Katie Delaney

Notes: extra warning that both Dane and Finn are often dark and abusive towards each other in this fic (but not all the way through, Dane is verbally and physically abusive to Finn at the start, Finn is manipulative and coercive to Dane towards the end). Expect a kind of happy but kind of fucked up ending. I've mostly finished this, expected end word count around 50k. I have expanded a lot on world building and characters, including naming Dane's brothers and their line of succession. If you struggle to keep track of this (god knows I did), I've provided a list at the end :)

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fae Magic, Wings, War Changes People, Previous Relationship, Dark Finn, Dark Dane, Non-con bondage, sub/dom, dom Dane, sub Finn, barely any kink negotiation, war prize, abuse, grief, emotional manipulation, murder, execution, deception, court intrigue, mild substance abuse, humiliation, weddings, angst, hurt/comfort, orgy, blow jobs, rimming, anal sex, sex toys, enchanted sex toys, collared Finn Lunare, voyeurism, exhibitionism, praise kink, spreader bars, fisting, bondage, choking, orgasm denial, dick slapping, sexual overstimulation, multiple orgasms, passing out from sex, betaed.

Finn knows the second they’re defeated. They’re overwhelmed. He has no idea how, in their own castle of all places. Somehow, under the horror, the despair at what this will mean, Finn just feels embarrassed. They must have got some bad intel, or maybe he made a miscalculation, misjudgment. It didn’t help of course that the Solari attacked at midday, everyone knew the Lunare fought better in the dark, the moonlight even better. Still, it was no excuse for the Solari breaking through their barriers.

The sound of swords clinking, of screaming, is deafening. Finn has to stop this. They’re losing; there’s no coming back from this. He tries to tell himself it’s the noble thing to do, the right thing to do, to save his men. God. He wishes his father were here to tell him.

He holds up his hands.

He meets Dane’s eyes as he enters the courtyard. God, of course. It had to be him didn’t it, it had to be Dane Solari that he was going to have to surrender to, of all his brothers. There’s blood, bodies, everywhere. He can’t see Dane’s face through the metal visor, tries to guess his expression as he sees his enemy with his hands in the air.

He hears more screams of his people being slaughtered beyond the courtyard.

“I surrender!” He shouts at the top of his voice. “We surrender! Lay down your weapons, Lunare!”

There’s a stunned silence. Almost as deafening as the chaos of the battle.

“Hold!” Dane’s voice follows his.

Fuck. Thank God. He had no idea whether the Solari would accept it. He thought Dane was a good person once, but who knew whether either of them were anymore.

There’s a cacophony of clinking as the swords drop to the floor.

Dane walks up to Finn. He’s not sure if it’s the armor, but he’s sure Dane’s got a little taller, a little broader, now they’re closer than they have been in years. He’s still got that long blonde curly hair that Finn used to love running his hands through so much. The rubies that adorn his armor glint in the sunlight, his red gambeson visible as he walks over. The symbol of the Solari, the sunburst, seems to mock him from the center of Dane’s breast plate. His golden wings span out behind him. God. He’s so gorgeous.

Finn’s glad he can’t see Dane’s face properly through the visor. He can’t bear it.

“You surrender, Lunare?”

He’s sure the asshole just wants him to say it twice. Finn eyes the sword in Dane’s hand, alarmed that his thought isn’t wondering if the Solari’s about to run him through with it, but how much he’s missed those hands.

“I surrender,” he’s impressed with how clear and emotionless he sounds.

“Take them to the dungeons,” Dane yells.

The Solari start leading Finn’s men away.

Dane leans in close, their armor clinking together. At least Finn thinks his armor is a lot less flashy than Dane’s. He has the sapphires, sure, he has to, he’s the king, but his armor is dark, almost black, made to blend into shadows and be wrapped around by the dark night. The Lunare armor is a full suit of armor, his dark blue gambeson only just visible. Stages of the moon are carved into the metal; they would glow if moonlight caught them, in the sun they only look engraved.

“Oh, Finn,” Dane says, casually, like he’s completely unaffected by the whole thing. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”

“What?” Finn’s mind is spinning out so much he can’t play along with Dane’s games.

“In courtyards. Come on, Lunare, let’s get you out of this armor.”

Smug bastard. Eurgh. Dane’s voice, hearing it up close after all this time… it sends shivers down Finn’s spine. He barely manages to control his wings. He’s thankful when Dane palms Finn off on one of his men to take down to the dungeons.

They throw all the Lunare, including him, into the cells whilst they decide what to do with them. They make them take off their armor and lay down their weapons.

Finn wants to scream his apologies to his people, for what he’s done. Leading them to this defeat. He couldn’t even defend his own castle. It’s… horrifying. He can’t make his voice work. He’s kept in a separate cell, but he could still talk to them. His generals. He can’t do it.

King Finn Lunare. It was all he’d ever wanted to be. He tries playing it over and over in his head, the war, this battle, another, there must have been something else he could have done. Some other way this could have played out. He tried so hard, studied so hard, and it was all for nothing.

He still has the quiet fury, under all his grief, that Dane, who never showed the slightest interest in diplomacy or strategy, is the one that’s been instrumental in this victory. He was terrifying in battle. Bold, fearless, and yes, Finn had to admit, a master tactician. A natural. The bastard.

Finn knows really what he did wrong, if he’s honest with himself. He saved his lover’s life. So blinded by love that he let him escape, and unleashed Dane Solari upon the world.

God, Dane. He has no idea if Dane still… loves him, because they were both in love with each other, once. But that was before. Before both of them had seen what atrocities the other was ready to commit with the sword, with their own hands. Finn had seen Dane slit the throat of Finn’s best friend. The snarl that had come out of Finn’s mouth had been inhuman. Finn had sunk his own sword into the gut of Dane’s brother, Ambrose, a few weeks later. He could still hear Dane screaming in rage. In loss. It haunted his dreams. He had to do it, it was Ambrose or him, but the worst of it was that Finn had wanted to. He had grown to hate the Solari over the years of fighting, and he’d been thinking of Dane killing his best friend when he’d done it. War changes everyone. At the time Ambrose had been first in line to the Solari throne, and Finn had taken great satisfaction in gutting the prince that King Solari had prepped to be his successor.

It makes him wince now, to think he could ever feel such hatred and rage in the heat of battle.

At least it hadn’t been Dane that killed Finn’s father, that had been Dane’s second in command, Sebastian, and Finn hadn’t even been there for that one. Neither of them had. The message had been delivered by carrier pigeon. Finn had thrown the paper into the fire. Another of Dane’s brothers, Nikolaj, had fallen in battle not long after that, at the hands of Finn’s cousin. Dane had cut down Finn’s cousin seconds later, screaming into the night.

War. The one certainty in life, that was what his father had told him once. Peace was only ever temporary, and whilst you had to try everything that you could to preserve it as a leader, you had to live with the reality that it would one day come to an end. He remembered asking his father why, he was around 13 at the time. His father had shaken his head. Greed, he’d said, nothing but greed.

