Jacques’s initial shock seemed to melt as he blinked curiously at this woman with black and silver box braids, ebony skin, and a curious necklace made of black glass around her neck. “You’re...” he began.

“Who are you?” Zuri cut in, their arms folded as they looked this stranger up and down suspiciously. “Are you one of Carnadine’s informants?”

“Don’t worry,” she said reassuringly, holding her hand palm up in front of her. “I’m a friend.” She presented a small ball of emerald light in her hand after her eyes filled with a green glow. The magic fizzled out, leaving them all staring.

“Another user?” Zuri exclaimed.

“I thought I sensed your magic,” Jacques said, approaching her hesitantly. “I’ve never met another user outside my family before. I’m Jacques, and this is Zuri, Andre, and Ian.”

She nodded at each of them as their names were said. “The name’s Aveline.”

“Aveline?” Adrian repeated, getting up from his sitting position with a jolt. “Your name is Aveline?”

She considered him curiously. “That’s right.”

“Did you… know Gabrielle?” Walking forward, he rummaged through his bag until he found volume I of the journals. Taking the note from the cover, he quickly showed it to her.

Jacques gave a flustered sigh. “Ian, no one here reads Elden, remember?”

“Oh, I can read it,” Aveline said as she scanned over the letter.

“What?” Zuri squawked. “How?”

“Gabrielle taught me.”

Adrian’s mouth fell open. “So, you did know her?”

She studied the letter with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Of course. We were traveling companions for many years before we had a falling out.” She looked up at the book Adrian still held in his hand. “That’s her journal. How did you come by it?”

“Well, that would be because… I’m her son.”

“Her son?” Her voice raised a whole octave. “T-then you must be—”

“Please, it’s just Ian out here,” he cut her off frantically in Elden, his face paling. “No reason for formalities.”

“Was that Elden just now?” Zuri asked, looking at him curiously. “Never heard you speak it before.”

“Uh, yeah, it was,” he said sheepishly in Venish. Daring a glance to the side, he made eye contact with Jacques who searched his face for an answer, but Adrian gave none, his blue eyes darting away again.

Aveline considered the king for a moment then nodded in understanding. In Venish, she said, “You do have Gabrielle’s hair and eyes now that I’m really looking at you, and even the face shape is very similar.”

“So, what are you doing out here anyway?” Jacques asked with slight agitation in his voice. “You just happened upon us?”

“No, no. I live in Lacot with my two kids. I came out here because I saw your ship flying overhead. The green sails are really quite noticeable at night if you didn’t know.”

He frowned. “Yeah, we know.”

“We’re just not very smart or careful,” Zuri said while they watched over the still filling barrels. “It’s a wonder we don’t have more Spillers after us.”

“Zuri, we are being careful,” Jacques snapped. “We usually aren’t sighted because of where we park and the time of day we arrive in towns.”

“Yeah, but obviously that didn’t work so well this time...”

“You have two kids?” Adrian interjected. “Are they magic users as well?”

“Well, obviously,” Jacques answered for her, shooting Zuri one last annoyed look. “The trait always gets passed down. That’s how it works unless they’re adopted.”

The older woman smiled. “Not adopted. They’re both magic users, yes, though I’m very careful to not let them use their powers outside the house. I have heard of this Carnadine before, and I don’t want her anywhere near my family.

Zuri snorted humorlessly. “That’s for fucking sure… Hey. Is your necklace made of black glass?” They eyed her neck curiously.

“Oh, this?” Her fingers went to the pendant. “It was my father’s. It contains an energy crystal.” Sliding her finger over a miniature switch on the back of it, little black panels shifted around the pendant to reveal a glowing green crystal inside. “It’s an heirloom.”

Their jaw dropped. “Oh wow! It’s just like my lantern!”

“Alchemist artifacts are a rare find,” she admitted. “It’s important to cherish what is left.”

“Oh, I agree. That necklace is very impressive.”

