be fast enough. Dick blocked all the following attacks deftly, the sound of metal against metal being a painful symphony as the two wrangled over something they didn't even know was not exactly training anymore.

 

" You are the king," Dick announced as soon as he could approach Slade again, swords raised high blocking each other. " But I'm better at talking than you are."

 

" Dick…"

 

"Strategies are your area, but diplomacy is still lacking, and a lot, I'll make up for it, I know how to convince them, just let me participate,"  Dick leaned closer to Slade, never wavering from blocking with his blades.

 

" How are you going to do it?"  Slade looked very tired, very exhausted for all that shit. "We've been at this for almost four years."

 

" The people," And Dick's smile was sincere, bright enough that Slade turned down his defense.

 

Dick did not flinch and took advantage of this to attack. Several guards stepped forward at once.

 

Slade held Dick's wrist just as the blade was near his neck completely stopped before the grip even tightened. Dick dropped the sword and let himself be pulled and grabbed by the waist.

 

" Conquer the people and they will never ask you to leave power, that's the basics, " The sigh of how obvious it was never left Dick's lips.

 

"They fear us." 

 

" You, because you made it so. They don't know me, apart from those peasants. You always said that the castle was not my prison, and I'm going to go out and do what I think is right. If they like us together, see how we can save their winters and how much we care," because Dick cared from the heart for his people. " they will never be against a wedding, and they will push the council to make it happen."

 

It was easy logic, it was good logic, and it made all the sense Slade could imagine.

 

But his heart was still tight at the idea.

 

" Wintergreen can stay with me during the meetings, and I have these new babies,"  He pointed with his nose at the blades on the floor.

 

Slade didn't look, just held Dick's face with both hands and kissed him as if he needed that to live.

 

Dick returned the kiss, eyes closed as he let himself be bent over, hand clamped on Slade's wrist and breathing raggedly as the world exploded on the older man's lips.

 

The smaller man pulled Slade away quickly as he felt a pain to breathe, before he even opened his eyes, the king was already leaving the groom in a more hands-on way, hands on his back in his armor to check what was really going on there.

 

Dick coughed for a minute, then returned to his normal height - no longer bent over himself as he exploded into a painful cough - with an embarrassed smile.

 

" What was that?" Slade started walking toward the castle, without even realizing it. Dick was faithfully at his side, since the older man still had his hands on his back.

 

" The straps, they hurt sometimes when I squeeze too hard."

 

Slade stopped walking, staring at the smaller man with as much dread as he really was frightened.

 

He never imagined that Dick's bindings could hurt this much.

 

Slade needed to do something about it.

The doors to Slade's room were closed tightly after the two had passed, before Dick could even turn around Slade was helping him pull the steel from his body, revealing the skin and straps. The knot was firm so it wouldn't come loose with strong movements.

 

" This must be crushing you,"  He commented with sadness at the bottom of his voice. Dick just undid the knot and loosened the cloth, skin with clear marks from where it tightened more turning red from all the friction. Slade gently touched Dick's back, but released it before the smaller man felt uncomfortable.

 

" I'm used to it, it's okay. I squeezed like this for training," Dick blinked, looking more content with the freedom.

 

The minor accepted the blouse Slade handed him and put it on. It was a sensitive topic, Dick trusted the king enough, but the king was always afraid to make the boy uncomfortable, so Slade never crossed any lines.

 

" You were amazing, even," There was a proud smile on the older man's face, Dick hid it, but it made his heart warm up a little.

 

Slade took the moment to remove his own armor, slipping the steel mesh over his shoulders until he was wearing only his underwear. Dick always watched him with curiosity, and the older man could not deny some display. He was definitely looking forward to the wedding.

 

" You told the truth, didn't you?" Dick shrank back a little on the bed, legs resting against the mattress. " About letting me handle the council. My plan."

 

"I have caveats, but if you believe you're going to be okay, I'm okay with that,"  Slade held the smaller man's hand, intertwining their fingers as if they were meant to be. " You're not here to be bossed around, you're here because I love you."

 

It was as natural as waking up to the sun's rays on your face, or taking a deep breath when you leave a smoky place. It was as natural as shrinking into the cold water and the hesitation before jumping down the stairs.

 

It was natural to Slade, he loved Dick.