*

It’s so hot in the cells. Finn can’t stand it, he keeps casting icy mists from his wings, but it’s still so hot. Humid. Torture, for a Lunare. He’s sure they’re doing it on purpose. He still feels uncomfortable not wearing his armor, even though he knows that would be worse, hotter. He’s been wearing it so much lately that he feels naked without it.

He has no idea how long they’ve been down there in the cells. His soldiers are quiet. Silent in their defeat. Finn sits up against the bare stone wall of the cell and stares at the bars. Locked in his own dungeon, and all he can think of is Dane fucking Solari. That deep voice. Those big hands. God. Fuck him.

He can’t even believe Dane went to fight for his father after what he’d done. Did Dane not realize he’d basically sacrificed him? His father had declared war on the Lunare, knowing full well his son was staying in the Lunare castle and would likely be taken captive, maybe killed.

Eventually someone comes, metal rattling down the corridor.

Please don’t be Dane.

It’s not Dane. It’s one of his brothers, Cyrus Solari. Now third in line to the Solari throne. Kasper is first, then his son. Finn was surprised to see so many of Dane’s brothers on the battle field, he’d thought King Solari would have been calling his son’s home, at least one or two, to guarantee succession.

“Lunare. We accept your surrender. Come.”

It’s all he says before turning and matching out of the cells. Two guards seize Finn and drag him out. The fresh air is a relief as they drag him up out of the dungeons. They’ll likely execute him, and he thinks at least he’ll have been able to breathe fresh cool air before he dies. He wonders if Dane will cry, wonders if he feels anything at all for him anymore.

Was this a mistake? His gut lurches in panic. Maybe he should have fought to the last man, maybe his father would have, maybe Dane would have. Maybe it would have been more noble to have let Dann slit his throat in the middle of the courtyard. He wonders if Dane would have been able to do it. God knows he’s thought about it enough, tried to avoid Dane wherever possible, terrified that if it came down to it, he wouldn’t be able to kill him.

He hopes at least that the Solari will let the prisoners go. Maybe they won’t be completely tyrannical rulers over the Lunare. Maybe? At least he saved some people, didn’t he?

*

They take him to the throne room and he’s thrown roughly at the feet of Kasper Solari who’s current sitting in Finn’s throne. Of course. King Solari will give Kasper the Lunare kingdom to play with, as a little practice run before he ascends to the throne when his father passes.

Finn tries to stop his lip curling. The throne room is full of Solari, their golden wings practically sizzling with glee.

He sees Dane, standing at the side of the throne, still in his armor, but his helmet removed. Finn thinks if he sees that Solari sunburst on their armor one more time… he looks away, can’t bear to meet Dane’s eyes.

“Kneel,” Kasper says.

He pulls himself up off the floor enough to kneel. He wonders if Dane will try stop them from giving the order to execute him, to stop them carrying him away. He doesn’t exactly look like he’s about to step in, standing casually to his brother’s side. Finn’s blood feels cold. He’s not afraid, exactly, just... numb. He wonders if it will hurt, as he has many times when he’s thought about being slain on the battlefield, or whether it’ll be over so fast he’ll have no idea.

“Please, Prince Kasper, my people,” he forces himself to beg, staring at the Solari’s boots. He has to secure their safety before they kill him.

“Quiet,” Kasper snaps. “You are lucky I brought you here to negotiate at all.”

Negotiate?

Finn looks up. Quickly looks down when he realizes that was exactly the wrong thing to do.

“We have a treaty proposal,” Kasper says.

Finn’s heart dares to lighten a little.

“The Lunare thank you for your mercy,” Finn says.

Kasper carries on as if Finn hasn’t spoken.

“The treaty is this. We will release all Lunare prisoners.”

Finn waits for the other shoe to drop.

“With the exception of one. You, Finn Lunare, will remain our captive, and you will act as servant to Prince Dane Solari, for the rest of your days.”

Finn nearly chokes on his own breath, but manages to keep a straight face. The Solari continues as if what he said was completely reasonable. He supposes to some it might be, when the alternative was death.

“The Lunare lands will be ruled by Solari. They will be ruled fairly, as long as they swear fealty to the Solari throne.”

Oh, he’s sure they’re going to love that. Fuck. How had this all gone so wrong?

“Did you say this was a negotiation?” Finn asks.

Dane gives a quiet laugh.

“I told you he’d try,” Dane says.

Finn tries not to scowl. That smooth fucking voice. Fuck him. What the hell did Dane think he knew about him?

“What do you want to negotiate?” Kasper says in a bored tone.

“You will not let us rule our own lands? Our own kingdoms? You will… incite rebellion, the Lunare will never follow you,” Finn tries to pick his words carefully, to say them without emotion.

“I’m confident I can crush any rebellion, but thank you for your concern,” he drawls. “Maybe if your people prove themselves trustworthy members of the Solari kingdom, they can have some responsibilities returned.”

Finn almost thinks of asking them to kill him, rather than make him Dane’s slave, but he knows this isn’t really a negotiation, and he doesn’t want to ruin this for the Lunare. No more need to die.

“I accept.”

“Lucky me,” Dane says, coming to stand near him, skirting his hands over Finn’s wings. Finn jumps, no one has touched his wings since… well. Since that summer.

“These wings are mine now,” he says to Finn, running his hands down them, “and you will only use them when I permit it. And you will address me only as my prince, do you understand?”

A shiver runs through Finn at Dane’s touch, his body remembering so well, not realizing the reaction now was completely inappropriate.

“Yes, my prince,” Finn says.

“Wonderful. I’ll send word to the other kingdoms. We’ll release your soldiers, but of course they’ll want to see you leave,” Kasper says, grinning.

Of course.

Dane runs his hand through Finn’s hair, and Finn’s wings shiver. He hopes only Dane notices.

“However, I think we might need to get you a little more appropriately dressed,” Kasper says, amusement clear in his voice as he tilts his head at Finn. “Dane, do go find your servant something more fitting to wear.”

“Of course,” Dane says, and leaves.

Fuck. No. It doesn’t matter, whatever they put him in, the war is lost, it’s all over, but his people will be safe. The Solari chuckle amongst themselves as they wait.

Dane eventually comes back with a collar along with a pair of trousers and some sandals. Fuck.

Dane hands him the trousers first. Finn rolls his eyes at the cheap humiliation of making him strip in front of them. Do they think after everything, that this is what is going to send him over the edge? Make him cry and beg?

“Stand, Lunare,” Dane says and Finn stands, avoiding Dane’s eyes.

Finn strips, trying to look unaffected, before quickly pulling on the trousers. They’re well made, and surprisingly well fitting as he puts them on, but they look ridiculous on him, the red and gold completely clashing with his dark hair, pale complexion and icy wings. The sandals are golden too, with bells on. Where did Dane even get these at such short notice? Again, they’re well made, and fit comfortably, but Finn can’t even begin to imagine how ridiculous he looks.

“Back on your knees,” Dane says, a hint of malice in his voice. Fuck. That wasn’t good.

Dane undoes the collar.