She gave a kind grin. “Thank you. Now then,” her gaze went to Adrian, “what brings you all the way out here? You’re a bit far from home, don’t you think, and you came all alone, Ian?”

“Oh, um.” Adrian felt his heartbeat increase in speed. “I’m here to finish my mother’s work. It’s a journey I wanted to take on my own. That’s all.”

“We want to open the Totrium,” Zuri added. “You don’t happen to know anything about it, do you?”

She paled. “How do you know that word?” Her eyes fell on the journal. “Of course... the Totrium was Gabrielle’s obsession after all. You cannot open it. I destroyed those murals for a reason even if Gabrielle did not understand—”

“You destroyed the murals?” Jacques questioned. “The ones in Mermortiva?”

“You’ve been there?”

“Yeah, and they were in ruins.”

“Why would you destroy them?” Zuri asked.

She looked between them seriously. “The Totrium is dangerous and was never meant to be used again. That’s how the Alchemists would have wanted it.”

“Aveline, please,” Adrian said softly. “We just need to know what it is. Maybe if we know, we can then decide if it’s worth opening or not.”

“It’s not. That’s all you need to know.”

Zuri made an exasperated sound. “Seriously Lady? You know it’s four against one? We can make you talk if we need to.”

“Zuri, no,” Jacques scolded, placing a firm hand on their shoulder. “We aren’t forcing information out of anyone.”

They folded their arms. “Why the fuck not?”

“Aveline,” Adrian tried again, ignoring his teammates, “you knew my mother. She was a good person. Surely, whatever the Totrium is, it can’t be so bad that another magic user can’t know.”

“Your mother was a wonderful person,” she said bitter sweetly, “and she only saw all the good that could come of the Totrium, but it’s too risky. We never saw eye to eye on the subject. It’s why we went our separate ways.”

“It is? What happened between you two exactly?”

She hesitated. “It’s complicated.”

“Please, tell me. There’s so little I know about her, and any interactions I had with her were ten years ago when I was still a child. Please.”

She searched his face, then exhaled. “Your mother was obsessed with the Alchemists. So obsessed, that she left her husband, children, and everything to try and learn more about them. She’d made several trips in the past, and each time, I went with her. We met in Lacot as she was traveling through and became good friends. She soon discovered my magic abilities and we both were excited to see what we could discover about the ancient Elderians.

“We found that the key we needed was in Mermortiva. That’s when we learned exactly what the Totrium is, and I refused to finish our quest. We had a falling out and she took the gem key and the journal, swearing she’d open it herself, and that’s the last I ever heard or saw of her. It was only a few months later that I learned of her early death. I never knew how she died, but I couldn’t help but feel that if I’d gone with her, she’d still be alive.” She glanced down sadly, and Adrian’s heart panged at that.

“Yeah, she probably would be,” Zuri said, and Andre smacked their arm.

“Zuri!”

“What do you mean?” Aveline asked, looking up into the inventor’s face.

Jacques shot the inventor a look. “Zuri, what the hell?”

“The gem key...” Adrian began, and Aveline looked back at him. “When my mother tried returning it as a non-magic user, it killed her.”

“What?” Her jaw dropped. “T-the gem key…?”

“Yeah. It took her life. It has a defense mechanism that only allows magic users to place it.”

“No... that can’t be. You’re certain that’s how she died?” He nodded. “Oh, Ian... I really had no idea it would do that.”

“How could you not?” Jacques asked, folding his arms. “Hadn’t you ever worked with relics before as a magic user?”

She shook her head. “I was raised here in Lacot where there aren’t any other users around. I taught myself magic, since my user father died in the Civil War 50 years ago and my mother was a non-user.”

“The warning about the gem key was in the powerplant, not Mermortiva, remember Jacques?” Zuri said. “Of course, she didn’t know.”

“I could have saved her...” Aveline whispered, then groaned. “I was so busy being upset with her in Mermoritva, I wasn’t thinking about her safety. I was being selfish.”