 

That didn't stop the smaller one from blinking several times with his blue eyes, deep ocean dipped in interesting oil.

 

Dick didn't answer the confession with words, instead just pulled Slade by the cheeks and kissed him as if the world would cease to exist as soon as they parted lips.

And Slade felt it.

As soon as Dick's birthday arrived the other year, most of the commoners in the kingdom were convinced that once they married, Slade and Dick would have a prosperous reign.

 

Slade was a ruthless king that many feared, he made his decisions and didn't back down from them, he accompanied his guards on war marches and always solved problems in the most practical way, he was great when the matter came down to a sword. Dick, despite having a difficult temperament when he got angry - and the council always proved it worse - was much easier to communicate with. He was the people's bridge to Slade, and almost anything the people needed the consort himself could get.

 

The subjects actually already treated Dick as the official consort, without exchanging alliances or consummating the marriage, it was very logical in their heads when they saw the king and the minor walking around the kingdom and Dick obliging Slade to buy from the local marketeers, play with the orphans, and once in a while help with the peasants' crops.

 

He was a light, and Slade always made the most of the glow of his own that Dick possessed.

 

And of course for such a light, the king would be giving him a huge ball.

 

It was really just another excuse for the grandiose gift. The elder had spent the last few months thinking about the gift he would give.

 

They had been at this for almost five years, Slade had already given countless gifts, no doubt courting had that side to it but he also liked to surprise the lesser one now and then.

 

The problem was, since the training episode Slade hadn't taken away the information that sometimes those strips could hurt, especially when it happened a few other times.

 

There was a decision in his heart, and Slade was following it with Dick by his side, somewhat excited about the dance itself, more to have an excuse to dance around with Slade, he genuinely liked that.

 

" Where are we going, exactly?" Dick asked as Slade continued to pull him toward the rooms.

 

"You will see."  The king smiled behind his back.

 

There was something there, Dick could recognize Slade planning something at this point.

 

In any case, the surprise in his eyes was genuine as he found a man in the middle of the room when Slade pushed open the door. Dick stared at the larger man from the corner, completely suspicious of what that might be.

 

" I've been thinking a lot about what would be a suitable birthday present for you," Slade raised his hand before Dick could say anything about the dance. " then I came to the conclusion that impossible things can be possible with magic."

 

The blue eyes returned to the man, still assimilating his clothes. A wizard.

 

" I bought the best spells for you," The king was leaning against the door, looking smugly at his fiancé.

 

" The best... spells."

 

" The best wizard in existence, the best spells. You can ask for anything you want," Dick was still staring at the man, there was the beginnings of a sincere smile on his face, Slade peeled himself off the wall and planted a kiss on the smaller man's cheek. " I'll see you in a few hours, I'll finish the preparations for the ball with Wintergreen. Take care and fulfill your wishes." 

 

It was so simple, Slade carefully rubbed Dick's hand as he whispered a "happy birthday" to his fiancé, touching his lips firmly to Dick's earlobe. Minor shuddered, still shocked by the gift and all the endless possibilities he now had at hand.

 

As soon as the door closed behind Dick, making such a loud noise in the silence propagated into nothingness, the boy looked back at the wizard, excitement running through his young veins as he approached and introduced himself.

 

He would be a little while arguing with the guy, but it would be worth it, he knew.

It was night when Dick invaded Slade's room again, they spent the rest of the day without seeing each other, the king was busy with the ball as well as with the ordinary things of the kingdom, such as going to inspect some works to improve the village, ordered by Dick. Slade genuinely liked everything that the minor did to make the people feel more at home there, they were welcoming reforms, like improving the orphanages and especially the healer's house and hospital, as well as helping to increase the local bakery with more ovens so that the baker could give some to the poorest.

 

Of course the council didn't like half of these ideas but Dick never minded bumping up against the old men and having Slade's full permission to make any decision, no one could stop him.

 

The church was somewhat annoyed at being left out of the renovations on that project, but Dick had promised that in the next one he would take care of renovating it the way they wanted, whether it was true or not, Slade didn't mind asking.

 

Still, there were so many places the king needed to visit after instructing the preparation for the ball and ordering Dick's favorite foods to be served - and it was funny to see the cooks rushing to get the spices and replicate exactly the minor's exotic choices.

 

And Dick spent the day with the wizard, from what the king learned. He would not deny saying that he was curious about the spells the minor had ordered, but would wait to find out.