It’s gold, thick, and feels cold as Dane puts it around his neck. He gulps. It restricts his throat only a little, but he’ll never be able to forget that it’s there. There’s cheers from around the room and Finn tries not to let it get to him, tries to keep a straight face. He doesn’t care what these Solari scum think of him. He tries to assure himself that if the Lunare had won, it wouldn’t have been like this at all.

“Oh, Finn,” Dane says leans down and says in his ear, low and dangerous, “not your color at all are they, it’s a pity. Maybe I could paint your wings gold too.”

Finn gasps, can’t help it, the idea is so abhorrent. Dane laughs.

“No, you’re right, they’re far too pretty.”

God. What the hell has happened to Dane. What’s he going to do to him? Dane clips a gold chain to the D-ring on Finn’s collar. Finn tries not to think about why this is making his dick hard. His dick has just not got the memo that Dane is no longer his lover, no longer his friend.

“We will release your people for the leaving parade. We will keep a small contingent of Solari here, and you will travel with Dane and the rest of the army to the Solari Castle after the parade, and then, well, you will do whatever he likes,” Kasper says, and the room erupts in laughter and cheering.

Finn keeps his head down in what he hopes is an impression of servitude.

“Yes, my prince,” Finn says. Dane’s mouth twitches.

“Okay, sweetheart, let’s go,” Dane says, “stay on your knees.”

He crawls after Dane. He’s never realized how hard it actually is to crawl on your hands and knees. God, the Solari were ridiculous. How had he loved this man once that was now holding his chain?

Dane leads him to another cell, empty, far away from the others. He clips the other end of the chain to a ring attached to the wall.

“Oh, Finn,” he says as he looks down at him, face almost wistful. Dane kneels down opposite him, cups Finn’s face and Finn tries not to cringe and pull away. Dane’s hot hand on his cool skin awakening way too many memories. Memories of how he used to cup his face then slide his hand down to his pecs, down to his cock, god. Dane runs a thumb over his bottom lip. Finn narrowly avoids the urge to bite. Dane looks way too pleased with himself. He leans in to run a tongue up the shell of Finn’s ear and Finn grits his teeth to stop himself moaning. His body is just so used to Dane, feels like it still belongs to Dane, in that second.

“Dane, please,” he whispers.

Dane’s eyes turn fiery, his hand moving to Finn’s collar and yanking on the D-ring.

“Lunare…” he hisses in his ear, “you’re going to wish you never helped me escape.”

He stands and leaves. The sound of the cell door slamming rings in Finn’s ears.

*

He has no clue whose idea it was for him to be a war prize.

Finn’s sure it must have been Dane’s. He wonders if Dane sold it to his father by telling him it would be good revenge for all the times Finn had beaten them, or maybe for that summer that Finn spent apparently lording it over Dane and bossing him around. Finn has no idea why he did it though, to save him, or to punish him?

Time passes, and Dane comes back.

“We’re going to let the people know the terms of the treaty, then have the parade,” he says, his voice almost blank now.

Finn can’t get a read on what’s going on with Dane at all.

“Stand up for now, your crawling will slow me down.”

“Yes, my prince,” Finn says as Dane unhooks Finn’s chain from the wall.

Finn stands up from the floor, brushing the dirt off his trousers. Dane tuts at him.

“They were expensive, Lunare.”

“I’m sorry, my prince,” Dane says quickly.

“You will be soon,” Dane says, then leads Finn out onto the corridor.

The bells on the shoes are a nightmare. Finn had been keeping almost perfectly still inside his cell to keep them quiet. Surely they must be annoying Dane as well? If they are, he shows no sign of it, just that small smile.

He’s led where they’ve assembled a stage; Prince Kasper sits front and center stage on an improvised throne, Cyrus beside him. The audience is the Solari army, of course, and then the Lunare too, soldiers, nobles, and ordinary people alike. Oh god.

He knew they were going to parade him in front of his people, but what was this?

“We’ll announce the official treaty properly when we get back to the Solari castle,” Dane says conversationally, “but my brother thought it wise that you made your vows in front of a nice, big, crowd. Plenty of people for word to spread, you know.”

Finn groans. God. His people would hate him. He couldn’t tell them he had no choice, that he’s doing this to save them, that is was the only chance they have.

“Hands and knees for me, Lunare,” he says, his voice stern again.

Dane leads him up on the stage. The sound is deafening, cheering and…he thinks he might hear wailing from his side. That’s probably good, that’s what the Solari will want.

“Solari, Lunare, I bring a treaty of peace!” Prince Kasper calls.

Finn stares down at the wooden floorboards of the stage.

“This treaty is agreed with your king,” he says, then laughs as he gestures to Finn where he kneels at his feet, his chain firmly clasped in Dane’s hand. Don’t look at Dane’s hands.

Prince Kasper lays out the terms, and it almost makes Finn laugh that they can call this a treaty at all. He stays quiet, eyes down, and tries desperately to tune it all out.

They get to the clause about Finn, and the Solari cheer, loud and spiteful. His people are reduced to shocked silence. Finn would have thought the Solari would much rather see his throat cut, but maybe the slow torture of him living out a life of humiliation and servitude was better.

“Lunare, look at me,” Dane says, snapping his words out. His voice is filled with hate, and Finn has no idea whether it’s for show. Finn takes a deep breath.

He looks up, tries to keep his gaze submissive, placid, blank. Dane takes his chin in a hard grip. His face is stony, those hazel eyes icy.

Dane runs a hand lightly over Finn’s wings and Finn barely holds back a shudder.

“These vows that you make are binding, and if broken, will break the terms of the treaty, and forfeit the lives of all Lunare, do you understand?” Dane asks loudly, enough for most of their audience to hear.

It’s the most serious he’s ever heard him, it’s terrifying. He wants to look away, to cry for what’s happened to his once lighthearted and joking lover.

“I do.”

“Do you vow your loyalty to the Solari, until the end of your days?”

It’s hard to get it out of his mouth, but he forces it out.

“I do.”

“Do you vow to give your life in servitude to me, to serve me and do as I wish, to protect my life with your own, until the end of your days?”

Finn can’t help but think under different circumstances, in some alternate universe, he might be making similar vows with a stupid lovesick smile on his face. He won’t cry. He won’t. He won’t give them all the satisfaction.

“I do.”

There’s cheering and jeering in equal amounts. His people are silent. Horrified, he imagines. I’m sorry, he wishes he could scream to them, god, I tried. I gave it everything, I’m sorry it wasn’t enough. He steels his face.

They finish the treaty, and Dane leads him off the stage.

“Stay on your knees, Lunare.”

“Yes, my prince,” Finn grits out.

Dane leads him to the waiting Solari wagons. Dane’s horse, Amber, is waiting for him. A beautiful chestnut mare with a blond mane. It always made Finn flinch when he saw her on the battlefield, knowing Dane was somewhere near by even if he wasn’t riding her. Finn notices there’s no horse for him.

He stays on his hands and knees as Dane mounts his horse. Finn feels a stab of grief for his old horse, Midnight. A beautiful black mare, a Friesian, that shimmered beautifully in the moonlight. She was lethal too, happy to take down anyone in her path if Finn told her to.