Adrian placed a hand on her shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault. I almost died the same way, and I really would have if Jacques hadn’t been there to save me.”

“You tried placing the gem key?” She gave him an exasperated look. “Even after learning the same thing took Gabrielle’s life?”

“Yes. I want to know more about her and her research. You must understand, it’s all I have left of her.”

She paused at that, then slowly nodded. “I understand. You are definitely Gabrielle’s son. Her curiosity could not be satiated either, but I urge you to stay away from the Totrium. If just the gem key is that dangerous then imagine what opening it might do. Gabrielle meant well, but the Totrium is too easily abused.”

“What do you mean?”

She looked at Jacques as she said, “Heed an old magic user’s words.”

His expression was unreadable, and silence fell over them all.

The only sounds were that of Zuri finishing up the last barrel; a little shink sound rang out as they capped off the little metal drill.

“Well, that’s enough heavy talk,” Aveline said with a swishing motion of her hands. “Do you folks have a place to stay tonight?”

“We do,” Jacques answered, gesturing to the ship.

She gazed up at the vessel. “Such a beautiful piece of history. How about I have you over for dinner then?”

“Oh, that sounds—”

“Sorry, Jacques,” Andre interrupted, “but I already have the bread rising for tonight’s dish.”

“That’s quite alright,” Aveline said with a smile. “I’d love to help another magic user in some other way if I can.”

“Jacques, the barrels are filled and ready to go!” Zuri projected over the conversation.

The leader considered the inventor for a moment. “How about we treat you instead, Aveline. If you bring your barrels by, we can get you some water. Prices are terrible in this area.”

Her face lit up. “Oh, that would be wonderful of you, if it’s not a bother.”

“It’s really not. Andre, will you help her get her barrels?”

“I’ll help to,” Adrian chimed in, and the older woman nodded graciously.

Adrian and Andre followed Aveline into a humble little house where two young teenagers were fighting over a book.

“Toulou, it’s my turn!” A boy with copper-colored skin and short, curly black hair that hung in tight coils around his face tugged on one end.

The other, older teen with a slightly lighter shade of skin and looser black curls that trailed over their shoulders, ripped the book out of his hands, frowning. “You’ve had plenty of time with it, Pep, besides, I’m older and stronger than you.”

“Behave you two,” Aveline barked. “We have visitors.”

The siblings halted what they were doing to stare wide-eyed at the two grown men.

“Visitors?” the younger repeated, forgetting the book entirely to rush up to them. “But… we never have visitors.”

“This is Ian and Andre. They’ll be filling our barrels for free. They’re very generous and kind. Treat them respectfully please. I’ll be right back you two.” She directed these last words to the men before going down a hallway, adding loudly, “I need to get the key to the water room.”

With a big smile on his face, the young boy came right up to Adrian. “Mother never lets us see anyone. Where are you both from? Can I see your weapons? You speak Venish, right? Are you the ones who own the flying ship?”

Adrian blinked, then exhaled a laugh. “Yes, we own the ship. Your mother was really good friends with my mother. They traveled together.”

“What? You’re Gabrielle’s son?” the older one named Toulou asked.

“Uh, yes,” his palms began to sweat, “but it’s not common knowledge so let’s just leave it at that.” Andre looked at him curiously, but Adrian wouldn’t meet his eye. “Aveline told us you’re both magic users?” Fear crossed both of their faces and the king put up two placating hands. “Woah, it’s okay. We have a magic user in our group too.”

“You do?” the younger asked, eyes wide. “We’ve never met any others outside family.”

“Yeah, our magic user hasn’t either.”

Aveline came back into the room then. “The barrels are just in the other room. We should hurry before we draw too much attention from nosy neighbors.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Oh, Mother,” the boy cried, rushing up to her, “can we meet the other magic user? Please?”

She gave a sad smile, touching his cheek. “I’m sorry, Pep. It’s not safe for you both to be out there. Stay put, won’t you?”

