Tristan chuckled. “Is that a marriage proposal?”
He snickered in response. “Nope. Not yet anyway, but I will marry you someday.”
Tristan blushed. “Okay. Anyway, are you certain you want to announce our relationship to the public?”
He nodded with enthusiasm. “Absolutely. I’m just worried that you don’t want to. After all, the scrutiny will be intense.”
Tristan was quiet for a moment. Leonardo continued to stare into Tristan’s eyes in the meantime. Finally, after what felt like an eternity had passed, he heaved out a sigh of relief when Tristan agreed to do it.
“Dad?”
Alexander’s voice startled both him and Tristan, but he refused to let go of his boyfriend. Instead, he tightened both arms around Tristan’s waist and pulled his boyfriend even closer toward him.
“We have to inform them anyway,” he piped up when Tristan’s eyes widened in fear. He gave Tristan a gentle peck on the lips before beckoning Alexander and Jacqueline toward him and Tristan. “Tristan and I love each other.”
“Like friends?” Jacqueline asked.
He and Tristan exchanged glances before he gestured at the sitting room. They sat side by side, but he was astonished when Jacqueline climbed up onto his lap. He was also astounded to discover that Alexander was sitting on Tristan’s right thigh. Once they were seated as comfortably as they could, he tapped the twins on their shoulders.
“Tristan and I love each other,” he repeated himself while Jacqueline and Alexander nodded in silence. He grabbed Tristan’s hand that was right next to him and held on tightly. “We hope to get married someday.”
Alexander scrunched up his face in confusion. “Like you and Mom?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. Is that okay with both of you?”
Jacqueline gazed back and forth between him and Tristan. “So, Tristan will be our dad, too?”
Tristan took over immediately. “You can continue to call me Tristan, if you like.”
Alexander shook his head. “If you marry my dad, I want to call you Dad.”
Leonardo noticed Jacqueline’s bewildered expression. “What is it, Jackie?”
“It’s weird.”
His heart sank. He also noticed the hurt on Tristan’s face. However, Jacqueline continued before he could ask her to explain herself.
“You’re Dad, and Tristan is also going to be our dad. Can we just call Tristan Daddy?”
He smiled in relief upon listening to his daughter’s clarification. “As long as Tristan is all right with it.”
Tristan nodded. “Just call me Tristan for the time being. Your dad and I still aren’t married to each other.”
“Okay,” Jacqueline and Alexander chorused at the same time.
When that conversation was over, Leonardo kissed Tristan briefly on the lips before embracing his twins and telling them to have fun. Knowing the twins were all right with him and Tristan being together, he felt a surge of courage to open up to the rest of the world. He was now more excited than ever to attend the charity event with Tristan by his side. It would be their first official public appearance ever as a couple, and he couldn’t wait for the day to arrive.
* * * *
Tristan was astonished when he and the twins returned to the palace after more than an hour of fun in the park to find Prince Isaac on the couch in the sitting room. The man was obviously waiting for them. Tristan bowed at Prince Isaac while Jacqueline and Isaac simply rushed toward the man before talking over one another in their attempts to recount their activities at the park earlier.
“Jackie, Alex, I’m glad you had fun, but I need to talk to Tristan. Why don’t you clean up before joining us here?”
The twins nodded before walking off to their own bathrooms at a more sedate pace. Meanwhile, Prince Isaac gestured at the single couch, and Tristan took that as a cue to sit.
“Is there anything that I can assist you with, Your Highness?”
Prince Isaac smiled at him. “I’m wondering if I may have a look at your ring.”
“My ring?”
“Yes. Leo informed me you own a ring that has some intricate carvings all around it. He thinks those carvings are historical symbols. Learning about any type of history is one of my favorite pastimes. May I?”
Tristan was confused, but he took his chain off his neck before passing it over to Prince Isaac. “Certainly, Your Highness.”
