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Prince Jensen decided that he wasn't going to get married at a very young age. Well he might have decided or he could have been sort of kind of cursed, nobody quite knew why Jensen reacted the way he did, not even himself. The curse thing was the best bet; it was what usually happened to princes. Except they were a minor family and they doubted that they had drawn that kind of attention, but there was something going on with Jensen.
All his parents knew is that Jensen was pliant and a wonderful boy, except for one thing.
He was four when he was supposed to be betrothed to Princess Jessica. The Ackles had every hope for their children. Hope those days was wrapped up in marriage to higher-ranking families. In return for new and healthy genetics, the older families would offer titles and bragging rites.
Four-year-old Jensen did not seem to appreciate this exchange.
He was very quiet after his parents set him down and told him all about his betrothal to Princess Jessica, who was all of three.
Jensen bided his time and then disappeared.
They caught him with a stick over his shoulder and food tied up in a handkerchief at the end, about a mile from the castle. This was the first time that he was fetched home; it wouldn’t be the last.
He stood before his father the King, his mother the Queen and put his tiny fists on his hips in defiance, he peered up at them with a glare in his eye.
"No," he said, it was said with a little bit of a lisp.
His mother tried not to find this adorable. Years later, when he wasn’t so mini and it wasn’t so rare, it would be more a point of exasperation.
The King and Queen looked at their son, the nice middle child who took to his studies, his duties, his activities like the world would end if he wasn't the best, but on this one thing he absolutely would not bend, and he was hardly big enough to open his own doors.
The King looked at the Queen witheringly. "You invited those women to his christening, I'm sure that one of them gave him some kind of 'gift'."
The Queen looked quite shocked. "He's a baby."
She sounded like she thought that he would get over it.
**
In all other things Jensen was the prize of the kingdom. His brother, the future king, loved his little brother, but occasionally wanted to throw him off the Cliffs of Despair. Jensen would put his hands on something and immediately he would be an expert.
It was maddening.
The one thing that made it so he didn't throttle his perfect, cocky, quippy little brother was the fact that if it were even hinted that a young royal was coming to anyway consult, meet, or lay eyes on Jensen in any kind of speculative manner, Jensen would wriggle out of the situation.
Josh was mostly pretty sure that Jensen would cut off his own arm rather than get engaged. By the time he finished his first decade Jensen was most impressive of getting out of arrangements of his future, and also had pissed off quite a few kingdoms.
"Why?" Josh asked Jensen, lounging on the tile while Jensen was in a bath after the latest escape. Jensen had burrowed through a swamp and smelt like it. He had been in the bath for an hour; he still reeked.
Jensen was a stubborn eleven; Josh was a wise fifteen.
Jensen sulked under his bubbles.
"Because," Jensen said defiantly.
Josh laughed. "Good thing that mom and dad have me, or else the kingdom would be doomed."
"At least you are good for something," Jensen muttered, in his moody pre-adolescent superior way. "But the kingdom is probably doomed that way too."
Which only made Josh laugh harder.
**
Young princes always have their body men, Jensen got his at twelve, it seemed like a good idea to have somebody watching him.
"Of course, you steal my thunder, you’re four years younger, but you get it at the same time," Josh said ruffling his little brother's hair.
Jensen grinned, he only grinned when there was no impending courting in his life.
Josh laughed. "What am I going to do with you?"
Jensen shrugged. "Help me duck my new captors when mom and dad try another round. This is going to suck, mom and dad are going to get me baby sitters."
Fortunately Jensen had very little to worry about in that arena. Jensen's body men were Chris and Steve, young men that they had grown up with, Jensen's mother hoped that the minstrel side of these young knights would help to quell her son's busy feet. Josh's "men", for all of these lads were under the age of eighteen, were Tom and Mike.
The first night Steve and Chris looked at their new change, for a few years they would tower over him.
Jensen looked at them.
It was kind of a stand off.
“Would you like to learn to play the lute?” Chris asked.
Jensen got that look in his eye, Josh laughed.
“Be careful boys,” Josh told them. “He’ll be better than you by the end of the week.”
It wasn’t as bad as Jensen worried. Chris and Steve took to Jensen and he to them. It was a crazy camaraderie. Josh didn’t have the same instant kinship. Tom followed all the rules and Mike saw the from a completely different angle than anyone who ever existed. Which got them in a lot of trouble. Josh was a little baffled by who was supposed to be serving who.
