The King & the Stable Boy

XXV: A Birthday and an Announcement

William

Noah pulls off of me, crashing down beside me under the duvet, both of us struggling to catch our breath.

"We're going to miss tea." Noah says, rising out of the bed, pull on his night gown. "The twins will murder us both."

"Relax. They wouldn't murder us, who else would flaunt their fashion to the kingdom?" I reply, getting redressed as well.

"So you go find them and apologize while I run us both a bath. Hopefully your alive to soak in it." he says, going off to the attached bathing room.

Sighing, I leave our bedroom, going to my fitting room to see Marissa and Clarissa deep in discussion, everything already out on display.

"Sorry, we slept in this morning. Noah is bathing so he will be in his fitting room ready for you in just a few moments." I apologize, drawing both of their predatory eyes on me.

"That's what we feared. Your mother just went up to fetch you both. Go get clean then come back here. Quickly." Marissa urges, shockingly not rambling on about the importance of being on time, although I feared my mother would do much more than that.

I go back up to see my mother just about to knock before she turns to me.

"There you are. William, you're going to miss tea with this late start. You're lucky this is your birthday celebration. Any other event and I would have had your head." she greets me threateningly, clearly not amused that I was late for my own party.

I nod, moving past her into he room to see Noah getting dressed in under garments, placing the indoor cloak over himself.

"Clarissa is waiting for you." I tell him, drawing his eyes away from the looking glass towards me.

This time last year I would have never imagined to see those eyes looking back at me, nor would I have thought I would wake with an adoring mate at my side.

He kisses my cheek, bidding me a small farewell, leaving me to do as Marissa requested.

Twenty minutes later, I find myself in the fitting room, Marissa before me re-centering accessory pieces and straightening out the jacket of the suit on me.

"You look so happy." my mother comments. "This time last year you had been ready to give up hope on every finding your mate, now look at you. You're all dressed up waiting to go out there and introduce Noah to our kingdom."

I smile at her in response, not wanting to move and disturb Marissa from her work.

"I'm glad you didn't reject him or have him killed. You both are good for one another. I'm grateful to have lived long enough to see this."

"Now, Your Grace, you aren't near death. You don't look a day over thirty-five."

"I'm fifty-one. Lucky to live this long without Richard." mother comes right in front of me, stepping onto a stool, her heels taken off, eyes level to mine. "Your father is just as proud of you as I am. I'm sure he's looking back at us right now down in Elysium staring into the mortal lake making an offering blessing you and Noah's union."

"I'm sure he's making an offering to bless you as well, mother."

She snorts at this.

"He's making an offering alright but not to bless me. Probably trying to convince Thanatos to have a reaper come and take my soul earlier than scheduled. That man expected to drag me down with him, and once I meet him there he'll probably make a snarky comment against you saying you robbed him of my affections for however many years we're apart."