Here's part 2 to the Isekai Historical Romance Clegan Fanfic:
Gale gapes as he watches the prince sitting next to him. He must look like a fish with his mouth open so wide. Gale snaps his mouth shut the moment he hears the prince chuckle.
"Your highness, what are you doing here?" Gale asks as he looks around the room. What is He doing here? What is Gale doing here? Where is here?
Gale takes in the room around him. It's big, everything in here is huge. The bed he lies on makes him feel small. The windows on the right side of the room stretch from the ground to the ceiling, and behind flowing curtains, Gale can see a balcony.
A table at the other end of the room with scrolls and books stacked high on top. It looks messy. Behind it, a bookshelf filled to the brim with books stands tall.
This room isn't as crammed with shiny objects as the throne room had been. This room looks used, and lived in. It feels cosy in a way. It's almost peaceful. Gale looks around some more, taking in his surroundings.
He stops when he hears a cough next to him.
He whips his head back to the prince embarrassingly fast. He feels his cheeks heat up as he looks at him.
The prince has a sly smile plastered across his handsome face. Gale shivers under his dark gaze. There's a glint in his eyes that Gale can't quite place.
"It would seem your mind likes to wonder off quite frequently." He says as he stands from his chair. Gale looks up as the prince towers over him.
Well, not huge. He can't be that much taller than Gale himself. But as he takes in the prince's physique, he can't help but let his eyes wonder.
The prince is in excellent shape. His firm and well-defined muscles can be seen outlined by his outfit.
He must have grown up training with the royal guards. Gale takes him in, and thinks, the man before him is the embodiment of what a king should look like. Tall, strong, regal.
He wouldn't be surprised if the lords and ladies at court bent at his whim. A smile from him would surely make the nobility swoon. His future consort was sure to be a lucky noble. Gale's brain finally catches up to him.
In the near future at least. Gale frowns.
"...and so, I climbed up through the-" Gale cuts the prince off without much thought.
"Your highness, I need to-" "John" the prince cuts him off. Gale looks up at him. "I'm sorry?" He says as the prince takes a seat on the bed, his thigh grazing against Gale's covered leg.
"You are to be my betrothed, you may call me John. Or Bucky, in private, I truly don't mind." He says as he smiles at him. Gale looks at him for a moment. He shakes his head.
"Your highness works just fine, my prince. Also, there is something I must discuss with you. This whole betrothal and marriage arrangement was completely-" The prince lifts his hand to Gale's face.
He can't help but flinch back. He feels a warm hand move a strand of hair away from his face.
"You have no idea how long I've waited to meet you, my dear. You're a hard person to find you know?" The prince watches him intently.
He keeps his hand on Gale's face, gently caressing his cheek. Gale could lose himself in those eyes.
"I'm Gale." He says without thinking. The princes falters in his ministrations. He slides his hand down Gale's cheek, landing on his neck.
"I know." He says as he runs his fingers along the younger man's tender neck. Gale feels his breathe hitch. He grabs the prince's wrist. He keeps his hand there. He doesn't know what to do.
The prince watches him. He seems to be gauging for a reaction. He sighs as he pulls away. Whatever it is he's looking for, he doesn't seem to find it in Gale's face.
"I shouldn't be here, you and I aren't to be introduced for another week. I heard you had collapsed in the throne room. You gave my father quite the fright." The prince admits as he looks around the room.
That's right. He'd fainted in front of the king. How embarrassing. Then he freezes. He looks around. Where is his mother? He can feel himself start to panic.
He turns back to the prince, about to demand and answer from him, but the Prince holds up a hand.
"Your mother is fine. Worried sick about you. She's resting in one of the guest rooms. A medic is with her, you needn't worry." He says.
Gale feels himself relax as he leans into the fluffy pillows behind him. She was alright. That's all that mattered.
"Once I knew where they'd hidden you away, it was easy enough to sneak in." He says lightly. Gale gapes at him.
"You snuck in?" The other man simply nods as he point towards the balcony. Gale looks out and turns back to the prince, giving him an odd look.
"Did you climb up the walls?" He asks in confusion. How preposterous.
The thought of the young prince climbing up the side of the palace walls to get a glimpse of him makes him shake his head.
The prince nods once more. Gale looks at him as though he'd grown a second head. He pulls the blankets off himself suddenly.
He hears the prince's indignant 'uhmfp' as they land on him. Gale ignores him as he jumps out of bed and makes his way to said balcony.
Gale opens the glass doors and steps out onto the balcony. He walks up and peers over the edge.
He gasps. They're three stories up from the palace grounds.