"I think Mike is crazy," Josh whispered to Jensen one night at dinner.
"That is why you got him and not me," Jensen said. "I'm pretty sure that he would be most excellent at helping me find new and really creative ways to escape."
Josh thwacked his brother with a spoon. "I'm quite sure you should stay away from him."
As far as big brother's go Josh loved his little one, he pulled Chris and Steve aside early on.
"Let him run," Josh instructed. "Just make sure he doesn’t go so far."
**
Josh was coming of age, so there was to be a huge ball, for introductions. Jensen was of two minds, this time wasn't about him, and he liked the music and the dancing. However this kind of thing seemed like a trap.
He was quiet, and mulling things over.
Josh looked at the assemblage of body men. Chris, Steve, Mike, and Tom had become like family.
"Your job, your only job, is to make sure that Jensen does not ruin my weekend," Josh said. "Make sure that NOBODY even hints that their daughter would be happy with Jensen."
"We should just say he is gay," Mike muttered.
Jensen's ears perked up. "What is gay?"
**
Jensen was on a tear, this time he wasn't concerned with running away, he just needed to find...
...there was a boy in the stable who had straw in his hair, was about the same age as Jensen.
Jensen looked at him. The other boy looked back. Jensen was blonde and perfectly dressed and poised. This boy looked a little worse for wear, smelled of sweat and road dust.
There was something about this guy. Something, something, something...
"I need to kiss you," Jensen said, a little out of breath.
The boy's hazel eyes widened.
Jensen cocked his head. For all his success at things in life, he had never been very good at people.
"I mean..." Jensen said trailing off, feeling very much not good enough for the first time in his life. This skinny boy in the stables had deflated him as nobody else ever had.
"Have you..." Jensen began, and he really wished that he could figure out how to form a sentence.
The boy slowly shook his head.
"Would you..." Jensen said, voice getting even meeker.
The boy didn't move for a second, then nodded.
Jensen stepped forward, the boy's eyes got wider.
"I haven't..." Jensen whispered.
The boy reached out and touched Jensen's face.
He spoke for the first time. "Then I'll be your best."
Jensen felt lips on his, he moved and something burst in him. He felt like he had been excited at times in his life. Running away had given him a thrill. Doing something well made his heart tingle. But he had never felt like this before.
His lips moving clumsily under this boy's, this boy who stood a few inches taller was nothing short of the most amazing thing he had ever felt, done, or experienced.
"Jared," a voice yelled.
The boy pulled away. Jensen was stuck in place, just looking at the boy. He gave a weak smile, shrugged sheepishly, and then darted off.
Jensen stood there for a long time, and then high tailed to his room. For the four days of festivities he stayed in his room, which was the opposite of Jensen behavior.
His parents knew that they should be happy, instead they were very very worried, but they had visitors so they had to wait to see what their son was doing this time, as long as he was in the castle they were assured.
After everyone was gone, Jensen was summoned.
He stood before them, apparently four days was how many it took for Jensen to get his attitude back.
"I'm gay," he told his parent's on no uncertain terms.
His father, King of the realm, most stately presentable man, most striking figure that most people had ever seen, slumped in his seat and covered his face. "Oh dear god."
His mother looked confused. "You are only thirteen."
"Is this why you are running or is this a fun new way to avoid getting married," his father asked, so tired from the week.
Jensen actually paused and gave it thought.
The stable boy, Jared, well that had been...
"Yeah, I'm gay," Jensen said.
"Let's round up the young men in the realm...." the King said and then he looked around. "Seriously where did he go, he was right there."
**
Jensen was bound over Chris' saddle, covered in brambles, pouting all the way.
"That gay thing didn't really work," Jensen told Steve.
"Your parents think that you are faking to get out of being married," Steve told him.
Jensen scowled in a way that made flowers wither. "I'm so totally gay."
**
Unfortunately he was thirteen and a prince, and the opportunity for sexual experimentation was not readily available. He took to riding a lot.
Actually he took to skulking around the stables a lot, looking for the stable boy, and when that failed he went riding to keep up appearances.
He was fourteen when he kissed another boy, one of the squires. It wasn't like kissing the skinny boy. So he tried kissing some of the kitchen girls. That wasn't anywhere close to where he wanted to be. So he tried kissing some of the keep boys, then he went back to girls.