“Dane,” he suddenly says urgently.

He notices with interest how Dane’s head snaps around to him before he controls himself.

“What? You know you shouldn’t speak unless spoken to, and you’re to address me as – ”

“I’m sorry, my prince, I… it’s just…”

“Spit it out, Lunare,” Dane says, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t hurt Midnight.”

Dane barks a laugh.

“That’s what you’re worried about? Well, you won’t be riding that beautiful mare beside me, but she won’t be harmed. We wouldn’t waste a horse like that. Besides, she was always nice to me, I think she liked me, and I always liked her.”

The relief Finn feels is probably ridiculous, but it’s there all the same. Followed by a sharp stab of regret when he realizes that Dane’s referring to that summer, where they’d ride their horses together in the forest when they didn’t want to fly. Riding made Finn feel almost as carefree, back then anyway. He has an unwelcome flashback of Dane patting Midnight’s neck, of him feeding her apples and telling her how pretty she was and it making Finn feel ridiculously warm inside.

“Thank you, my prince,” he says, trying to quell the lump in his throat.

“You're welcome, Lunare,” Dane purrs at him, playing with the chain and looking down on him from his horse. Some desire inside Finn twitches, but he ignores it.

The Solari convoy is finally ready to move. Cyrus leads at the front with Dane taking the middle. They set off at a slow walk, or in Finn’s case, a crawl. He crawls down the streets he grew up on, with Solari and Lunare lining the streets. The sounds keep following them, the jeering and cheering of the Solari, the gasps and silence of the Lunare. The sun is right in Finn’s eyes, it’s descending, but the heat is still oppressive as Finn crawls down the compacted mud of the streets.

His trousers and sandals are filthy in minutes, Dane doesn’t seem to care. He says nothing to him, instead chatting happily with his friends about their amazing defeat of the Lunare army.

Finn’s heart breaks slowly as they move further towards the city gates. There is no Lunare coming to save him, his father isn’t about to rise from the grave to rally the Lunare. There’s no twist, this is just how it is.

He looks back at the castle as they approach the gates, his home. He doubts he will ever come back here. The Solari sunburst banners are already hanging from the towers. Well, he guesses it isn’t home anymore.

When the gates are finally closed Dane yanks on Finn’s chain to get his attention.

“Stand up, we need to pick the pace up. Let’s go.”

Dane kicks his horse into a trot, and Finn has no choice but to run to keep up. He can just about keep up at a jog, and he likes to think he’s fairly fit, but after an hour, Finn starts to struggle. Dane says nothing, Finn’s not sure if he’s even looking at him. The sun’s in Finn’s eyes, hot still, even as it’s moving down the sky to set. It prickles Finn’s skin. The Lunare prefer to travel in the evenings, overnight, the moonlight lighting their way. Especially on the main road to the Solari kingdom. It’s about two week’s ride, at a pace like this. Given the choice, and if he was on a horse, Finn wouldn’t take the main road at all. He would have gone through the forest, the more meandering path, but far more pleasant. In the trees he could put up with travelling in the day, but this. He longs for his horse.

Another hour, and Finn’s legs feel like they’re going to give way. He won’t give Dane the satisfaction. He won’t. He lets his wings flutter, he knows Dane won’t want him to, he does understand what Dane is doing here, but maybe if he could just –

“What do you think you’re doing?” Dane says, low and flat.

Fuck.

“I…”

“You wanna take a break?” he calls down to Cyrus at the front. His brother agrees, and they call the convoy to a halt. Finn nearly collapses in relief. Dane jumps down from the horse. Finn knows this is unlikely to be to give him a rest, he braces himself.

Dane stands in front of Finn. Finn is leaning over, his hands on his legs, panting his breath back. He knows he should try and stand up, stand tall, but he’s exhausted, and god, what would be the point.

“Oh, Finn, are your legs sore?”

Finn just pants, doesn’t reply.

“You just wait here.”

Finn does. Where the fuck else is he going to go? He could run, well, fly, that would be his option here, fly off into the woods, live the rest of his life in hiding. He greatly resents his pride, his loyalty to his people, for denying him that option. Dane would probably just catch him anyway, he always was a faster flyer.

Dane comes back with two buckets. He places one in front of Amber and she starts drinking happily. He puts another one in front of Finn and gestures to it. Finn grimaces, the bucket doesn’t look all that clean. He’s so hot, so thirsty, that his pride takes a hike for a moment. He lets himself drop to his knees and puts both his hands in the water bucket, splashing it on his face, his chest, drinking from his cupped hands.

He jumps as he feels Dane’s hands on his wings, shivers, his touch is light, caressing, and it goes straight to Finn’s dick. He’s pretty sure he hears the Solari laughing. Fuck them. Fuck Dane.

“Such beautiful wings, Lunare.” He leans down, brushes his face against them and Finn gasps. “Mmm, give me a little mist, my love, it’s so hot out here.”

Finn doesn’t see the point in denying him, and his wings give off a cool mist in Dane’s face. It’s nice for Finn too, cooling on his skin. God, how does he still want to kiss Dane so much, after everything he’s done?

“Mmm, lovely.” He continues to caress Finn’s wings and Finn tries not to squirm, his dick now throbbing in his pants. His face burns hot, he’s still staring down into the bucket, but he knows the Solari are watching him, watching how he reacts to Dane’s hands on him.

“It’s something I miss about fucking Lunare,” Dane says, loud and conversationally, and Finn inwardly rolls his eyes at Dane trying so obviously to bait him. “You finish fucking them, you’re hot, you’re sweaty, you make them come hard enough, they give you a beautiful mist to cool off.”

The Solari laugh and anger threatens to bubble up in Finn. How dare he talk about those times they were together in front of his men? His brother?

“But you weren’t meant to be using your wings,” Dane says, his tone turning harsh.

Fuck.

He gasps as he feels Dane moving his wings now, and realizes all too late what Dane is doing with them, feels the silk binding them together. Finn can’t breathe, it’s torture, for a fae to have their wings bound. It doesn’t hurt, as such, but the feeling of wrongness, of not being able to spread your wings out, it’s suffocating. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

Finn has seen fae executed before. For the worst of crimes, fae were always executed by hanging, and before that…they tied their wings. Finn can’t breathe.

“Dane, Dane, no,” he says, “please, please don’t,” he whips his head around to look at him.

Dane just smiles at him.

“How else am I going to make sure you don’t fly away from me, honey?”

“Please, I won’t, I won’t, please, Dane,” he makes his eyes big, pleading, hoping to appeal to some shred of the old Dane he knew that might still be in there.

He objectively knows that Dane isn’t going to kill him, why would he bother orchestrating all this just to have him executed but… he still remembers seeing those fae, their wings struggling against their binds as they choked. It had given him nightmares for weeks. 

“Please, no.”

“Oh, Lunare,” he sighs, cupping Finn’s face after he finishes, “it’s okay, I’ll let you have them free when I want to play with them,” he says and Finn hates the way his dick still responds.

