Vivat Rex!

          Geoff smiled at the short ramble coming from the other King, his eyes           unable to leave Ray.  He looked almost flustered and that was enough           to have the older smiling a little wider because it was his fault and he           didn’t get the chance to do that all too often.  Or at least… not with anyone           he actually felt anything for anyway.  

The young king listened to him, taking the moment to calm and to fully process that Geoff did indeed return these feelings for him. But they were still kings, and unfortunately it would make things a little difficult.

          As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the young King had a point.  The reason           the court was so insistent on marrying them off wasn’t merely for appearances           – They needed someone to eventually inherit the throne.  Although that wasn’t           how all Kings came to be, it was tradition and that was how many kingdoms           operated.  Geoff wasn’t young by any means, which was why his own court still           put pressure on him to marry. 

“I’m flattered. Honored, even, that you would think of me that way. Now to say that I’ve had this sort of feeling for you doesn’t feel so awkward.”

          Of course, Geoff didn’t want to overstep his boundaries.  If Ray wasn’t an           allied King, maybe he’d be a little less cautious, but the last thing he needed           was to say the wrong thing and tarnish their relations all because he might           have admired the King from afar.  A hand moved to rub at the back of his own           neck and he smiled slightly while watching Ray adjust his crown. 

“Oh, no, your majesty it’s perfectly fine I just... didn’t expect that sort of an answer?” Ray chuckled weakly, glancing down but back up as he noticed Geoff was closer to him, fixing is rose crown for him. 

          Geoff’s eyes traveled to the rose bush that seemed to have gained Ray’s           attention, but soon shot back to the younger King as he spoke.  He wasn’t…           Was he?  Was he actually alluding to him or to one of the other neighboring           Kings?  His ego wanted him to believe that it was him, but assuming often           got him into trouble.

“Hm,” a simple hum of acknowledgement left him, shrugging. “Well, when one thinks of a suitor for a king, they do think of females, at least with my luck.”

“ Oh my god. ”

He laughed softly with the older king, shaking his head in amusement as his attention was out to the gardens. 

          Geoff was casually strolling, his eyes taking in the flowers they passed,           but still paid special attention to the roses Ray kept.  It was his trademark           after all and there was always true beauty in the younger King’s kingdom           than his own.  It just made his visits that more memorable if he was being           honest, but his attention was drawn away at the question and he found himself           raising his brows. 

Ray sighed, nodding. “That time of the year. Last year it felt pretty close, however the princess had... quite a bad allergic reaction to the roses we didn’t know of until she was practically suffocating to death. It was either get rid of the gardens or her. Priorities, right?”

          Nodding, Geoff was quick to follow after Ray after he had excused them.             Personal discussions or not, it wasn’t like the man could say no to a walk           through the King’s gardens anyway.  There was something about them that           had always impressed him – Whatever that was remained to be seen.  Still,           the King cleared his throat and clasped his hands together as his eyes found           Ray once more. 

“Always,” he agreed, walking down the hall, bowing his head to the guards as they opened the door to one of the many entries to the gardens. At night, the vivid greens and reds and whites and purples of the roses and other flowers were muted under the low light of the posts, the pedals and leaves catching some of the glow.

“Would you like to move this conversation someplace more private?” (kingverse /rolls)

The young king chuckled at the other’s answer, standing from his seat, speaking idly to his court that he and Geoff were going to take a walk through the gardens and excused himself and his royal guest.

Come into my inbox and try to make my muse blush!

The young king smiled softly, “I would do the same thing. To make sure they’re okay before they returned to their families and homes. As far as I’m aware, though, my kingdom hasn’t had an issue like that. That, or the nobles are lying to me.” He hummed in thought.