 

So when the door was opened with Dick's voice complaining loudly about the guards being too professional - and Dick had been in the king's room so many times before, there was no need for ceremony every time - and how it got in the way in the background, Slade just sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard as he waited.

 

The smaller man stopped in front of the bed, the smile tearing at his face that the older man felt like replicating on his own.

 

" So?" Slade stretched out on the bed, waiting as anxiously as if the gift had been for himself.

 

Dick stretched his arms upward, stretching, leaned sideways and then looked at Slade again, there was something in his eyes, King could hazard a guess that it was genuine happiness.

 

" Come here," he called, swinging himself to his feet, the way a child would. Slade was quick to get out of bed and stand in front of Dick, still curious.

 

The smaller man brought his hands to the hem of the white T-shirt he was wearing, pulling it up slowly. King stepped closer and helped pull it off Dick's body.

 

When Slade looked at him again, there was no strip of cloth around his chest.

 

" That was one of the spells,"  Dick lowered his gaze to himself, the smile still winning his face, breaking through with such joy that Slade couldn't help but admire him as never before.

 

"You look beautiful," Slade wrapped his hand around Dick's face who tilted his head at the caress, hands gripping Slade's arm.

 

The dip into the blue was deep, he had no idea how many minutes had passed, completely lost in Dick's face and the feel of the warm skin against his palm.

 

The smaller man's eyes transpired so much feeling that anyone would have been afraid, the sincerity scared hard hearts and precise minds like Slade. But the lights of the fire, in his room and with the most handsome man the king had ever seen in his life, Slade felt safer and more at peace than ever.

The prosperity of the kingdom was sealed when Dick managed to break down the barriers between the other kingdoms in a simple agreement to permanently exchange supplies.

 

Minor came up with the idea while all the kings were arguing about another winter, how ridiculous it would be for Slade's kingdom to provide supplies for only two kingdoms. There was a lot of shouting and few solutions, so Dick sat everyone down as he stood up and began to explain about what could be done to solve the problem forever.

 

There was some trepidation at first, but everyone eventually accepted, so the next year followed without any hassle.

Until rumors began to terrorize the village.

 

Often children just needed stories to keep them from misbehaving. But these stories were beginning to terrify everyone.

 

Rumors said that vampires had moved into the surrounding area, terrorizing anyone who passed by. At first, Slade imagined, it was just a way to keep the children out of the forest, until the king and future consort were asked to go to one of the houses in the camp, where a man lay dead, with no blood on his body.

 

Slade didn't believe the stories at first. Of course there could be vampires, the king himself hired a wizard, but still, bloodsuckers seemed too unrealistic to make much of a case.

 

There were too many other concerns on his priority list, especially now that they were so close to finally getting the wedding, Slade couldn't believe the story.

 

Still, Dick made him sympathize with the peasant's family, the king sent enough to get them through the winter without financial hassle until they were settled, and Dick promised they would be taking action.

 

" How do you take care of something that doesn't exist?" Slade grimaced at the kick to his thigh from Dick.

 

They were both in the garden, a perfect sunny afternoon that Dick decided to spend catching the rays with his face while resting his legs on Slade's thigh.

 

The king was with some project signatures for his people, busying himself with analyzing which would be most beneficial, coming from his council to solve some usual problems. Dick was also busy with the last paperwork to get them to change the marriage law.

 

“ You could be a little less manic in these situations and show that you care about your people," It was a gentle reprisal, Dick was not really irritated by her future husband's basic cluelessness.

 

" It's just a little absurd to believe that story," Slade pushed the paper away from his face, pulling Dick's foot away before another kick. " You're going to hit me." 

 

" That's the intention! Slade stopped being a jerk about it at least a little bit, they're scared and will believe whatever they want. Being inside the protected walls of a castle is easy, being outside and unprotected is horrible, you'll believe the collective terror,"  Dick snorted before shoveling one of the pieces of cake the cooks had brought for him into his mouth.

 

The cooks as well as most of the servants loved Dick, at times like that when the boy would wake up with blood on the sheet, - and Slade was scared the first time it happened while they were sharing the bed - and would die in the corners because of the pain in his belly, the chefs would worry about preparing sweet dishes, since the younger boy loved to eat sweets at these times.

 

" And do you believe this story?"