Dane leans down and kisses him and Finn’s stomach lurches. Desire and disgust competing inside him.

“Maybe if you’re a good boy I’ll let them out when I fuck you tonight.”

Finn’s eyes go wide. He has no retort. Dane still wants to… surely he wouldn’t. He must be just be making a show in front of his men. They couldn’t. Not after everything. Or maybe. Maybe if they did, maybe Dane would remember, or maybe at least he might feel a little more sympathy towards him. Maybe he’d fall in love with him again, maybe they could forget this whole mess and – stop it Finn. Don’t be ridiculous.

Dane winks at him and gets back on his horse. One of the Solari comes to take away the buckets.

Finn squirms, his wings fighting against the silk binds.

“Shh,” Dane coos at him, running his hand through Finn’s hair from on top of the horse.

They start moving again and Finn has no choice but to run to keep up. They carry on until night fall, and Finn falls to his knees the second they stop.

Dane laughs.

“There you are, you know your place now, don’t you, Lunare?”

“Yes, my prince,” Finn forces himself to say through his panting. When someone puts a bucket in front of him Finn doesn’t hesitate, dunks his face straight into the water. Dane ruffles his hair.

“Good horsey.”

Finn’s wings feel so awful, he wants to rip that silk binding off with his hands, with his teeth, wants to wrap it around Dane’s neck and –

They put up Dane’s tent for him and Dane drags him over there, Finn staggering on his tired legs.

“Dane,” Cyrus comes from the front of the convoy, “meeting.”

Dane nods.

“I’ll just get you settled here,” he says to Finn.

Dane shoves him inside the tent. Dane takes off his armor and puts it at the side of the tent. There was a time Finn got so sick of his amor he wished to never wear it again. Now, what he wouldn’t give for it.

“Please, please, untie my wings,” Finn begs.

“So you can fly away? I don’t think so.”

“Tie me down, anything, please I can’t bear it.” It’s embarrassing how quickly he’s reduced to begging. He’s glad none of his men can see him like this.

“You like being tied up?” Dane drawls at him and pushes him back, starts lashing him to the tent pole. “Now you better behave in here, hmm?” he says as he binds his wrists, his ankles.

“Dane, Dane, please, my wings.”

Dane sighs like Finn’s make unreasonable demands.

“I suppose I could do with a little refresh,” Dane says, untying the silk binds.

Finn lets out a weird noise, a combination of a moan and a sigh of relief as they’re undone and his wings spring back into shape.

“Oh, is that better?” Dane says innocently.

“What the fuck happened to you?” Finn can’t help it.

Dane gives a dark laugh.

“War, Lunare. War happened to me.” He starts stroking Finn’s wings and Finn whimpers, it feels so good, even more so after they’ve been bound.

His rests his cheek against Finn’s.

“Come on, give me a little spritz, Lunare, I’ve been riding all day, it’s hot out there you know.”

“God, fuck you,” Finn mutters but shivers under his hands, letting his wings let off that icy mist, sighing as it falls on his skin as well as Dane’s.

“Mmm,” Dane sighs, “that’s better. You’re such a good little pet, Lunare.”

Finn gasps as Dane palms Finn’s dick through his trousers. Dane chuckles at how hard he finds him.

“The best little pet. I’ll be back soon, you be good now.”

He leaves and Finn is left, hard and exhausted, still boiling hot in the stupid stifling tent. He hates sleeping in tents. He would if it was really raining, or the wind was really high, but usually he’d much prefer to sleep under the stars. Tents were just so stuffy, so hot. He gives himself another mist. He shouldn’t do it too much, god knows he’s already dehydrated. One of the Solari brings him a bucket of water, leaving without saying anything. Finn can only just get to it, but it’s enough, he takes gulps of it as best he can. After everything, there’s still that need to survive his body doesn’t want to let go of. He thinks it doesn’t know what’s good for it. He plunges his head back in the bowl.

*

Dane comes back later, when the sun has finally gone down. He smells like wine, and almost trips over one of the ropes as he comes in the tent. He glares at Finn, his lips almost curling into a snarl. Finn wonders what the hell is going on in Dane’s mind. Under all his hatred of the Solari, of how Dane is treating him, Finn just wants Dane to talk to him. If only just to satisfy his curiosity of why the fuck Dane is doing this, or who’s idea it was, because Dane doesn’t exactly seem pleased to see him now.

Finn’s stomach grumbles, he’s starving, of course, hasn’t eaten since breakfast.

“Didn’t they bring you anything to eat?” Dane snaps.

Finn shakes his head. Dane rolls his eyes and sighs. Yells something out the tent. Someone comes swiftly with a plate of food.

“I’m not having you whining all tomorrow that you can’t keep up,” Dane grunts. He unties Finn’s hands. “Feed yourself, I’m tired,” is all he says before he lies down on his bed roll and closes his eyes.

Okay. Well, Finn isn’t going to argue with that. It’s dark in the tent, but Finn can still see pretty easily. He eats the rabbit stew quickly, not waiting for Dane’s mood to swing again and mean the food gets taken away. It’s good.

“Thank you,” he says when he’s finished, figuring he should at least try and get on his now captor’s good side.

Dane says nothing.

Finn’s still tied by his waist to the post, though at least his hands and wings are free. He thinks of asking Dane if he can lie down so he can sleep, but he’s in such a foul mood he doesn’t think it’s worth risking it. He’s so tired from the day that he passes out, his head lolling down against his chest.

He wakes in the night, sure he can hear Dane sobbing.

“Dane…” he says quietly.

“Shut the fuck up, Lunare. This is all your fucking fault.”

Finn doesn’t reply. He’s disgusted that his initial reaction is that he wants to hold Dane. Make it all better. He can see Dane pretty clearly, even in the dark. His face is pushed into his pillow, his blankets pulled up over his shoulders.

Finn’s whole body is screaming at him to comfort Dane. He thankfully manages to keep his mouth shut and not make this any worse. Finn’s falling asleep again when Dane gets up, unties him and pushes him roughly to the ground, Dane lies down next to him on his bedroll, and to Finn surprise Dane holds him tight, his face in his neck.

“Don’t say a single word,” Dane’s voice is furious still, so Finn doesn’t. Dane cries, and Finn holds him, gently strokes his wings, and Dane shudders in his grip.

Dane falls asleep in his arms. Finn knows he could escape, but for what? He’s agreed to this as part of the treaty, his whole people held forfeit.

He stares at Dane’s face, still the most beautiful fae Finn’s ever seen in his life. He still loves Dane, he realizes with a sickening twist of his stomach, after everything.

Fuck.

*

He wakes up as Dane sits up, smirking down at him.

“Good morning, Lunare,” he says, as if last night didn’t happen at all. “How are your legs?”

“Sore,” Finn says, sitting up and wincing.

“Poor baby, and so far to go yet.”

The bastard.

Eurgh, it was so hot and stuffy in the tent already.

Dane sits up properly, so Finn does too, but Dane grabs him, pulling him backwards in between Dane’s legs, Finn’s wings to Dane’s chest.