"Jensen," his father said, with that special tone of exasperation that was exclusively his. "Stop being such a whore and making out with every young person in the castle, it really is unbecoming."
Jensen pouted. "It's okay, they're all wrong."
The King looked at his wife, "I thought you were going to talk to whoever there is to talk about getting the curse off his head."
The Queen sighed. "Nobody will claim to have cursed him."
"I could just be stubborn," Jensen offered.
"You could try kissing some princes or some princesses," his mother offered. "You're fifteen and very young and it could help."
Jensen sighed like they would never understand the way the world actually worked.
His mother gave him that look again. "There is a group coming, we are going to negotiate for Lady Sophia, this is not for you, this is for Josh, try not to cause a ruckus Jensen."
Jensen nodded. He loved his big brother; as long as the negotiations weren't for him, he was fine.
**
The night everyone arrived Jensen decided to go for a ride.
And there was the stable boy, a few inches taller this time, still gangly, still with straw in his wildly shaggy hair.
His hazel eyes looked at Jensen.
"You're Jared," Jensen said, suddenly feeling awkward, like he didn't know where to put his hands and his mind couldn't come up with the words that he usually did. He just didn't want to sound stupid. Which apparently he did, because that was something really stupid that had just come out of his mouth.
Jared looked guarded. "Yes and you're Jensen, the princeling who is always running away."
"Only when they want to marry me off to some princess, although my newly open-minded parents have been adding princes to the list," Jared informed him. "I'm gay, and now you know more about me than I know about you."
The guy looked at Jensen, trying to see something and finally his smiled, white and full of dimples.
Jensen's brain short circuited.
"I'm Sophia's guy," the other boy said slowly. "I travel with her. She and your brother have been corresponding. He talks about you."
Jensen was surprised at how many emotions he could feel at once. He was fascinated by Jared's dimples, embarrassed at what he was sure that his brother said, and so keyed up he wasn't sure if he was standing still any more.
So Jensen just took a step forward. "You got taller."
If anything there were more teeth, deeper dimples. "You got prettier."
Jensen swallowed. He knew he had a face, he learned that well enough when anyone would drop anything to kiss him, but Jared’s statement seemed to mean something.
"Am I still your best kiss?" Jensen asked, wanting to die. He was a blue blood prince and he was standing in front of Sophia's stable boy asking for approval.
Jared tilted his head and shrugged. "Been awhile. I think I need to be reminded."
Jensen didn't need that one spelled out for him. He was on Jared, his hands in Jared's hair. Jensen had kissed a lot, but this one he put everything into. He showed off his new skills, tongue snaking to rub over lips, teeth gently nipping.
Jared let out a little moan of approval, and then he pulled back slightly. "Yeah, you're still my best kiss."
Jensen smiled.
Jared just followed the movement of his lips with his eyes.
"Why are you always running?" Jared asked softly.
Jensen looked down, that was really the question. The one thing that he couldn't figure out.
"I just don't want to be in the wrong place," Jensen guessed.
"I don't have to be anywhere until they leave in a few days," Jared said.
Jensen looked confused. "You want to run."
"I've always wanted to run," Jared told him. "I just don't know how."
**
For two days they ran through the forests, sleeping under stars, making out until their bodies hurt. They didn't know how to talk about feelings or how to make their bodies ache less, they knew how to talk about likes and dislikes, they knew how to touch constantly.
They ran and explored.
The last night they were making out and Jensen pulled away.
"There is something that they said guys do," Jensen said, cheeks burning, not able to meet Jared's eyes.
Jared was panting and writhing under Jensen.
"Anything," he mewled.
Jensen had really become a master of coming in his pants; in fact they had spent a lot of time swimming because they spent a lot of time kissing.
Jensen inhaled. "I haven't done this..."
Jared, all crinkly eyes and dimples, shook his head, trying to find words.
"Please," was all that came out.
Jensen looked down, spread his hand over the length of Jensen, they had touched many times over the last few days. Jensen moved lower kissing down Jared's skinny chest.
He looked up at Jared, who was looking at him eyes wide with a want he didn't even know existed.
Jensen opened his mouth, wrapping his mouth around Jared.
He was always really good at anything he tried to do.