 

Dick tilted his head a little, the tea was still hot in his cup, Dick swallowed the liquid and looked up to the sky, allowing the king to pull him onto his lap.

 

" I believe it."

 

They stared at each other for a moment, Slade assessing Dick with a lazy look as the smaller man slowly returned to his work and papers.

 

" Well, let's have guards patrolling the kingdom during the night,"  Slade grumbled, leaving a kiss on the top of Dick's head. "With garlic necklaces."

 

Dick's low chuckle was enough to make Slade hug him tighter, holding the world between his arms.

 

" Listening to the people and giving whines is also a good thing,"  Dick reminded, softly as he tucked his head into Slade's neck for better support.

 

" I'll do that, Your Majesty,"  Slade grumbled, still focused on his own duties.

Dick smiled, signing the last piece of paper that was needed.

 

They would be getting married the following year, finally.

" Slade, look at the size of this canvas," Dick pointed to the painting in front of him, not at all pleased to stand still for hours so that a painter could make a picture of him.

 

"It's a totally normal size,"  Slade laughed as if he were looking for the first time at a chest full of gold coins. "Dick, you need a painting."

 

"And it could be as big as yours, you're completely overdone,"  The smaller man snorted, slumping back in his chair. He wouldn't be there for the rest of the day, not really. " Does it have to be right here?"

 

"All the royal pictures are painted in this room, Your Majesty," The painter looked at the couple a little fearfully.

 

Dick rolled his eyes, kicking his tight boots off his feet. Slade held back his laughter.

 

"I'm not a majesty yet, so could we please switch venues? I don't like the musty smell here,"  Least of all the fake scenery set up like a perfect painting.

 

Slade looked around; he had been there too, when he had been crowned and had to sit for hours staring at nothing.

 

"Where do you want to be painted?"

 

" In the garden, please,"  The pleading in the blue eyes was enough to convince both the painter and the king to move all the tools to the garden.

 

Dick looked much better among the flowers, leaning against the trunk of the apple tree they had planted, not yet a big tree, but already a shade against the relentless sun.

 

Slade spread a cloth on the grass, lying at Dick's feet while they both read books from the library. At first it was only supposed to be the book containing the laws of the kingdom, but then Dick switched to something that really interested him and managed to stay entertained for the next few hours with Slade occasionally stroking his calf.

Of course the elder was not painted, instead there was plenty of grass at Dick's feet, flowers thrown around him and the painter decided he would add the one that flew into the boy's dark hair.

 

Near the beginning of the afternoon, one of the servants brought them both lunch on a tray, it was beef stew with rolls for dipping. The painter joined the lunch after Dick's invitation, and as soon as the dirty dishes were taken to the kitchen, the afternoon of painting continued.

 

Slade dropped the book as the sun was attacking his eyes mercilessly, so the king just closed the object and turned away, eyes closed as he fell into a light sleep.

 

He had many things to do during the day, but he just ignored all royal duties in favor of keeping up with Dick.

 

As soon as the smaller one could move, Dick started poking Slade with his foot, laughing softly when a slap was landed there.

 

"Slade…" Dick nudged him once more, just to spite him. Slade held his foot calmly, pulling Dick out of the chair in seconds. " Hey!"

 

The painter took the brush from the painting, looking at them both with alarm, from the noise no doubt the smaller one's fall must have hurt.

 

" Is everything alright?"

 

"Yes, this brute is just like that,"  Dick laughed, returning to his chair with his hand on his butt, but the look he gave Slade was rather deadly.

 

Wintergreen appeared to save Slade's ass from that situation. The king's friend leaned quietly on the fence near the painter, assessing the painting calmly.

 

" Billy."

 

" Your Majesty, the wedding invitations are ready, we need your seal to send them, if you can come,"  Wintergreen smiled, the intonation in 'majesty' was always in a mocking tone. Slade stood up immediately afterwards, looking at Dick softly.

 

"You know how I want them, I can't leave here, so... I'll take my chances letting you send them," The boy settled back in his chair, smiling. " And because I can't leave."

 

" If they're not the way you asked, I'll send the invitations back," Slade promised, his hand gripping Dick's.

 

" See you at training camp, sweetheart," The boy's wink gave away that this would be another training camp where Dick would give his all, and in the last few years the little boy had become perfect with his own abilities.