"Are you out of your mind? What if you had lost your grip? Or slipped? You would have plummeted to your death!" He says as he turns to speak to Prince John.
He's met with a sturdy chest in front of him. He takes a step back. He hadn't heard the prince sneak up on him.
He must be light on his feet.
Prince John smiles down at him as he moves to stand next to him. He looks over the edge and grins.
"It's not that bad. I'm quite agile, you know." He says, almost proudly. Gale shakes his head in astonishment.
"You're not a cat, John" he says. The prince turns to him in surprise. Gale tilts his head in confusion. A wide grin spreads across the princes face.
"You called me John just now." He states. Gale frowns. " I apologise you high-" "I like it." The prince interrupts him again. He does that a lot.
"Now call me Bucky." He all but demands. Gale shakes his head. The prince grabs at his face once more. He crowds Gale up against the balcony railing.
Gale holds his breath. He can feel the prince's body press into his own. This close to one another, Gale would only have to shift a little and their lips would graze.
"Your highness, this is highly inappropriate, so if you would kindly move-" Prince John tilts his head back.
"Please." He whispers. Pactically begs.
Gale's mind goes blank. He had come all this way just to see him. He'd climbed up the palace walls for him.
And really, who was he to deny his prince? He closes his eyes for a moment. He feels the prince rub the tip of his nose against his own. It's endearing.
Before Gale can give in to the prince's request, heavy footsteps can be heard at the entrance of the room. They both turn in ath direction. The prince curses as he pulls away.
Gale looks up at the prince in confusion and then remembers what he had said. He had snuck in. He wasn't supposed to be here. The prince looks over the edge and turns to smile at Gale.
He grabs Gale's hand and pulls it up to his face. He places a tender kiss against his knuckles, his eyes never leaving Gale's. He let's go and steps back.
Gale watches as he places his hands on the railing. It's then that Gale realises what John is about to do.
"The next time we meet, I won't be so open, so...friendly. Don't take it to heart. It was nice meeting you, Gale." The prince winks at him before jumping over the railing and plummeting down.
Gale rushes over, fear clouding his judgement. He almost slips and falls down himself. He grabs the white railing tightly.
He looks around wildly. He breathes out a sigh of relief when he doesn't see a body splattered onto the palace grounds down below.
He peeks down. Prince John is nowhere to be found. Gale looks around but can't find him anywhere.
How had he done that? In less than a second, he'd jumped and disappeared from sight. Gale doesn't have time to ponder.
A loud scream behind him startles him.
His grip on the railing loosens as his body, following gravity's pull, lurches forward. He closes his eyes and hopes for the best.
Strong hands yank him back to safety. He falls to the ground. He sighs in relief. He opens his eyes and looks around himself. He has company, it would seem.
Three guards surround him, two at his feet, each clinging onto his ankles. And behind him, another guard trembles against him as he has his arms tightly wound around his waist. Gale blinks away a few stray tears.
He looks up and he sees a girl. Her hair is as blonde as his. Cleaner than his. She looks familiar somehow, but he knows he's never met her before.
She must be around his age. Taking in her outfit, Gale assumes she's a maid or a lady in waiting. She's the one that startled him with her scream.
"What where you thinking my lord?! Trying to jump from the balcony, you could have died!" The girl screeches.
Gale gawks at her in bewilderment. The guard under him sits up and glares at him. Gale looks at him in confusion.
"We leave you along for only a moment, and you try to fling yourself out the window, you must'a hit yer head while falling yesterday." The man says as he pats him on the head.
Gale shrinks into him, still processing the sudden situation he'd been faced with. The other guards release their grip on his legs. The first guard doesn't let go of his waist.
"Captain Biddick! Stop petting him! He's not a dog!" The girl stresses as she steps forward. She stretches out her hand, offering it to Gale. He stares at her hand, then looks back up at her. Where does he know her from?
"Ahem, you plannin' on sittin' in my lap all day, little lord? Not that I mind or anything, you're as light as a feather! Far better it for me to make a pretty boy such as yourself leave the comfort of my thi-."
The sudden scream makes the guard stop his rambling. He almost looks ashamed.
The girl shakes her head and sighs.
"I beg for your forgiveness, my lord, Captain Biddick hasn't been educated on the proper manners he should use around nobility." She says as she throws another glare in his direction.
The man, Captain Biddick lets go of Gale's waist and raises his hands in mocking surrender.
Gale looks between the two and can't help but let out a chuckle. All eyes focus on him in an instant. Gale shakes his head. He grabs onto the girl's hand to pull himself up.