And Jared was very eager to learn when it was his turn.
They really enjoyed either side of it; they didn’t talk much after that.
**
Jensen had no idea how he ended up back in his room. It was very wrong, he had no idea how he had walked away from Jared. Chris and Steve came up.
Chris came up, looking haggard. "Your parents want you, also where the fuck have you been."
“I think I am really good at giving blow jobs,” Jensen said finally.
Chris stood and looked at him. “Maybe you shouldn’t tell your parents that much.”
Jensen looked up at him; his mind was still buried in his memories with Jensen.
Steve nodded. “So really gay?”
“I’ve been telling you that for years now,” Jensen informed him.
**
“I’m in love with Sophia’s stable boy,” Jensen told his parents.
Jensen’s mother let out a breath and slumped. His father looked up for the sky to give him answers, and if that is not going to happen, perhaps to give him strength.
“My son, the prince is marrying a Lady, not a princess,” the King said slowly. “My second son is in love with a stable boy.”
The King looked at his youngest child, eight year old Mackenzie. “And you my sweet little princess, will you want to marry a blacksmith?”
“I want a horse,” Mackenzie said practically.
“What is wrong with Sophia?” Jensen asked. He maybe horribly self involved, but his brother had always been by his side and Josh was a goner for Lady Sophia. “She’s the niece of the High King. It is a good match.”
“They were hoping for Megan Padalecki,” Mackenzie said, playing with her dolls.
Jensen turned to his parents. “Oh hell no, you don’t get to pull that shit. He loves her, this isn’t all about social climbing.”
His parents looked at him. His father was changing colors.
“Jensen go to your room,” his mother said, quiet on the edge of rage. “Don’t come down until you learn to watch your language and act like a young Prince, not some hoyden running around with boys here. We have our hands full with Josh and Sophia.”
Jensen went to his room. He didn’t leave for nearly three months.
**
“You look sickly pale,” Josh said. “All three of you.”
“You try staying in the tower for three months drinking, playing music, playing poker, in the tower and see how healthy you look,” Chris muttered.
The three of them looked like shit, to be polite.
“Princess, should I get you a dragon?” Josh teased.
“I’m going to be your bachelor brother for the rest of you life,” Jensen promised.
“Well it is okay, once Sophia turns eighteen we will be getting married,” Josh said happily.
Chris put a vise grip on Jensen’s arm. “They’re not talking about you getting married. Don’t run. I’m out of shape.”
“I think that my body is pickled from drinking so much,” Steve sighed.
Jensen shrugged. “We have three years, do what we can with the time we have.”
“I’m not dying,” Josh sighed.
“Might as well be,” Jensen said.
**
King and Queen Ackles thought that their sons were trying when they were younger, but the six boys put debauchery to new name.
“Jensen this is your fault,” the Queen sighed, hearing her oldest son puking in the next room.
Jensen lay buried under the covers. “I’m not running any more. He’s looking forward to getting married, you might have grandkids.”
“If you kill him you’ll be king,” the Queen said marching down the hall.
Jensen sat straight up.
Josh came back into the room, looking like shit. Jensen looked at him.
“Okay new plan,” Jensen said. “Less drinking, more healthy active life styles.”
**
There had been a letter that he had sent to Sophia, by way of Josh, inquiring about her stable boy.
The response had been simple. The boy had been called by his father to take over the family business, Jared was gone.
Jensen stopped running away because his family had stopped pushing him on young women. His family had given up on him. They just asked that he didn’t bring home stable boys. Jensen tried on a few occasions to test out lust, but hazel-laughing eyes kept interrupting. Jensen really never had what he had with Jared again. His parents had given up, he had mostly given up, he was getting his dream of bachelor.
Jensen simply couldn’t figure out how to move on.
“You get one blowjob and never again,” Chris commented. “You must be cursed.”
“Shove it,” Jensen said.
So Prince Jensen accepted his life. He helped his brother pack for his wedding, to a bride that he hadn’t seen in three years. Jensen rode in their royal carriage for two days with his friends; they were all twenty-one, except Jensen who was eighteen.
Jensen looked at the road like it was the end of the line.
**
They were outside of the city when they were met by the messenger.
“Fuck, we have to do the whole gallant set up,” Chris muttered.
“Shoulda listened to your mom about proper Princely order,” Mike muttered.