Oh god, they used to sit like this sometimes over that summer, Dane playing with Finn’s wings.

Dane starts tracing his fingers over them, light and gentle, his mouth following.

“Oh, god, Dane… please… don’t…”

“Why not? Look at you, Lunare, you’re trembling,” his voice is soft, and god, Finn knows that if he closes his eyes he could pretend they were back there, before the war, it would be so easy. He knows that he shouldn’t.

“Please, I… it’s fucked up.”

“Come on, I know you still want me, want this, and your wings are so cute when they do that little mist.”

Finn sighs, he doesn’t try and resist Dane, he knows there’s no point. Dane could force him, if he wanted to, and Finn doesn’t want to find out whether he actually would.

“So beautiful,” Dane sighs behind him, “I always used to love how they felt on my face, my hands, that cool softness. I thought about it, every night that go too hot even for me, I imagined your wings on my skin, you moaning, then that little mist. Mmm. I missed you.”

“What the fuck,” Finn mutters without meaning to, Dane’s just making his brain fuzzy, the way he’s touching his wings, the way his hot breath is touching his neck.

“What?” Dane chuckles in his ear.

“I just…you’re being a little… changeable?”

“Am I?” Dane says innocently, kissing and sucking at Finn’s neck. “Maybe I’m just fucking with you.”

“Maybe you hit your head too hard in battle,” Finn mutters without thinking, floating on the feeling of Dane playing with his wings. It’s not exactly the same as sexual pleasure, exactly, it’s just… almost adjacent.

Dane laughs, so easy, so light, and it would be so easy just to pretend.

“I’ve got you, Lunare, relax.”

Finn gives in, his resolve already so worn down. He relaxes, let’s Dane do whatever he wants to his wings, until he’s trembling in his lap.

“That’s it, mmm.”

He feels so nice and cool. He realizes they’re surrounded in that cool mist already.

“Holy fuck, I forgot how beautiful they were when they glowed. So gorgeous.” He reaches down in between Finn’s legs and starts stroking his dick through his trousers.

“Oh, oh god,” Finn’s eyes roll back.

“Mmm, that good?”

“Yeah, fuck, yeah.”

“My greedy little Lunare, you want me to get it out, stroke it properly?”

“Yes, fuck, please,” Finn pants.

Dane’s hand wraps around his dick.

“Oh, oh, god.”

The second Dane strokes him Finn starts to come, gasping and shaking, grabbing hold of Dane’s thighs. God, that’s embarrassing.

“Oh shit,” Dane says, “I…”

“Fuck, fuck!” Finn hasn’t gotten off in so long that he’s panting by the time he’s finished.

He realizes that Dane is deadly still behind him. He isn’t sure if he dares look to see what’s going on with him now.

He looks around. Dane’s face is blank, he reaches his hand up, and licks the come off his fingers. Jesus.

“Well. That didn’t work.”

“What?” Finn frowns, thinking he’s pretty sure that all worked how it was supposed to.

Dane shakes his head, smiling, and for a second, Finn thinks he’s seeing the real Dane for the first time since that summer.

“If you must know, Lunare, I was planning to wind you up until you were ready to come and then tell you that you couldn’t and make you run behind my horse all day, but apparently, you are so touch starved, that that didn’t work. I’ll have to come up with something else.”

Finn stares at him, the way he just tells him that is…

“Dane… are you okay?”

“Mmm, of course, I love having Lunare for breakfast. Now get up,” he snaps. He stands up from behind Finn so suddenly that Finn nearly falls backwards.

Finn scrambles to his feet.

“Eurgh, you’re messy,” Dane says, shaking his head. He suddenly drops to his knees and starts licking him clean.

“Dane, Dane, fuck I…” he grabs onto Dane’s shoulders for dear life, staring down at him and god, why did he have to be so fucking pretty.

Dane finishes cleaning him up and stands up like nothing's happened.  

“Didn’t you want…” Finn starts, he can’t believe he’s offering, but it just seems so impolite he can’t bear it.

Dane smirks at him.

“No, thank you, I went to see someone last night, after the meeting. I’m good.”

He takes the chain and clips it back to Finn’s collar, checks him over.

Finn feels pretty gross, wearing the trousers he slept in, but Dane doesn’t offer him anymore after he’s changed his own.

As Finn follows Dane out into the camp, he frowns, barley noticing all the Solari laughing at him. If Dane had had sex last night, why was he so angry and upset all night? He ignores the initial stab of jealousy as ridiculous.

Dane tells him to kneel down next to his seat at the breakfast table. Dane feeds him off his own plate, and Finn at least stops worrying that Dane’s plan might be to starve him to death.

Dane has them bring another bucket of water for him and Finn splashes it on his face again before drinking from it with cupped hands.

Another Solari comes and sits next to Dane and Dane beams at him, embracing him, and Finn tries not to be instantly suspicious, jealous. There aren’t any women in the convoy, that he’s seen anyway, so the person Dane spent the night with must have been a male fae. Irrational feelings of jealousy wash over him and Finn almost laughs at the absurdity of it.

He tries to move his legs to get more comfortable, they’re aching and cramping already, and Finn knows today is going to be hell. Dane hasn’t bound his wings yet, but Finn has a feeling it’s only a matter of time.

“Have you met our visiting royalty?” Dane says to the other Solari.

“I don’t think I have had the pleasure.”

“You’re missing out,” Dane says and Finn resists the urge to punch Dane on the leg. Dane clicks his tongue, “come up here, Lunare, sit on my lap.”

Finn does, letting Dane move him to sit so he’s facing the other Solari.

Oh god. Finn realizes why he recognizes the Solari. That’s Sebastian, the fae that killed his father. He grips Dane’s arm.

“You do look familiar,” Sebastian says, and he realizes both of them are fucking with him.

He decides to play dumb, quelling the rage building up inside him, just tilting his head at Sebastian like he’s not sure.

“He does look like his father,” Dane says, and honestly, in that second, Finn really thinks he could kill him. Take the knife off the table and sink it into his neck.

“People say that a lot,” Finn says, forcing his voice light. Fuck them.

“Terrible shame, about King Lunare,” Sebastian says, “it’s just war though, you know?”

A war you started.

“Of course,” Finn says.

It’s another attempt from Dane to get a rise out of him, to torture him, if what he said earlier in the tent was anything to go by. Maybe he should employ what his mother always said, if you want a bully to leave you alone, ignore them, and pretend they’re not bothering you. Finn’s not entirely sure that’s good advice here, thinking Dane may just escalate until Finn snaps.

“Sebastian!” one of the Solari shouts, “with me!”

“Yes, sir,” Sebastian calls back and goes to stand.

“Hey, Seb,” Dane says, putting his hand on Sebastian’s arm to stop him. He leans in close to the Solari, brushing his lips against his ear. “I had a good time last night, if you want to come to my tent tonight, feel free.”

Sebastian grins back at him.

“Of course, I’ll see you tonight.”

He leaves and Finn tries to cool the blood bubbling in his veins. He’s about to say something deeply stupid, he knows he is, but he just can’t control his tongue.