“But—”

“Just drop it, Pep,” the eldest growled. “She isn’t going to let us. She never does.”

“Toulou, dear, I know you’re upset, but you already broke the rules today getting into that fight with the neighbor kids. You especially are not allowed out right now. Alright, Ian, Andre, this way.”

Toulou sighed as the men walked after Aveline, and the youngest grabbed Adrian’s sleeve to stop him.

“It was nice meeting you, Ian,” he said with a big smile that melted the blond’s heart.

“It was nice to meet you too, um…”

“Pepin.”

“Pepin. Don’t worry. I hope to visit again. Aveline is the only person left alive who knows anything about my late mother. I want to learn more about who she was friends with.”

“I would like that,” Aveline said ahead. “We can talk about loosening restrictions by then you two.”

The siblings’ faces lit up.

“Oh, really?” Pepin exclaimed, and she nodded.

“Now back to your studies. You’re both behind.”

“No thanks to someone…” Toulou mumbled, receiving a glare from the younger brother. Adrian waved goodbye before rounding the corner.

🗲🗲🗲

All Aveline’s barrels were lined up as Zuri began filling them. The older woman had brought things for them in return.

She offered several boxes of supplies that the team hadn’t realized they’d been running low on, as well as some long-lasting food storage that Andre was excited about. She also gave them each a small, steaming pastry wrapped in a cloth napkin filled with cheese that the large black man ate while nodding in approval which was a massive compliment in of itself. As the items were loaded onto the ship, Aveline approached Adrian with a bundle of letters and sheets of paper in her hand.

The king was carrying a box when she placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. “Ian, I have something for you.” She spoke in Elden this time, and Adrian had to admit that hearing his native tongue after so many months felt more comforting than he’d ever imagined.

He set the box down, replying easily, “What is it?”

“Come and sit.” She gestured him over to a large flat rock off to the side, and they both sat as she placed the stack of paper in his hands. “These are your mother’s letters as well as much of her research.”

His jaw dropped slightly as he stared down at the pile. “T-there’s so much.”

She smiled. “Gabrielle was extremely studious; always writing things down and reading things. I thought you should have them.”

Adrian reverently took a letter from the top of the stack and opened it, gazing at his mother’s beloved writing. “Aveline... this is wonderful, thank you. This means so much to me.”

“You know, Gabrielle talked a lot about her two sons, Antoine and Adrian.” He froze. “Never heard of a third son named Ian though.” She had a teasing tone to her voice as she grinned over at him.

“I uh...”

“I know who you are. I never thought I’d see royalty again.”

“She told you who she was then?”

“That’s right. It was the first thing she told me when we met. She never kept it a secret. She traveled with her escorts and everything, planning to return to Nebrasia once her trip was through.”

“She traveled out in the open like that?”

“Yes. Your mother never wanted to be addressed as the queen, however. She hated the formalities and wanted me to treat her as an equal. It was an absurd request honestly, but I am extremely grateful to have met such a wonderful person. We were such close friends. I miss her dearly.”

“Me too.”

There was a pause. “I’m sure you have your reasons for laying low, but why haven’t you told your companions?”

That question shouldn’t have felt as confrontational as it did, and Adrian tried not to sound defensive as he replied, “I want to tell them, but I just don’t think they’d see me the same way again.” He glanced over at the ship where he saw Jacques loading a box onto the ship. “I left everything having to do with the throne for this, and I plan on leaving it behind forever.”

“Forever? You never really stop being a royal, not when you carry that bloodline. King Adrian is who you are. That will never change no matter where you go or what name you use.”

He sighed, looking down at the letter still in his hand. “How could I ever live a normal life with them knowing who I am? All of Elderian knows my name.”

“They sure do. There is probably not a soul alive that does not know of the young king who brought us out of war.”

“Exactly. I want them to see me for who I am, not as some symbol or idol, so I lie about my background, my identity... even my own name.” Complexity crossed his face. “I’ve been lying to them all along. How could they forgive me if they found out?”