“Am I on your right or left,” Jensen hissed.
“Right?” Josh guessed.
“Isn’t it the right, it is the left,” Steve asked. “You know, to protect your weak side.”
“I don’t have a weak side,” Josh joked.
“Uh guys,” Tom said, already outside of the carriage. “Stand in some order, I don’t think that this is going to be judged, looks like some bad news.”
Josh went pale.
Jensen squeezed his shoulder despite himself. “I’m sure it isn’t about Sophia.”
Josh shot his brother a grateful look.
The rest piled out of the carriage, the clothing of black and the dour looks did not speak of the upcoming wedding.
“High King Padalecki has died,” they were told when then were properly arraigned. “We need to put your wedding on hold, we have the funeral and coronation, High Prince Tristan requests that you stay, as you are soon to be family. He wishes you to be part of his new court.”
“Tell your lord his wish is our command,” Josh immediately said. This was one of the greatest honors, to be close to the Padalecki king was higher an honor than marriage to a cousin. They were being granted the right without even a petition.
“Ho-le-Sheet,” Chris muttered, as the messengers rode away.
“Fucking-A,” Steve agreed.
“What the fuck is my title again,” Jensen asked. “I never can remember and I probably should figure it out.”
Josh turned around and grabbed Jensen by the throat. “I’m goddamned serious, you are going to be by my side when we meet, what’s his name-- Prince Tristan. You are gong to deal with everybody in that room wanting to take your pretty face and put it in their family tree, do you got me? If you run away now, if you run away before I marry Sophia I’m going to murder you.”
Jensen’s eyes got wide and then he picked his brother’s fingers off his throat one at a time. “Why didn’t mom and dad try that one.”
**
They entered a very quiet city, windows blacked out. The mood was somber.
When they reached the castle Sophia met them, her eyes rimmed with red. She reached out to Josh.
“My beloved,” Josh said softly.
She collapsed into his arms, sniffling she looked up and saw the rest of the men’s eyes on her. She stood up quickly, back straight.
“Welcome good men,” she said and then turned to Jensen. “My lord, if it please you the Prince wishes your presence.”
Jensen was very confused. “Can I clean up?”
She shook her head. “He says that it isn’t needed. The boy will take you to him.”
“You will be a sister soon,” Jensen said softly. “Can you take pity and perhaps give me a clue why Prince Tristan wants to speak to me?”
Sophia shook her head. “He asked that I don’t. Just know his father’s death is hard on him. Please be kind.”
Jensen kissed her hand and followed the boy. Instead of taking him deeper into the castle they headed towards the stables.
Jensen entered the stables and the boy left. Jensen turned to see where he was going just as he heard a rustling.
Coming out of the shadows was a man.
He was tall, taller than Jensen had become; wide, broad shoulders. An angular face.
When Jensen saw the eyes he understood. There were no dimples and the eyes had no spark, but this was unmistakably him.
“Jared,” Jensen said with a sigh, then he realized to whom he was speaking. “I mean your highness.”
The man before him was resplendent. There was no straw in his hair this time. The tables had turned and Jensen was the messy one.
Jared cleared his throat. “I’d like to be just Jared for a little while longer.”
The boy he hadn’t been able to forget was just under the surface of this man he knew he would never be able to forget.
“Jared,” Jensen said, saying the name, making those dimples come out briefly. “Do you want to run away.”
The dimples came out a little longer. “I can’t run any more. I just thought you’d recognize me better here.”
Jensen appreciated the nostalgia, but he really would recognize Jared anywhere.
“What do you want?” Jensen asked.
“To be your best kiss,” Jared said stepping forward.
Jensen met him halfway and they kissed, this wasn’t boyhood fumbling, two males on the brink of manhood, desperate and needy met with lips, then hands touching and tugging. Jared seemed to be needy and wanting, he didn’t need words, he just needed Jensen’s presence.
Finally Jared pulled away, just enough to speak. “Come up to my rooms, There is something I want to try.”
Jensen let out a moan, because he knew, they were on the same wavelength. He had heard the way of men and from that moment he hadn’t stopped thinking of what it would be like.
He followed Jared down passages, through mazes, he figured the rooms would be excellent, but he didn’t take time to look, his hands were in Jensen’s hair, his mouth on his lips, his skin. Jared was needy and wanting.