“You sure you had such a good time last night?” Finn says casually, helping himself to some dried fruit of Dane’s plate. “I’m not sure I ever remember you crying after we spent the night together.”

Dane’s eyes flash and his wings crackle. It’s stupid, so stupid, but Finn can’t help himself. Dane’s hands move to Finn’s neck, gripping him just above the collar.

“Behave yourself, Lunare. Maybe I’ll get bored of you and cut your throat instead.”

“I’m pretty sure that would violate the terms of the treaty,” Finn drawls stupidly.

Dane’s hand tightens and Finn can see the tiniest sparks coming off Dane’s wings.

 “Careful,” he says, his voice rasping where Dane’s gripping his throat. “Don’t set those horrible tents on fire.”

“Oh, you wanna sleep outside tonight, you be my guest.” He glances up at the cloudy sky pointedly. “Come on, Lunare,” Dane says, pushing Finn off his lap and standing up. “I think it’s time to put you back in your place again.”

Finn drops to his knees, looking up at Dane with big eyes. Fuck Dane. He’s not the only one that can play games.

“Here, my prince?”

Dane takes a fistful of Finn’s hair, pulls tight and leans down to him, his lips skimming Finn’s ear and god, fuck yes, his body says to him and Finn desperately tries to push that thought back down. He wants Dane to fuck him, hard, wants him to hold him down and – stop it Finn. God. He’s so bad at this.

“I think it’s time to tie your wings again, Lunare.”

Yeah. He probably had that coming.

“Yes, my prince,” Finn tries to say casually and Dane laughs.

“You’re a terrible actor, a terrible liar,” he says low in his ear, “oh, and we need to get you back in those running shoes, don’t we…”

*

Finn runs with his wings bound, those stupid fucking shoes jingling on his feet, his legs burning, his heart aching, and thinks maybe tormenting his captor wasn’t the best idea he ever had.

*

Finn approximates he’s been running for four hours when his left foot gives out.

“Fuck!” he falls straight down, barely catching himself with his arms. The chain catches around his neck and he chokes, coughing as Amber carries on trotting. Finn’s desperately scrabbling to his feet, being dragged along the ground, when Dane stops his horse, looking back over his shoulder with disinterest.

“I can’t… I can’t walk on it,” Finn splutters, barely recovered from nearly choking to death.

Dane rolls his eyes.

“For godsake.” He jumps down off Amber. “Bring that old mare over here,” he yells to one of the other Solari.

This is how Finn finds himself about fifteen minutes later with his wrists bound, wings bound, lying face down over the saddle of a horse, being jolted and jostled as they ride down the road. They’ve tied him to the saddle, and Finn stares at the ground as it goes past. He supposes it is marginally better than running. His foot hurts, he thinks he might have permanently damaged it. Fantastic. Maybe tonight he might be sensible and keep his mouth shut.

*

They briefly stop for lunch but Finn is left where he is, lying over the saddle, staring at the ground, slowly going over every tactical decision he made in the war and wondering if he could have changed things. Then they’re moving again, and it starts to drizzle. Finn is grateful for the reprieve from the heat for a while, until he’s soaked through and he starts to shiver. His naked chest chafes against the saddle, and he starts considering murdering all the Solari in their sleep.

They eventually stop to make camp, and Finn is taken down off the horse by Dane, but he doesn’t release his wings or untie his hands. He clips the chain back to Finn’s collar.

“Oh, you look miserable, Lunare,” Dane says, grinning at him, “come on.”

Finn has to walk carefully on his foot, he can barely put weight on it, desperately trying to keep up with Dane. Dane takes him to his tent that they’ve already erected (Dane took his sweet time getting around to letting Finn down off the saddle) and shoves him inside.

“Fuck, c’mere,” Dane says, pushing him back against the tent post and kissing him, his whole body up against his.

Finn’s so surprised he has no idea how to react and kisses Dane back on instinct. God, it’s good, Dane’s mouth is too good, his lips, his body, all of it. It’s awful. This man is monster, Finn despises him and -

 It’s only when the pain in his foot comes again as he puts his weight on it that he flinches and Dane pulls back.

“Hmm, let me look at it,” Dane says, like he isn’t the reason it’s hurting in the first place. “Lie down.”

“My wings, Dane, please?”

Dane pulls the ties loose and Finn sighs out a breath.

“My beautiful Lunare,” he says, shaking his head at Finn in something akin wonder. “Lie down.”

Finn does and Dane takes off his trousers. They’re already dusty from running on the road so long. Dane tuts at Finn like he’s a naughty child that’s been playing in the mud in his best trousers.

“It’s my foot…” Finn says belatedly and Dane has the audacity to laugh like they’re old friends, intimate lovers, again.

“Just trying to get me to take your clothes of, huh?” he says, grinning up at him.

“This is your fault,” Finn says, knowing he shouldn’t, knows this is why he got here in the first place, “my prince.”

“It’s your fault, my darling Lunare, if you’d be good, I’d let you ride your horse.”

“My horse?” Finn’s eyes go wide.

“Well, not Midnight of course, but a horse…”

Finn’s heart sinks again.

“What the hell do you know about healing?” Finn says, clearly his mouth brain connection doesn’t have any regard for his wellbeing anymore. Shut the fuck up, Finn.

“Learnt quite a bit on the battlefield, actually,” he says brattily, “thought it might be useful.”

“Well I’ve not been stabbed.”

“Yes, I had deduced that, Lunare, thank you.” Dane looks up and down the leg that’s hurt.

“I told you, it’s my foot.”

“Yes, and your foot is connected to your leg, you imbecile, you have to check the whole leg.”

Finn’s mouth drops open and Dane laughs.

“You’re funny, Finn. The amount of things I’ve called you, I’ve done to you, I sat you next to the man that killed your father and that, is what gets you.” Dane shakes his head. “Never call Finn Lunare stupid.”

“You do remember my name then,” Finn snarks, then yelps as Dane carefully moves his foot back and forth. It’s already flaring up a nasty shade of purple.

“And you can’t put weight on it?”

“No,” Finn grits out.

“I think you’ve fractured it. Sprained it at the very least.”

Finn’s heart sinks.

“Fuck.”

“Well, no more running for you.” Dane kisses the side of his foot that isn’t hurt. “I’ll see if they’ve got anything for the pain, Master Ivan usually has something they can give you.”

“Thanks,” Finn says cautiously.

“Poor Lunare,” Dane hums, sliding his hand up Finn’s leg.

Finn tries to hide his body’s reaction, tries not to gasp. He stares at Dane’s hand on his leg, so close to his dick, his ass. God. Fuck. No. This man was a monster. And his foot hurt so much now he thought he could cry.

“But I think I need to go to this evening’s meal, I’m royalty, you know, I have to show my face.”

“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” Finn drawls back and Dane smirks at him.

“I’ll get you some more trousers. And get our Master Ivan to come around, maybe they’ll even bring you some food.”

“Aren’t you going to tie me up again?”