She considered him curiously. “So, you’re worried they will reject you because you’ve been dishonest?”

“I… suppose I am.”

“Why would you care what they think?”

He considered that. “I’ve never had close friends or family that were around much or who cared for me on such a personal level as these people do. I don’t want to lose them, but if I tell them, they’ll have known me as a completely different person; not as Adrian, but Ian. It’ll be like they never even knew me at all.”

She seemed to be taking this all in as she nodded silently. “It’s up to you what you decide but if they truly care about you, perhaps it won’t matter if they know who you are.”

He released an anxious sigh. “Maybe.”

“Take your time,” she said kindly. “Gabrielle would be proud of you, you know.”

Surprise flashed across blue eyes. “You think so? Why would she? I ran away from everything. My home, my position, my problems...”

“You traveled all the way out here by yourself in search of something many would not seek after. I admire your courage.”

He searched her face. “You do?”

She nodded, then let out a small laugh. “Though, I’m not sure why a king would want the approval of a commoner such as myself. My opinion means nothing.”

“That’s not true.” She looked at him curiously. “It means a lot.”

She quickly exhaled, smiling. “You and Gabrielle are so alike.”

His heart filled with warmth, and he swallowed back emotion when Zuri approached them.

“Your barrels are all ready to go!” they exclaimed. “Andre and Ian can help you get them over to your place.”

Aveline stood, switching into Venish. “That won’t be necessary. I have a cart with donkeys they can be loaded onto.”

“Alright.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you all.”

As they all said their goodbyes, she turned to Adrian one last time, saying in Elden, “Take care. I hope you’re able to have the peaceful life you want.”

He nodded. “Thank you. I’ll come and visit you again one day.”

“I’d like that, and I know Pepin and Toulou would too.”

🗲🗲🗲

“Maybe we shouldn’t open the Totrium.”

Zuri’s jaw dropped. “Jacques, are you serious?”

The leader stood at the helm with the sun in his hair, the light glinting off the earrings in his left ear. “It doesn’t sit right with me.”

They folded their arms, leaning back against the railing. “Why is this even a discussion? We already decided we were going to do this.”

“We keep getting warnings about the Totrium. Do we really want to risk our lives for this?”

“But we went through all this trouble traveling clear across Venwick and back, fighting Carnadine, uncovering more about the Alchemists, and Ian even had his arm beat to hell, all just so we could give up the whole quest? And couldn’t Aveline have been more helpful? She could have just told us and saved us a lot of trouble sitting here trying to guess what the Totrium does.”

Jacques shrugged. “It doesn’t matter now. At the power plant, I warned about tampering with power we didn’t understand so we wouldn’t get hurt and at this point, if we want to know what it is, we’ll have to open it ourselves, but we have to decide if that’s really worth it or not.”

“I think it’s worth it,” Zuri said immediately. “Gabrielle said it could be used for good, plus we could learn so much more about the Alchemists and their tech.”

“I’m sitting more on the cautious side,” Andre said, folding his arms as he gave Zuri a look.

“What do you think, Ian?” Jacques asked, and blue eyes blinked up to meet brown.

Adrian, who was leaning up behind the helm in his usual spot, paused to consider. “I came out here to uncover my mother’s research, but I understand why you’d hesitate, Jacques. I couldn’t tell you if the benefits outweigh the risks. It’s quite a gamble but maybe there is something good to be had from opening it that could change our lives and others for the better.”

“We wanted to discover this together, right?” Zuri insisted. “Isn’t that why we all came clear out here?”

“Things change, Zuri,” Jacques said. “We need to be cautious.”

“What if we opened it, but only briefly?” Adrian suggested.

“What? What do you mean?”

“We can always turn the Totrium off once it’s turned on.”

“What?” The leader raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”

“Because it’s been used previously and is currently inactive. From what I’ve read, the gem key can be deactivated at any point by a magic user. If we find it’s too much or too dangerous, you can just turn it off.”