Prince Isaac dangled the ring in the air by holding onto one end of the chain. After a while, he pointed at the ring. “May I take several pictures of the carvings with my smartphone? They’re interesting, and I would like to research them further.”
Tristan shrugged. “Go ahead, Your Highness.”
A few minutes later, Prince Isaac returned the chain and ring to him. “Thank you for indulging me. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, Your Highness.”
Prince Isaac nodded. “Are the twins behaving well?”
“They are, Your Highness. Leo…” Tristan blushed in embarrassment at his blunder and hastened to correct himself. He might be permitted to address Prince Leonardo by the man’s first name in private, but he couldn’t be certain if he had the same leeway with Prince Isaac. Not that the younger prince was aloof and snobbish, but Tristan wasn’t as close to Prince Isaac, and he couldn’t be sure the man wouldn’t take offence at his familiarity with Leonardo. “I mean, Prince Leonardo has already hired some tutors to continue with their lessons. Princess Jacqueline is showing vast improvement in her violin and piano lessons, but Prince Alexander is a tad slower. However, Prince Alexander seems to pick up on the French and Greek languages much faster than Princess Jacqueline. They’re both doing all right with the etiquette lessons, though.”
“I’m aware of those things. Leo keeps us updated. Regardless, I’m glad to hear that from you, as well.”
“Of course, Your Highness. Is there anything else?”
Prince Isaac stared at him for several seconds before responding. “I heard you’ll be attending the charity event with my brother next Friday afternoon.”
He ignored the heat rushing up his neck and cheeks. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“You do realize the implication, don’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
“Are you prepared for the intense amount of scrutiny? Most importantly, are you ready to stand by my brother’s side through it all? If you’re not, please don’t raise his hope up high. Even a blind man can see Leo is madly in love with you.”
Tristan sat up straight and stared Prince Isaac in the eye. “I’m very much in love with Leo. He’s a kind and empathetic man. He’s a wonderful and loving father to the twins. I truly believe he will make an excellent king someday.”
Prince Isaac beamed at him. “I’m delighted to hear that. Anyway, I have a few appointments coming up in the next twenty minutes or so. I’ll leave you for now. Thanks again for showing me the ring.”
“You’re welcome, Your Highness.”
Prince Isaac turned toward the direction of the twins’ bedrooms and chuckled. Tristan suppressed a sigh when he heard them giggling together.
“Please inform the twins I’ll meet them later tonight during dinner. They’re taking far too long in the bathroom, and I can’t wait for them. I think you better drag them out from the bathroom before they flood the entire palace. They’ve always loved the water.”
“I will, Your Highness. I think I’ll take them to the indoor swimming pool in the other wing before lunch. Then they can eat better and catch their afternoon nap before their lessons begin at two.”
Prince Isaac snickered even louder when the sound of water grew louder. “Have a wonderful rest of the day, Tristan.”
“Same to you, Your Highness.”
Once Prince Isaac left the room, Tristan rushed toward the bathroom. He gave the twins a mock glare, but that was enough to silence them. He made them change into their swimming attire and led them to the other wing of the palace for an hour of fun in the pool
. Naturally, he got into the pool with them. He promptly forgot about Prince Isaac’s request to view his ring earlier. He figured members of the royal family had their individual quirks. Besides, it wasn’t anything important. It was just a gold ring that probably wasn’t worth much monetarily. It was only valuable to him for a sentimental reason. There was nothing else to it.
Chapter 8
“Looking awesome, big bro. Almost as handsome as me. I guess you’re ready to attend the charity event with Tristan now.”
Leonardo turned around from gazing at his reflection in the mirror inside his bedroom and snickered at Isaac before raising both his middle fingers. Isaac snorted before approaching him to help straighten up his bow tie and clasped his shoulders.
“Thanks, Isaac.”
“You’re welcome. You’ll knock him dead.”
“Yeah? You think so?”
“Well, you’re not half as good-looking as I am, but you’ll be fine.”
“Asshole.”
Isaac chortled. “I’m just teasing you. He will be amazed.”