“Hmm, well, you aren’t going far with that foot…” he takes the chain and clips it onto the central post. It’s pretty long so this way Finn can move mostly around the tent by himself. “You behave now. Remember the treaty terms.”

Fuck him. Dane knows how moral Finn is, that he wouldn’t ever go against something that would hurt his people.

“Yes, my prince,” Finn says. Pulling the blanket over his leg and lying down in Dane’s bed. Dane doesn’t stop him, just smiles.

“See you tonight, don’t wait up for me.”

He’s so fucking funny.

*

Master Ivan is an older Solari with long grey hair, who comes shortly after Dane has left the tent. He doesn’t say a great deal, just comes and sits down on the ground beside him. Finn has moved to sit up against the tent post. The Solari sets a large green bag on the floor.

“Which foot?”

“Left,” Finn says.

Master Ivan pulls up the blanket matter-of-factly and grunts at Finn’s now very purple foot.

“Idiot,” he mutters under his breath, and Finn has no idea if he’s referring to Dane or him. He doesn’t ask.

Dane actually comes back whilst Ivan is touching Finn’s foot and Finn is trying not to yell.

“Do you need me to cut it off?” Dane asks.

“Shut up, Dane, you idiot,” Master Ivan says, “this was completely unnecessary, do you think I want to be wasting my herbs on a Lunare that was perfectly healthy until you decided to make him run behind your horse to make yourself feel better?”

Finn’s mouth drops open, but Dane just looks suitably chided.

“I’m sorry, Master Ivan.”

“I’m sure, I’m sure,” the old man says, rolling his eyes. “Honestly, I have looked after you since you were born on this earth and I still can’t recall when you were dropped on your head to make you so foolish sometimes. Honestly. Okay. The skin’s not broken, it could be a small fracture, don’t let him put any weight on it, and for godsake, don’t make him run behind your horse. Give him this for the pain, only a few drops at a time. No more than six drops a day. And if you start torturing him don’t expect me to come and clean up the mess, you either want him alive and healthy, or you want him dead, do you understand me? I don’t have the patience for your arrogance.”

“Yes, Master Ivan, I’m sorry.”

Finn stares.

The healer leaves, muttering to himself.

Dane doesn’t seem to think anything strange has happened.

“I thought you were going to be royal or something?” Finn asks.

“Yeah, well, thought I’d better see whether or not he needed me to chop your leg off.”

Finn rolls his eyes. He knows he should be trying to behave, but he just can’t seem to make himself do it. Not around Dane.

Dane brings the medicine bottle over to Finn.

Finn puts him hand out for it but Dane shakes his head. He takes Finn’s face in his hand and runs a thumb along his bottom lip.

“Open your mouth, Finn.”

Finn’s dick stirs and he tells it to shut up.

He opens his mouth, glaring, trying to look unaffected.

Dane slides his thumb into Finn’s mouth and Finn can’t fight off the shiver. Dane smiles at him, putting the few drops of medicine onto his tongue. Finn swallows it down, bitter as it is. Dane holds out a cask of water and Finn lets him pour some in his mouth.

“Good fae, huh?”

“Fuck you.”

Dane just grins at him.

“Okay, I do actually have to get to my royal responsibilities, I’ll be back later, but don’t wait up.“

“Yeah, you said that already,” Finn says, rolling his eyes. “My prince,” he adds, belatedly.

Dane gives him a look like he’s going to make him regret it and Finn curses his own stupidity. He glares down at his angry purple foot. Fucking Dane. His head starts to swim. God, how strong was that medicine? He’s vaguely aware of sliding down the tent post and passing out.

*

“Oh, fuck, mmm, yeah, Dane, that’s so good.”

For a minute Finn thinks that he’s dreaming, but the moans aren’t any he’s ever heard before.

“Fuck, yeah, you like that?” that one he recognized.

“Oh, oh, Dane!”

Finn opens his eyes. Wishes he hadn’t. Dane has another Solari in his bed, about a yard from where Finn is currently lying. Finn’s foot aches, his head feels funny, still swimming from the medication, and Dane is fucking another Solari right next to him.

God. What the fuck.

He wishes he couldn’t see so well in the dark when he realizes it’s Sebastian that Dane is fucking. Well, maybe not yet, right now it looks like they’re heavy petting and Dane’s playing with Sebastian’s dick and –

Dane meets Finn’s eyes, fucking winks at him. Finn clamps his eyes shut. He won’t watch this. Dane can’t make him. He’s sure he’s just doing it to make him jealous, he could just have easily have gone to Sebastian’s tent for sex.

He tries to relax his face, like he’s asleep, slow his breathing. I don’t care. I don’t care that Dane is fucking the man who killed my father in front of me.

He hears them moaning, panting but it’s just… he knows it’s been a long time, but he’s sure Dane always sounded a little more enthusiastic with him. A little louder?

“Oh, god, god, fuck me, Dane.”

“Yeah, fuck, yeah, mmm.”

“Please, god,” Sebastian begs him.

“Mmm, open your legs.”

It’s followed by further moaning, gasping, the slapping of skin on skin and it hurts to listen to, of course it does, but some quiet part of Finn’s brain whispers that Dane’s not as into it as he’s making out. He’s playing games.

Sebastian isn’t, that’s for sure, moaning for Dane’s dick like he’s never wanted anything more.

“Yeah, god, harder, harder!”

Dane doesn’t make any comment about him being greedy though, doesn’t tell him he’s gorgeous, doesn’t caress his wings. Maybe it’s the medicine, maybe Finn’s delirious, but he can swear Dane’s staring at him as he fucks Sebastian.  

“Oh, fuck!” Sebastian moans loud then pants a laugh. “Wow, Dane. That was so good.”

“Mmm, yeah,” Dane says, and Finn doesn’t believe him for a second. It’s over so fast, he wonders if Dane even came. Finn almost laughs. Thankfully he’s not quite that doped up.

“I gotta get back to my tent,” Sebastian says. Finn wonders if he really does or if he’s caught on to Dane’s lack of enthusiasm.

“Mmm, early morning tomorrow. Goodnight.”

“Night.”

Sebastian’s gone, the tent flap falls shut. Finn says nothing. He isn’t going to rise to the bait. Fuck him. If he wanted to have mediocre sex with other Solari he can knock himself out.

Dane slides under his bed clothes.

He thinks of asking Dane if he enjoyed his evening, but thinks about his sore foot and stops himself. Stop getting into trouble, Finn. Dane’s probably already furious that Finn hasn’t flown into a jealous rage.

“I know you’re awake, Finn,” Dane says.

“Yes, my prince?” Finn says, trying to keep his voice flat.

Dane mutters under his breath then says.

“Fuck you, Lunare, I hope your foot falls off.”

It’s halfhearted, at best.

He has a feeling Dane desperately wants him to come over and cuddle. He’s not stupid enough to suggest that though.

He stays where he is, stays quiet, and eventually he hears the sounds of Dane sleeping.

*

The Solari Line of Succession

Ambrose Solari 

Kasper Solari 

Kasper Solari's son 

Cyrus Solari 

Nikolaj Solari