“Would it work like that?”

“I believe it would,” Zuri chimed in. “That’s how all the Alchemist tech I’ve tinkered with is. There’s always a turn off switch of some kind.”

Jacques breathed out. “Whatever this Totrium is, it’s big.”

“We’ll shut it off the second it seems unsafe,” the inventor assured. “I think Ian has a good point.”

His face fell. “Of course, you think that. You adore Ian.”

They folded their arms. “This has nothing to do with that. I don’t think we should let this ancient technology die. We should learn from the past and not live complacently in an unchanging present. I don’t want the Alchemists to just die in the wind with all their discoveries lost forever.”

“I already know how you feel about this, Zuri.” He let out a sigh. “Do the rest of you want to continue pursuing this quest?”

There was a pause.

“I do,” Adrian said. “I think our team is more than capable of handling whatever this is.”

Andre rapped his fingers on the railing, making a face before exhaling. “I’m in too then. We’ve already improved our way of living drastically just by finding this ship. Maybe we can improve it further.”

Jacques bit his lip. “Well, that’s settled then, I guess. We’ll head straight for Elden Town to open the Totrium.”

🗲🗲🗲

The group walked down the dimly lit streets of Elden Town with Jacques leading the way.

The leader’s ever improving teleportation skills meant that the team was able to arrive in the city within a week. During that time, Jacques and Adrian pretended as though nothing had changed between them during the day, then after hours, they’d meet in the crow’s nest to chat and exchange kisses.

A feeling that was so new and freeing had been permeating through Adrian’s body since the first time his lips locked with Jacques’s. Their time spent alone together was so precious to him, he never wanted it to end.

“We’re quite a distance from the ship,” Jacques said, marching ahead, “so, we’ll need to be a bit more cautious. We won’t be able to just bolt away whenever we need to like usual.”

“Why don’t we just open the Totrium tonight?” Zuri asked, taking the soft bonnet off their head, and fanning themselves with it. “If it’s this warm now, it’ll be scorching tomorrow.”

“I think we should all be well rested beforehand. I want us alert and ready for whatever comes from opening the Totrium.”

“So, we’re staying at Alphy’s then?” Andre asked.

“That’s the plan.”

“Jacques,” Zuri took his arm. “Now that we have money, why don’t we spoil ourselves and stay somewhere nice in town. It’s our last night before opening the Totrium. I feel like we should celebrate that somehow, don’t you?”

He paused, looking up at them with a thoughtful expression. “I guess we could.”

They clapped him on the back. “Alright! I know the perfect place! I never dreamed of actually getting to stay there, but it’s in one of the nicest parts of town and I’m pretty sure they have private baths in the rooms and everything.”

He looked impressed. “Just how nice is this place?”

“Oh, it’s high-end, that’s for sure. It’ll be costly, but we’ve got the goods for it.” They took out a small sack of coins seemingly from nowhere, holding it up and grinning mischievously.

Jacques rolled his eyes, snatching it from them. “Zuri, just because you can pickpocket me, doesn’t mean you should.”

They snickered. “So, we can go there then?”

“Sure.”

“Woohoo!”

The gang found themselves in an ostentatious tavern, all sitting around a delicate, decorated table filled with all kinds of platters heaping with different dishes.

This was nothing compared to the riches Adrian came from, but he couldn’t deny it was a lavish place all the same. It’d been a while since he’d been in contact with luxury, and some part of him missed it while the other could leave it behind. He was happier than anything just to be sitting on Jacques’s left, their fingers occasionally interlacing under the table.

“You’re telling me, we can get individual rooms,” Zuri exclaimed, “as in, all four of us each get our own room?”

“That’s right,” Jacques said, putting a piece of flatbread in his mouth with his free hand. “Do you guys want to do that?”

“Hell yeah, we do! Is that even a question? I’d finally get some privacy from you three. It’d be a dream come true.”

