The Raven

Thirty-One

After spending the entirety of the previous night thinking of a way to stop the horrendous schemes that his mother has made, Henry ultimately decides to call in a favor from a dear friend. Early in the morning, before the sun even rises, the prince finds himself meandering through the halls of the servants' quarters. He takes deep, intent breaths that sync flawlessly with his steps, attempting to contain the overpowering fear that threatens to swallow him whole. Driven by purpose, he quickly descends the final staircase, his heart practically stopping in his chest as his feet pause before the doorway to the small kitchen. "Earl?" Prince Henry calls, his voice echoing through the empty stairwell before floating toward its intended destination. With one last deep breath, Henry enters the room, his eyes lighting up as he finds just the man he is looking for enjoying his morning coffee at the dining table.

"Henry, my boy!" the older man exclaims in combined shock and happiness. Although he has not the foggiest notion of what the prince could be doing in the servants' kitchen, especially at this hour, he is quite pleased to see his old friend; it has been a long time since the two have shared a heartfelt conversation or simply basked in one another's presence. The aged gentleman has missed it greatly.

"Good morning, Earl," greets Henry, his cheeks pinkening as he realizes precisely what he is about to ask of his elderly companion. He knows that the queen will probably consider Earl's involvement in the situation as treason, likely sentencing the poor old man to an untimely and utterly unfair death. Henry's face heats as frustration temporarily sets in, and he silently debates whether or not to go through with requesting the man's assistance. His hesitation lasts only momentarily, rethinking his plan for just a few seconds before finally blurting out, "I have come to ask for your help." The prince's expression contorts in combined embarrassment and exasperation at his own inability to contain himself.

Well, it is too late to change his mind now; the stone has already been tossed.

"Straight to the point, I see," Earl replies with a soft chuckle, his face crinkling in his amusement at Prince Henry's failure to maintain composure. He gestures to a chair beside him and says, "Well, sit down, boy. Let me have it."

It takes a grand total of twenty minutes to explain his predicament to his good friend, but only about ten seconds for Earl to agree to help him. He affirms his loyalty to his prince with a broad smile, a genuine contentment overtaking his features at the prospect of assisting Prince Henry to reach his goal. While the old servant wholly understands the consequences of fulfilling his agreed-upon part in Henry's plan, Earl would do practically anything for the young prince, for Henry has always been like a son to him. He likes to believe that Henry also feels the father-son connection between them, especially considering the lack of appropriate parenting the boy has received from his actual father.

The two continue their plotting in hushed tones, cautiously glancing over their shoulders every so often to ensure the utmost secrecy about what is to come; it is pertinent that no one should overhear their conversation, lest the entire plan may fail, thus dooming everyone involved indefinitely. After a couple of hours, the two men have a solid plan to halt the queen's intrusive and exorbitantly offensive scheming ways. Now, all that is left is a trip to the top of the tower to retrieve Caleb, then everything can fall perfectly into place at last.

While Henry's mother is preoccupied speaking to Princess Elaina about some sort of wedding gibberish that the prince has absolutely no interest in, Henry sets off to meet his love. His heart beats erratically in his chest, anticipation fueling him and love guiding his every step. Caleb is ecstatic to see him when he finally arrives at his room in the dark tower, which warms Henry's heart immensely, relieving some of the pain and unpleasantness he has been harboring since his last conversation with his mother.

Carefully and in a muted voice, the prince informs the raven about the goings-on, trying to remain as calm and collected as possible to not upset the other boy. Peppering the blond boy's face with gentle kisses, Caleb wholeheartedly and excitedly agrees to the plan Henry and Earl had spent the whole of the morning so diligently devising. Filled with utter relief and profound joy, Henry kisses the ruby-eyed raven passionately, their lips interlocking as if they were created only for this particular task. Honestly, Henry believes he could spend his whole life kissing Caleb and never tire of it.

Remembering his mother's words from the night before, Prince Henry keeps his visit with Caleb short, hoping to not alert his mother of his whereabouts or intentions. With one final kiss, the two boys bid each other "see you soon," with the promise to meet in the garden in one hour's time. The sooner they get on with their plan, the less likely they will be discovered before the events can be thoroughly carried out.

When the time comes, Henry and Earl wait patiently for Caleb's shadow form to arrive in the garden. They do not have to wait long before he appears, blending in perfectly with the darkness of the secluded and well-hidden area they chose to meet in.

As the prince and the shadowy figure join hands, Earl begins speaking quietly, reciting his prepared speech in a hurry. He rushes to get his words out in case the small group is caught by one of the many guards patrolling the grounds. After pausing for just a moment, Earl speaks a little more slowly when he says, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you Princes Henry and Caleb Dumont. Now, quick, kiss your husband and seal the deal."

As Henry pulls his new husband toward him, the raven's shadow form melts away, exposing his human body as he loses himself in the moment. Just as soon as their lips touch, Earl sees movement in his peripheral vision. Turning to the just-married couple to inform them that they are no longer alone, he almost misses seeing the figure of the queen as she hastily and obviously angrily exits the garden. However, the loyal servant cannot bring himself to feel even slightly guilty for betraying the queen's orders, not when the two young men before him are so apparently enraptured with each other and relishing in the mutual bliss of their new union. Earl smiles to himself as he silently watches the newly joined couple whisper lovingly to each other, dissolving into one another's arms as they joyously commemorate their strengthened bond.