 

Slade couldn't wait for Dick to take the tug back on himself.

The fear of vampires became commonplace, even with guards prowling the kingdom every night, all the collective hysteria led many of the subjects to frequent the church, looking there for some answer and protection. Slade was amazed at how easy it was for the church to throw a cloth over everyone and pretend that this was a roof.

 

There were a few more attacks, all the bodies were buried in the cemetery and at the request of many families watched to see if they would return as the bloodsucking living dead or not. None came back.

 

The collective hysteria became a headache when Slade was warned by the council that many guests might choose not to attend the wedding - and both the king and the future consort completely ignored the insinuation that it was another punishment from god for the marriage.

 

Still, as the date approached, Slade was standing in the doorway welcoming all the guests from distant kingdoms, a bit of relief in his heart, at least that was all right still.

 

The preparations for the wedding were cold and all the paperwork stole Slade and Dick's hunger for a few days, but once everything was right, from the decorations to the food served, they could both relax.

 

For some reason, the nightly raids stopped a week before the wedding, there were no more people at the castle gate in the morning, announcing the death of some loved one or disappearance - because us last months, bodies were disappearing too - and the rumors gave way to excitement about the big party the castle would be throwing.

 

Dick was very relieved about this, for the first time in a long time allowing himself to concentrate on just himself, because it was finally happening.

The fabric he had chosen for his clothes was so delicate that he needed all the help he could get to put them on.

 

It was a replica style of his first suit made for a ball, but in place of the dark gray hue, it was a white so pure that Dick found it strange.

 

There were no fluttery sleeves, only accents at his wrist that pulled a blurry blue. Throughout the length of the fabric, a tulle with sparkles imitating the constellations of the sky.

 

Her back was covered by a sort of cape, which ran the length of the floor, sewn into the fabric and also taking on a dark blue as it reached the end.

 

Dick had to spend a moment looking at himself in the mirror, it was such an anxious feeling consuming his stomach that he hardly noticed when all the servants - except one, who was in the corner finishing adjusting her veil - withdrew to give the boy more privacy.

 

It was unreal to be there, the last details like gold brooches to hold up the sleeves and a gold brooch hanging from his suit, Dick could have been in a dream, lost in the meters of fabric covering his whole body.

 

It was then that he noticed the shadow at the end of the mirror.

 

The wedding would take place during the night, outside the sun had already given way to darkness, but Dick barely saw the hours passing.

 

But he felt a strange, cold presence, the room beginning to freeze his skin in the middle of summer.

 

Dick had never felt in danger being on the outskirts of the castle, although he knew that for many he was not welcome there, but now, it was as if his heart was in his mouth.

 

Something was wrong.

 

" Well, I always thought that if they were going to try to assassinate me, the priests of the church wouldn't do it on a holy day," he hummed, turning toward the shadow.

 

It was logical, no one in the church liked Dick as a consort, they had appointed a princess for Slade to marry, someone good, who also carried religious dogma.

 

Dick just didn't expect that whoever was there wasn't from the church.

 

He never told Slade, because he knew how his fiancé would react, but months before the vampire rumors started, Dick had always felt something watching him in the shadows.

 

It wasn't something so constant, but often when he went out into the kingdom he could feel the burning of being watched, this had only increased in the last few days.

Now, face to face with his watcher, Dick blinked tide, he was an ordinary man, somewhat pale, tall and dressed in black, but ordinary.

 

Only when the man opened his mouth in a hello could Dick notice.

 

Sharp, projecting canines.

 

" Ah," The boy clenched his fists.

 

Shoulders slumped, hands at his sides.

 

At that moment, the vast ocean turned into a red sea.

Slade turned his face toward the door the moment the scream reached his ear, eyebrows frowning as he blinked in confusion.

 

" What was that?",  He felt a weight in his heart, a sense that something was not right.

 

The handmaidens stopped adjusting the last details of their golden costume, staring at each other in mutual confusion as the guard walked toward the door to check if everything was right on the other side.

 

Then the door was punched into the wall, Wintergreen stood up from the armchair he was sitting in, waiting for Slade to be ready.

 

There was one of Dick's handmaidens there, hand on her heart as tears rolled down her cheeks.