Andre chuckled. “I’d finally get my own bed. It’s been so long...”

Adrian frowned. He didn’t know how he felt about being in a room all by himself. He wasn’t exactly keen on being left alone ever, not even when he slept. It reminded him too much of the isolation he’d felt when he first left Nebrasia and his time at the castle.

An idea popped into his head. He didn’t have to be alone in a private room tonight if he didn’t want to.

Cheeks now filled with color, he said, “Yeah, privacy would be nice.” Blue eyes flicked up to meet brown as he gave the leader a look.

Jacques’s entire countenance shifted from slight surprise to pure seduction. The suggestive eyes looked him up and down. “It would, wouldn’t it?”

Adrian blinked away timidly in what one might not consider a very kingly manner.

“How come you two are sitting by each other?” Zuri asked bluntly. “Ian always sits between Andre and I.”

They both looked over at them.

“Oh,” Adrian said in an attempt at a regular tone. “Do I? I hadn’t really noticed.”

Andre’s expression fell, and Adrian blinked away from it, knowing the larger man wasn’t buying any of it.

The inventor shrugged. “Guess it doesn’t matter. I’m nearly stuffed, aren’t you guys?”

“I know I am,” Jacques said, then he sneaked a sly expression Adrian’s way. “I’m pretty tired too. I think I’ll retire to my room.” He stroked a finger over the pale hand under the table, making the blond fidgeted slightly next to him.

Adrian just knew from the heat in his cheeks that he must have been blushing heavily. Placing a hand over his mouth in an attempt to cover some of it, he was gazing at something in the distance, trying to appear uninterested by this information.

He cleared his throat slightly. “Y-yeah, I’m pretty tired too.”

Andre looked between them skeptically, then rolled his eyes.

🗲🗲🗲

Jacques slammed Adrian against the wall of the private room as they locked lips. The king hummed in response, his hands in the loose black waves as Jacques undid the last of the hooks and eyes on the side of the orange cross-over shirt.

Between kisses, Adrian asked breathily, “Is it okay that I don’t have any experience?”

The orange sleeves were being slipped off his pale shoulders. “Yeah—Mm. Perfectly fine.”

Shaking the garment off, Adrian untied the sash around the leader’s middle and threw it aside as he breathed out, “You sure?”

Pulling his own shirt off his body and quickly discarding it, Jacques then slid his arms around Adrian’s neck, and whispered, “Positive,” before finding the lips again.

Adrian, his hands on the bare hips, kissed him back then pulled their lips apart to ask, “Then, will you teach me, um...” He leaned down, whispering something into Jacques’s ear that left the leader blinking in surprise.

Brown eyes searched blue, then he chuckled. “You want to learn how to do that, huh?” He smirked as Adrian squirmed under his gaze.

“Y-yeah.”

Eyes half-lidded, he said, “We’ll have to move this to the bed for that.” Adrian nodded mutely, rouge spreading across his entire face. Jacques stroked his cheek gently with one hand. “You sure you want to—”

“Yes, I want to.”

He breathed out a laugh, his own blush appearing. “Alright.” He gazed down at the pale mouth, lowering his voice as he added, “I’ll be gentle.”

🗲🗲🗲

Fair eyelashes blinked over sapphire eyes.

Stirring into consciousness, Adrian became aware first of the plush mattress beneath him and the soft bed sheets cradling his bare skin, then of the warmth next to him.

Turning his head, his eyes fell over the lightly snoring form pressed up against him. Jacques was curled into him the way he always did when sleeping with Andre, his arms tucked up in front of him.

A gentle smile crossed Adrian’s face as he brushed strands of black hair away from his eyes, admiring the way the long dark curls fell over his bare bronze shoulders. Adrian leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss to the sleeper’s lips, then pulled back to examine the face in its entirety. The grin soon melted, and he blinked away, letting out a sigh before returning to his lying position on his back.

He stared at the ceiling in thought.