“I know.” He smirked at Isaac. “Anyway, why are you here?”
Isaac’s expression became more serious after that. “You’re right about Tristan’s ring. The problem still stands, though. We can’t prove anything.”
Leonardo heaved out an annoyed sigh. “Damn peerage! We wouldn’t be talking about this at all if those old bastards would just agree to alter the stupid policy about royal marriage and the ascension to the throne.”
“What are we going to do?”
He stared at Isaac in silence for a minute or so. “Persuade them.”
“And if they disagree?”
He shrugged in a nonchalant fashion. “I’ll just give them a gentle reminder of all they stand to lose if a certain…past of theirs suddenly comes to light.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? It’s so close to your coronation.”
“It’s politics, Isaac. We’ve all done things we don’t like in order to get things moving along. They’ve been holding that damn policy over our heads for a long time now. Don’t get me wrong. I think the voting system is wonderful. The majority wins, and all that jazz, but this particular policy is corrupted. It’s a way for members of the peerage to attempt to force their daughters or sons to marry the future monarch, which will ensure their own family gets more political leverage. I’m sick and tired of it. It’s time for a change.”
“If you’re certain. You know I’ll always have your back.”
He beamed at Isaac. “I’m aware, and I really appreciate that.”
“What should we do next?”
“I can’t be seen communicating with the secret services inside the palace way too often. That will arouse their suspicions. I’m under heavy scrutiny even more these days because the members of the peerage are waiting for me to announce my next spouse. They’re aware I can’t ascend the throne without a partner. They’ve been less than subtle about their available sons and daughters every time I meet any of them at the meetings with the government. You, on the other hand, have more freedom of movement than I do.”
“Not much, Leo. I’m still fourth in line. They may not hound after me as much as they do you, but I have to be cautious all the time, as well.”
“Tristan and I will drag all the attention away from you.”
Isaac gaped at him. “Don’t do anything crazy.”
He grinned widely at his younger brother. “Oh, but that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“It’s not fair to Tristan, is it? He will be in the dark. Thrusting him into the spotlight—”
“I love Tristan,” he interrupted Isaac midsentence, sounding harsher than he meant to. However, he was on a roll. “He loves Jacqueline and Alexander, and the twins return his affection, too. Most importantly, Tristan is a loving person toward me. He listens to me even when I’m ranting about the most boring thing. He takes care of me after a long and tiring day even though he has his hands full with the twins. I’m going to marry him, and I’ll make sure that nobody stands in the way.”
Isaac was stunned into silence for a moment. Leonardo was about to speak up once again when Isaac chuckled at him. “You’ve got it bad for him, haven’t you?”
He laughed under his breath and nodded. “Yeah.”
Isaac smirked at him. “I bumped into Tristan in the hallway earlier. I’m a straight man, but I’m not blind. He’s really gorgeous in his suit. You better have a handkerchief ready. Just in case you need to wipe the drool off your chin.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah! Trust me. In fact, I think you’ll need several handkerchiefs.”
Leonardo’s heart beat faster and harder against his chest. He was now more excited than ever to get a glimpse of his boyfriend. Not that Tristan didn’t look incredible on other days, but Isaac’s tone of voice made it sound as if the man was a billion times hotter than he usually was. He and Isaac glanced at each other without uttering a single word for the next several seconds. Then Isaac mock-punched him on his left shoulder before tugging him closer into a brief, one-armed hug.
“Okay, then. I’ll leave you for now. Besides, Vivian’s private plane arrived in Fingo earlier this morning. I need to get ready to meet up with her for an afternoon tea. I’ll see you later.”
“Sure. Enjoy!”
“You, too.”
Leonardo turned to face the mirror one last time to ensure he was as presentable as possible before picking up his suit jacket and walking toward his bedroom door. He idly wondered what Tristan looked like in the new suit he purchased for his boyfriend. However, if he was honest with himself, he was more curious about Tristan getting naked underneath him on his bed. Or any flat surface, for that matter. He wasn’t picky about that. Not at all.