 

" Your Majesty…"  The servant girl leaned on the doorpost, trying to normalize her breathing. Slade looked up calmly, his gaze being inevitably drawn to the small bloodstain on the hem of her dress. " Richard, he…" 

 

The world around the king disappeared.

 

Before he could realize it, Slade was pushing everyone in his path, grabbing the servant's shoulders and shaking her like a rug in need of dusting.

 

" Slade!"  Wintergreen's hand was firm against his shoulder, but the king just kept shouting at the servant, demanding to know about Dick as soon as possible. "SLADE!"

 

When she was released, the woman fell to the ground, tears coming down like a waterfall as she covered her mouth, keeping the noises from getting in the way even more.

 

Slade stared at his long time friend, probably Billy was saying something important, something rational, but Slade's heart was beating against his ear, blocking out all the outside noise.

 

He ran, away from Wintergreen's hands and the handmaidens.

 

Dick's room wasn't that far away, but there were so many guards around that Slade had to push several bodies around before he could get in.

 

There wasn't a body, but the blood spilled on the floor indicated that the smaller man had fought something, broken glass and the mirror just on the wood on the floor.

 

" Where is he?"  Slade approached the servant girl cowering on the floor, her eyes as wide open as if she had just witnessed the worst thing in the world.

 

For Slade, it was.

 

" Your Majesty," The woman accepted the offered hand, and was lifted up immediately afterwards. Slade noticed the arrival of Wintergreen and the other handmaidens, registered the various reactions and the collective weeping beginning. " it was so fast."

 

The king needed all his self-control not to shake that woman too. Of course Wintergreen's hand on his shoulder again prevented him from doing that too.

 

" Please, what happened?" The man looked so calm that Slade wanted to punch him, it was anger and fear mixed together.

 

" He was attacked," Another one of the handmaidens managed to say, Slade didn't mind turning to her. There was a lot of blood on the floor.

 

" Who?" 

 

" King, Your Majesty," The shrinking woman blinked twice, took a deep breath, and then cringed, afraid of her own words. "A vampire killed Richard."

The rest of the night passed with the slowness of a coarse grain trying to pass through a fine hourglass. Slade left the room with watery eyes, there was no sign of Dick throughout the castle, an hour later they were sure there was no sign of the boy even throughout the kingdom.

 

Slade did not say goodbye to the guests, he had Wintergreen break the news, for the rest of the hours the king sat in front of the fire in the room and just watched the fire engulf the wood, until the air won out and only a small ember stood out among the ashes.

A week's mourning was decreed, throughout the kingdom. Slade threatened the church, if they rang the bell, held their noisy masses, or dared to say anything about Dick's death, Slade would destroy stone by stone of that building.

 

No one met the king outside the castle. Gates closed to the entire kingdom while in the dark of the room, Slade watched the ember.

When the painting was finished, a week after the mourning was over. Slade spent a whole day watching it, fingers running over the painted face of his love.

 

Slade ordered that the painting be placed in his room, and that both that room and Dick's room be locked up the way they were.

 

The garden was left untouched just the same, in its place they started another, a larger one for visitors. But Slade still spent the winter of that year watching the flowers Dick had planted, made for any season, die with the snow.

 

The man had never felt such anguish and loneliness in his life.

 

Slade never forgot what it felt like to touch the ocean, a taste of paradise taken from him, too quickly.

 

At the end of that year, there was a promise signed in his name.

 

If no bounty hunter could find the vampire who killed Dick, Slade would.

 

And when he found the vampire, no matter when, he would make him feel all the pain and anguish.

 

That was a promise.

 

Slade would never be able to feel him again, but he would never be able to forget those eyes, loving and angry and beautiful.

 

The sea;

 

His greatest love.

 

Notes:

The sequel to this is my vampire rpg but here we go
Dick becomes a vampire and Slade and he meet again years later, with Dick being the new vampire king and Slade the hunter responsible for the death of the former king ( Bruce )
They flirt unintentionally ( from Slade who is consumed by rage ) and end up dancing a few times at a few dances, until Slade starts being honest about his feelings over drink and well, finally the old man gets to fuck Dick.
They continue on this web of confused and constipated feelings and ah, Dick has Damian as his son, who Bruce left him.
Whereas, Slade had 3 children and Rose is a child still, and that hurt Dick a lot.

Thanks for reading!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of Some Fun From Some Scenes
• Part 1 of Vampire AU