"There is no need to apologise, really." He says softly. He turns and helps the captain up. He smiles at him. Captain Biddick smiles back with a cheeky grin.
"Also, I think there's been a misunderstanding. I wasn't trying to jump off the balcony." He says as he turns to look at the girl once more.
She looks at him with a glint of skepticism in her eyes. He smiles and tries to reassure her.
"I'm telling the truth, I just....needed some fresh air. I was leaning on the railing, taking in the view. When I heard your scream, I was startled and my hand slipped." He says.
He doesn't mention the real reason he was on the balcony. If the prince wasn't supposed to be here, Gale wouldn't let anyone know.
"Your hand slipped." She says in disbelief.
"Yes. My name is Gale, by the way. It's nice to meet you all." He says as he looks at both the guards, captain Biddick and the girl.
That seems to make her straighten up. She takes a step back and gives a perfect curtsy.
"Of course, how rude of me. My name is Marjorie, my lord. I am to be your lady in waiting." She says. Not a maid then. A Lady.
"It's nice to make your acquaintance, Lady Marjorie." Gale answers politely. Lady Marjorie shakes her head and smiles.
"Please, behind closed doors, feel free to call me Marge, my lord." Gale nods. She points at the three guards next to them.
"These fine gentlemen are members of the royal guard. Benny DeMarco and John Brady. And you have already had the misfortune of meeting Captain Biddick." She says as she formally introduces them.
"It's nice to meet all of you, and please, Call me Gale, nobody has ever addressed me as a lord. Plus, I'm not even a Baron. That title still belongs to my father." Gale says.
They are all quiet of a moment. They look at eachother, silently communicating through their eyes.
Had he done something wrong? Marge seems like she wants to say something, but Captain Biddick speaks before her.
"Well aren't ya just an angel? Most nobles around here, walk with their head so far up their own asses , you'd think you're talking to the king himself in front of them." He blurts out happily.
"Curt!" Marge reprimands him once more.
Demarco steps forward and bows. Gale stops that immediately.
"No bowing, no curtsying, no... any of this. At least not unless necessary, please." It genuinely makes him uncomfortable.
DeMarco leans back and nods.
"The others call me DeMarco, you can do the same." He says as he shakes Gale's hand.
"And you can call me Brady! It's really nice to meet you, Gale." Brady says enthused. Gale shakes both their hands and smiles.
A hand wraps itself around his shoulders. He looks to the side and sees Curt's funny grin right next to him.
"You call me Curt from now on, Gale. Anything you need you let us know, yeah?" He says as he ruffles his hair again. Marge goes to tell him off again, but Gale shakes his head.
"So, why is it that you all suddenly barged into my room before?" He asks curiously. If he has still been asleep, the ruckus alone would've woken him up in an instant.
The cozy atmosphere suddenly disappears. Marge seems to pale, DeMarco and Brady look to Curt. Curt sighs and straightens up.
"You're being summoned by the Queen, Gale. Not good." Curt leans back and waits for Gale's reaction. He has none. Marge steps up.
"Is that a bad thing? I've spoken to the king already, I'm sure the Queen-." "The Queen isn't like the king Gale." Marge interrupts him. She paces around places her hand on her hips.
She has more influence at Court than anyone else. You need to be in her good graces!" Marge says, becoming more stressed by the minute. Gale tries to calm her down.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. She probably wants to talk about this engagement. That's good. I need to clear some things out with her as well. If anyone will hear me out, I'm sure it'll be her." Gale says confidently.
The looks the others give him make him falter.
Marge looks at him and squints. She sighs and nods. "Alright. We have less than an hour to get you ready."
They give him odd looks. Marge almost looks offended. DeMarco and Brady smile almost painfully. Curt full on laughs. Gale turns to him and raises a brow.
"Not tryin' to offend ya, Gale-io, but you can't meet the Queen looking like some type of forest rat." Marge gasps and frowns. Forest rat? He'd never heard that before.
"That's it! You have no business being in Gale's room, go wait outside, all of you." She says suddenly.
Curt laughs as he walks towards the bedroom door.
"We'll be waiting for you right outside Gale, take your time!" He says. Demarco and Brady Groan.
"Why do we have to leave? We didn't do anything..." Brady starts to protest as DeMarco drags him away.
"Out." Marge points to the door. Demarco nods a goodbye to Gale and leaves, closing the door behind them.
Marge sighs and relaxes. She turns to Gale and smiles.
"Now. To make you look presentable." She takes a step back and claps her hands twice. A side door, that Gale had assumed was a closet, burts open.