“I want you in me,” Jared rasped. “I need you to be the first for that too.”
Jensen couldn’t think enough to respond with words, but he sure the hell found the bed quickly.
**
“I’m not supposed to be king,” Jared said.
They were sated, two rounds, even for young men, made them languid, they just together, still touching, but the need was abated for the moment. Jared had been so needy, so wanting. Jensen had wanted to give him everything, to make his worry go away.
Well, the honest truth was the first time he entered Jared he nearly lost his mind, he couldn’t think of anything but the heat, hoping that he wasn’t hurting Jared. It had been Jared who moved first. He had been keening, voice raw, begging without actual words.
But now they just lay, unable to stop touching.
“My brother was always to be king,” Jared sighed. “But after I saw you the last time he got sick and died. I suddenly became important, I couldn’t ride around with Soph any more, suddenly people were treating me differently. It is overwhelming. I knew this day was coming, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon.”
Jensen touched his face. “You are going to make a great king.”
Jared snorted. “You know this from our three days together, back when we were fifteen?”
Jensen didn’t take the bait, he answered seriously. “Yes I do.”
**
Two days later they exited the Jared’s chambers to go to the funeral. Jared led the procession behind the coffin, Jensen walked a bit behind him, part of Jared’s court. Josh looked sideways as he held Sophia’s arm. Jensen didn’t comment on his time with Jared, the new High King.
Jared walked tall and proud. With every step he could feel the bite marks that Jensen had left on his skin, he could feel the memory of Jensen being in his body, he could feel Jensen behind him.
He buried his father sadly, but without a tear.
The tears for his father had been only been seen by Jensen.
**
“What happened?” Josh said as soon as he got Jensen alone, their men were around with similar looks.
Jensen shrugged. “That was Jared.”
“The stable boy Jared?” Chris squeaked.
“I might have got that wrong,” Jensen admitted.
“Wait,” Steve said slowly. “The now High King Tristan used to give you blow jobs?”
Mike looked at the marks on Jensen’s neck. “I’m pretty sure that there was fucking with the king pretty recently.”
Tom gave him a withering look.
“Does this mean...” Steve began.
Chris put his hand over Steve’s mouth.
“Go young Prince,” he said obviously trying to cover. “Have fun, have the sex, nothing serious happening here.”
**
For the month between the funeral and the coronation, Jensen slept in Jared’s room. It wasn’t proper for them to be together in public as much, but they made up for it in private.
They fucked with the enthusiasm of eighteen-year-old boys discovering sex for the first time, they threw ideas around like the future High King and equal, and in the moments that they would never admit to they talked like young men falling in love.
The morning before the coronation is the first time it was ever admitted that this thing was more than just getting their rocks off.
“I was gifted as a baby,” Jared said.
“Hmmm,” Jensen said, not really a morning person.
“One of my godmothers put it on my head,” Jared said softly. “She said one day my true love would find me and I would know it by the kiss.”
Jensen pulled by wide eyed.
“I’ve looked Jensen, I’ve tested to make sure,” Jared continued evenly. “I know. I realize now how much there wasn’t a pronoun in there. I know which kiss is my best. But I know that there isn’t a sub clause, I know that I wasn’t promised a two way street, they don’t promise second sons happiness. But part of me wants to believe that when you were running, even as a child you were running to me, before you even knew. Part of me really wants to believe that the curse that they can’t find that hangs over your head might just be the gift I was given.”
Jared got out of the bed, which for the last month had been theirs. He crossed the room and closed the door.
Jensen, ever the runner when it came to things like this, couldn’t move to save his life.
**
The coronation was beautiful.
Jared walked steadily to the front of the room, took the throne like he had been born to it, instead of an eighteen-year-old boy who wasn’t supposed to be there.
Jared looked every inch the young King he was supposed to be, wearing the robes and gold. When they put the crown on his head, perfection had a new name.
Jensen stood to the side, watching, he really couldn’t process anything.
Because Jared had put everything out there and at this moment Jared wasn’t Jared any more, he was High King Tristan.
Jensen felt it all slipping away.
He knew that he should be running, but he was looking for a way to stay, but everything was so busy it looked like he wasn’t going to be able to find anything. Even his family was missing.
A page found him, announcing that he was summoned to the Great Room.
Jensen followed the page.