He and Jacques had now shared everything with each other, everything that is, except the glaring secret Adrian still kept from him. Perhaps Aveline was right, and telling his team his true identity would go over well, but things wouldn’t be the same again. He knew that for certain. Jacques did know he was a royal though, and that hadn’t changed anything, so perhaps it would be alright.

He frowned slightly. But he wasn’t just any royal, was he. He was famous.

Would his teammates be terrified of him like those water guards? Would they even want to travel with him anymore knowing who he was? He had stopped wars and attended more lavish balls than he could ever count. How could he possibly live a normal life together with them as equals with them knowing all that?

He released a shaky exhale.

Adrian didn’t want to risk losing this wonderful thing he had with Jacques, Zuri, and Andre. They were his best friends, basically his family, but he’d lied, and been lying to them since the beginning.

Glancing back over at his lover, Adrian’s stomach tightened. Jacques didn’t even know his real name. The name, Ian, had left Jacques’s lips several times in the last several hours, whether it was while flirting with him over dinner, or whispering it blissfully between the sheets. The mere thought of that left him feeling so many conflicted emotions, he threw his covers aside and sat up.

Long blond hair that now reached the middle of his back, fell into his eyes. Standing, he pulled his pants on and slipped on the orange crossover shirt, not bothering to hook it closed in the front before disappearing out onto the room’s private balcony.

Now outside, he leaned both arms on the railing, staring out at the town below. All the lamps were out, and the sun still had a few hours before it would make its appearance on the horizon.

After a moment, he changed positions, so his hands were in his pockets now, his weight shifting into his other hip. That’s when his fingers came into contact with a folded piece of paper. Blinking with realization, he pulled out one of the letters Aveline had given him, forgetting he’d stashed it away in his pocket.

Opening it, he smoothed out the parchment, his eyes scanning over his mother’s writing. She detailed her most recent projects and discoveries in Venwick, and a particular line gave him pause.

I’ve learned that when I find something I love, I hold on to it, even if it means taking the hardest of risks. Is it truly love if there isn’t some sacrifice involved?

He jumped slightly when the door to the balcony creaked open.

Turning, he spotted Jacques closing it behind him with a smirk on his face. “Even the way you hold a letter is princely,” he mused, closing the distance between them wearing nothing but his bottoms, his hair hanging messily about his face and shoulders.

Adrian stowed the letter away before taking the bare waist in his hands. Jacques rested his hands on his chest.

“Did I wake you?”

Jacques grinned out of the side of his mouth as he stood on his toes and laid a gentle kiss to the lips above. “And if you did, would that be so bad?”

“No.”

“What are you doing out here anyway? Everything alright?”

“Yeah, now that you’re here.”

“You sure?”

He nodded, clearing his throat in an attempt to hide the uncertainty in his voice. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Jacques pushed long bangs out of Adrian’s face, tucking the hair away behind his ear. “Did you enjoy last night?”

His cheeks flushed. He couldn’t even come up with a reply as his eyes trailed over the shirtless torso while his mouth opened and closed.

He chuckled. “Does that mean, yes?”

“Um, y-yes.”

“And here I thought you were bad at relaxing.” He took Adrian’s left hand from his waist, pressing it to his lips.

“I definitely still am.”

Bronze fingers rubbed over the black ring on his index finger and Jacques exhaled quickly. “You even wear this to bed?”

Adrian’s expression dissolved. His long-kept secret waited just beneath that black band his lover now touched.

“Everything alright, Ian?” he asked softly, immediately noticing the reaction.

Adrian studied his features, knowing them all too well. The words from his mother’s letter came to mind, and without much thought, he said, “Jacques, my name isn’t Ian.”

He blinked. “What?”

The king took his hands back, hesitating before sliding his ring off. He turned his hand so Jacques could see the tattoo. Brown eyes widened when they fell over the Nebrasian seal.

“My name is—”

“King Adrian,” Jacques finished in a bewildered whisper.