A bunch of maids pour in. Gale takes a step back. Where on earth did they come from? Had they been there this entire time? Had they seen him and the Prince? Marge can see the confusion on his face and smiles.
"The maids and butlers have secret corridors all around the palace, it helps them move around the palace grounds quickly and efficiently without bothering any of the nobles out there." She says as she nods towards the main hallway. Gale nods. Phew.
The maids bring in racks of clothes and a giant tub.
They all form into a line after setting everything down. They turn to him and Curtsy in creepy synchronisation.
Gale goes to tell them not to bow, but Marge grabs his arm and shakes her head. It would seem he wasn't aloud to speak to them as freely as he did with her and the others.
The maids leave, closing the secret door behind them. Gale looks at everything in the room.
"You are going to take a bath, and I'm going to pick an outfit that will make the Queen.....not chew you up upon meeting her." She says. Gale watches her for a moment. When she sees that he isn't moving she stops.
"What is it?" Gale feels embarrassed to say.
"I'm supposed to bathe with you just waltzing around?" He asks as though it's an obvious concern. Marge simply blinks at him. After a moment she starts to laugh.
"Oh Gale, you've been gone from High society for far too long. If it where up to them, the maids would have stayed and hand washed you themselves.
I sent them away because I knew you'd feel uncomfortable. Plus, I won't look." She says. Gale shivers at the thought of a bunch of probing hands touching him all over. He hates it.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Gale turns to take a bath and he hears her mutter something under her breath.
"What was that?" She spins towards him and smiles.
"They will have to change you though." She says. Gale looks at the clothes and then at her.
"I can change myself perfectly well." She thinks for a moment.
"I don't doubt that. I'll see what I can do, I'll try to convince them to let you change. And let them come in to fix any imperfections they may see, alright?" Gale nods.
"Thank you Marge, truly." He is grateful. She smiles.
"Take a bath, I'll be back soon." She leaves through the secret passage and Gale is left alone once more. He gets into the warm bathtub and sighs. He can finally sort out his thoughts.
He needs to find his mother and get out of here. He looks around the room. There are a few trinkets that catch his eyes. He could sell them off for some money.
There's sure to be medicine he can purchase in the city. As soon as he gets his hands on what he needs, he will take his mother and leave the kingdom. They'll go back home.
Not home. They'll know to find them there. Gale frowns, where else can they go? He sighs in frustration and dips his head underwater.
Perhaps the Queen will listen to him and annul this ridiculous contract. Right now, it seems to be the only option. Gale hopes she'll listen to reason.
Both the King and the prince, however charming he may be, had refused to listen to him when it came to this engagement. He hopes the Queen is different.
The prince comes into his mind. Gale closes his eyes. He remembers his touch. On his cheek , on his neck. His lips on his knuckles. The feeling of his body pressed against his own. Gale shakes his head and stands up.
He towels himself down and looks at the clothes Marge had set on the bed for him. They look....fancy. Not at all like the clothes he's used to wearing. He touches the fabric and smiles. It's so soft.
He gets changed quickly. He looks in the mirror and nods. He looks presentable now , he hopes. Just as he puts on his boots, Marge comes back in. She smile and nods. A couple of maids trail behind her.
"They are going to fix your hair and straighten out your outfit." Marge sits down and watches them. The maids diligently get to work. They make Gale sit down.
One of them fixes his hair , while the other fiddles with the buttons on his vest. After a few minutes, they step back and curtsy. They turn to leave once Marge dismisses them.
Marge walks around him. Looking up and down. She grabs his shoulders and makes him stand up straight.
She comes back into view. Her eyebrows seem to crinkle for a moment. Then she nods.
"You look Perfect." She says happily.
Gale thanks her. They walk towards the door. Before she opens it, she turns to him.
"The Queen is, she can be..... difficult. But I'm sure that you'll charm her with your.....smile." She seems to be trying to convince herself as much as him. Gale nods. She nods back.
"I hope." She whispers. She opens the door, and Curt almost falls in. He'd been leaning on the door. Marge frowns at him. He just smiles. He whistles when he sees Gale.
"You clean up nice, Gale! The Queen is sure to love ya." He teases. Gale smiles.
"You look great Gale. Don't be nervous." Demarco tris to reassure him. Brady nods along, agreeing with him. He thanks them all. He steps out of the room.
He takes a moment to breathe. He turns to them and nods. They nod as they lead him towards his meeting.
Gale steels himself. He's got this. He can do this, he repeats this matta as they walk through the palace halls.
It's time to meet the Queen.