Jared sat on his throne; Jensen couldn’t see anything but Jared, now King Tristan, on the throne. He approached and bowed, as he had been taught.
The door was closed with a bang and Jensen was roused enough to see that his men, Josh, Sophia, and his parents were in the room and they were very tense. Two men guarded the door.
Jensen stood tall waiting, there was nothing else to do.
“Open the door,” Jared commanded.
Jensen suppressed the shiver that went down his spine; he didn’t want to admit that this was hotter than he thought it should be.
His parents and Josh, looked at each other worried.
The door was opened and a breeze went through the room.
King Tristan looked at Jensen, then he softened so Jensen could see Jared again.
“I’ve asked your parents for your hand,” Jared said.
Jensen waited for the blind panic that kept him running to hit.
“Jen,” Jared said softly. “I love you, and I didn’t want to do it this way, but I want this to be everything, to be real, and my new reality involves these robes and about fifty people witnessing everything I do.”
Jensen swallowed and the only thing that his mind thought about was a night of Jared dressed up as the king and stripping him out of those robes. He most definitely was not going to have fifty people witness that.
Jensen breathed in. He wanted. His biggest fear wasn’t that Jared was going to ask him to stay, it was more that Jared was going to dismiss him.
Jared’s blessing, what he had always thought of his curse must be a two way street because he wanted to stay.
Jensen was absolutely sure of what he felt, of what this meant.
“Marry me, Jensen,” Jared whispered. “Please, let this be your right place.”
The door was open if he wanted to flee, his parents were holding their breath, but all that really existed in Jensen’s world was Jared’s eyes.
Jensen stepped away from his means of escape; away from the door, towards Jared.
“Yes,” Jensen said, loud and clear.
His parents let out a breath that sounded like they had been holding forever.
It was at that moment that Chris and Steve darted forward and pulled Jensen away from Jared.
**
“Seriously,” Jensen grumbled, looking out of his tower window. “You all wait for eighteen years for me to not run and then you take me away at the first moment.”
“Protocol,” Chris said, strumming his guitar.
“I slept in his bed for a month,” Jensen ground out. “Then I get whisked back home the second I’m betrothed.”
Steve was laughing in the corner. “You were a common concubine of a Prince, it all changed when you became the intended of the High King.”
“Strumpet,” Chris mocked. “You’re lucky he wants to marry you.”
Tom and Mike came in, Josh had just left on his honeymoon and they were not allowed to come on that, so they were keeping Jensen company.
“Ohhh, we’re still making fun of Jensen for being an easy lay?” Mike said, happy to get in on the action.
“I’m going to be High Royal Consort,” Jensen said. “I’m so going to cut off all your heads.”
“Lookie there,” Mike said, going to lounge on the bed. “Only a month after discovering sex, he is grumpy after going without.”
“Get up you lazy asses,” Jensen muttered. “We’re going running outside, I’m not going to be pale and fat when I finally get laid again.”
Everyone groaned. So Jensen took great delight in working them out until they couldn’t stand.
Every night he wrote to Jared, everyday a letter arrived from Jared. Jared was nervous about being king, Jared wanted to see his freckles appear, questioned if his freckles were appearing everywhere.
Jensen felt itchy, he wanted to run so badly, but this time the running was towards a very clear goal, it wasn’t running away from anything.
“We kept you here for six years,” Chris informed him. “We can keep you here now.”
Steve didn’t seem so sure.
“We’re going running,” Jensen said. “The kind that you will let me do.”
“We could kill him in the woods,” Chris whispered loudly.
“Off with your heads!” Jensen yelled leaving out of the room, Chris and Steve sighed and followed.
**
It took what seemed like forever to Jensen, but after the months of negotiations and preparations he was standing in the grand Cathedral that would be the site of his wedding. It took what felt like even longer for him to finally to be at the front of the church with Jared. Jared looked over at him, both wearing their best.
“I was worried if you were actually going to make it here,” Jared whispered.
Jensen smiled up at him. “This is where I’m supposed to be.”
There was a ceremony, but all Jensen was aware of was Jared’s eyes.
Finally Jared leaned in, when it was time, “You will always be my best kiss.”
It was supposed to be chaste, but neither one of them could manage. Jared slid into Jensen, it was far too brief, barely a promise.
But it was the beginning of a life.
One in which they lived happily ever after.