* * * *
Tristan didn’t know the proper way to behave in the situation he found himself in. It wasn’t that he was a complete failure in a social setting, but he had never imagined himself attending a charity event with Crown Prince Leonardo. The disparity in their status never used to bother him to such an extent, especially now that there were flashes of lights from what felt like a billion cameras going on and off a few feet away from him and Leonardo. He could feel his jaw aching from the continuous smile on his face. After a while, he was so numb from head to toe that the only thing he was aware of was Leonardo’s possessive arm around his waist. He couldn’t even make out most of the words thrown their way.
When they had their dates inside the palace, Leonardo was charming and excellent in making him feel like they were the only two people in the world who mattered. Now that they were in public, Leonardo was just as protective of him, which was very comforting to him. Hence, he leaned a bit closer to Leonardo and proceeded to widen his grin for a minute longer before the two of them made their way into the building. The gigantic space had been filled with round tables and chairs to accommodate all the incoming guests. People bowed to Leonardo while glancing at Tristan in confusion, but he was grateful when some of them at least acknowledged him with a simple “Hello” or “Good afternoon.” He nodded and greeted those people in return.
“Are you all right, babe?” Leonardo asked as softly as possible while the two of them were being ushered toward their table.
“Yeah. I’m just overwhelmed.”
Leonardo appeared rather contrite upon hearing that. “My sincerest apology. I shouldn’t have—”
“No,” he cut Leonardo off before gasping in shock under his breath. “I…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have interrupted you. I—”
He was rendered speechless when Leonardo stopped him from walking any farther before pulling him close and kissing him with plenty of passion. There were no reporters allowed inside the building, but he could hear a few distinctive sounds of cameras clicking away. A part of him was certain a picture of him and Leonardo making out would circulate within the next thirty minutes or so, but the rest of him couldn’t be bothered to worry. He wrapped his arms arou
nd Leonardo’s back and deepened their kiss. He almost whined in displeasure when Leonardo broke away from him. He shuddered in anticipation when Leonardo rubbed his right cheek tenderly with a warm palm.
“I’m not a prince and you’re not a commoner in this relationship. We’re simply two men in love. Can you remember that?”
He nodded. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
The two of them exchanged soft smiles with each other as they stood there in the hallway, ignoring the witnesses all around them. A part of Tristan was aware of the hushed voices of the people who were now staring at him and Leonardo, but he was too focused on Leonardo to care about them.
“I never expected this event to turn out the way it did.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh-huh. I thought it was going to be boring.”
Leonardo snorted. “And now?”
“When you kissed me, it made me forget about everything and everyone else. I also feel less nervous about the upcoming few hours now.”
“Should I give you another one?”
“I think you should.”
Their next kiss was just as passionate and tender, but it was still too short. Nevertheless, Tristan was satisfied with it for the time being. He and Leonardo chuckled at each other when they eventually pulled their lips away.
“Sleep with me later tonight, babe,” Leonardo whispered against his lips. He hesitated for a moment, but the love and hope shining in Leonardo’s eyes convinced him it was the right time to take the next step. “Please.”
He inhaled and exhaled multiple times as various thoughts raced through his mind. However, he knew what his response would be. He had no doubt about it. There was nothing else holding him back. His mind was made up.
“Okay. Yeah. Let’s do that.”
He felt all giddy and excited. All of a sudden, he felt a surge of energy coursing through his entire being. The thought of spending the next few hours at the charity event didn’t seem as daunting anymore. He had something to look forward to when he and Leonardo returned to the palace. They would have to wait until the twins were asleep, but they had the rest of the evening to make love to each other. He wasn’t even concerned about having full-on sex for the first time ever. After all, he would be doing it with a wonderful man he was in love with. Regardless of the eventual outcome of his relationship with Leonardo, he was certain it would be an evening to remember. He would have no regrets.
His Fairy Tale Ending Page 6