A Kings Country

“Why can’t you be both?” He asked, “Not to me personally although he has actively tried to smear my name to others. He has a bit of a reputation. Has often times ruin people’s reputations, slept with other’s partners or simply placed them in positions of complete social ruin. If you’re a powerful man in Venezia, you’re likely a threat to him.” 

“Because I am, regardless of what I own or don’t own. I have everything I need at home.” He shrugged, “Why do I owe him any sort of explanation at all? People cancel, it happens. There’s no need to talk to that man.”

“No pressure then.” He said as he followed Victor out, “I never thought you’d be much of a man for a ball. i took you more for a homemaker.” Romeo said as the carriage came around to pick them up. “You will likely stand out. We’ll say you wore a custom.” 

Romeo gave a heavy sigh of relief, “well there’s a small town not far from here where nobody would recognize us. How about we go take an adventure?”

“You are not a prisoner! I give you all the freedom you could want, but I am asking for one thing. One time where I am protecting you from the people you so naively trust.” He let go of Victor’s arm, “you’re carrying our child. This is no time to act so recklessly.”

“Everybody knows his intentions! The man is very well known for his escapades and his desire to take what belongs to me.” He reached out and grabbed Victor’s arm, pulling him back. “You’re placing yourself in a position to be ridiculed and I will not allow that. You will not leave this home and that is final.”

“Who are you talking to?” Romeo said stepping up to victor, “all that man wants from you is to have sex with you and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. You accepting an invitation without me is already a high enough form of disrespect.”

Victor took a step back from Romeo when the man came closer “What?” he asked “Where is this coming from?” he didn’t understand why Romeo seemed so upset “You are assuming his intentions, and even if it were true it is a ball full of people. There will be nothing private about it” He headed out the room and down the stairs, but stopped at the last second to turn to look at Romeo “Also, despite what you may think I do not tell you what you can, or can’t do, I trust your judgement and it would be nice if you trusted mine too” Then turning back around he headed towards the main door.

“I will not be in attendance and neither will you. You have no duty to accept every invitation given to you. Frankly, he had no business extending an invitation to you in the first place. He should’ve come to me.”

Victor looked at Romeo in confusion “Why would he have to go through you if he wants me to attend?” he asked “Besides, that would raise suspicion if he did or if I turned down the invitation without merit” He grabbed his tuxedo jacket and put it on “I would like to have you there, but if you wish not to be I will respect that”

“I was told of your invitation to the viceroy’s ball tonight. I can’t imagine you’ll be planning on attending, are you?” Romeo said as he entered Victor’s room, “you shouldn’t be going anywhere near that man.”

Victor was looking at himself in the mirror as he straightened his tie. Looking down to see that his stomach, while slightly noticeable to him, was easily covered up by the larger than normal suit. Smiling at his reflection he turned around when he heard Romeo, the smile fading when he heard the other’s words “It would be rude not to attend as he invited me” he told the other “you will in attendance too, won’t you?”

Romeo gave Victor’s hand a squeeze, “I’d marry you today if I could, you know that…we just have to figure things out. But we will, I’m sure we will.”

“That is my dream” Victor said “to someday call you my husband. Just imaging that is filling with me joy”

Romeo laughed, “then I’m putting another baby in there. You give me a chance to get in there and I’m not pulling back.” he joked as he turned to look at the beach, “cannot believe we really are here. So lucky.”

Victor smirked “One at a time, but does that mean someday with all these kids we could be married someday?”

“if you could only see how beautiful you look to me.” Romeo smiled as he reached out to hold Victor’s stomach, “you are truly glowing, in so many ways.” he leaned down to kiss him softly.

“You have to be nice because you made me this way” Victor chuckled “just wait until I have my original body back”

“Luciano Matias.” Romeo smiled, “it has a nice ring to it…I like it. Lucky Luciano.” he kissed Victor, “you’re good at this, which will be important since we’ll have a lot of kids to name.”

Victor smiled in relief as he saw that Romeo loved the idea “Someone is certainly feeling bold” he chuckled “my poor body is already stretched as it is”

“Well it should be something we both like, right? I want to do this right. I know you’re making a lot of sacrifices for me, I want you to know that we’re in this together. Truly together.”

“I want him to be proud of who he is so I was thinking we name him after both our heritages” He bit his lip nervously “I was thinking Luciano Matias Federico-Dimaggio?”

“I hope so.” He wrapped his arm around Victor’s shoulder, “soon enough, we’ll have another little one to worry about giving us headaches. Have you gotten any name ideas?”

He smiled and he looked up at Romeo, wanting to rest his head on the other’s chest, but being unable to because of the belly. “I’ve thought of a few, but I was unsure of you wanted a traditionally Italian name?”

“Well I’m making him get married immediately. my boy will be a decent man.” They reached the beach and Romeo pulled the carriage to a stop, walking around to help Victor off, “but hopefully that’s not the case. I want him to focus on developing his career, he’s wasted so much time.”

“Well, to have a husband to help him raise their child will be good. Give him or her something stable” Getting out the carriage slowly Victor looked out at the ocean behind them “Cass seems to have a very solid head on his shoulders. Enough to wait for the right time”

“I’ll write to Martin tomorrow.” He smiled, “well knowing our sons, cannot be anything good. But hoping he’s not withchild with a slave’s son…can only keep up with one of those at a time.”

Victor laughed and slapped Romeo’s arm “Remember, they are called workers now” he corrected “besides, could you imagine? It would certainly make things interesting”