The Gifts We Share [A Medieval AU]

Chapter Twenty-Two - The Good and the Bad

Seán wipes the tear away as quickly as it appeared, turning his eyes towards the fire in order to avoid eye contact. Mark stutters, wanting to say something to comfort him but being unable to find the words. The king takes a deep breath and stands, retrieving his cloak and wrapping it around his arms.

"Seán..." Mark says. His voice falters the moment the king looks back at him, his eyes swimming with tears and making his blue eyes look like crystals. When the farmer says nothing, Seán turns his face away and pulls his cloak tighter around his throat. He returns to his chair and wipes his eyes, taking a deep breath as he keeps his focus on his knees.

"Mark, you should start your dancing lessons next time. The Autumn Ball is quickly approaching, and I would hate if you made a fool of yourself," the king says, his voice monotonous in an attempt to hide the emotion.

Mark nods a little. "That would be good." He sighs, and against his better judgement, stands and moves his chair closer to Seán. The royal watches him, the confusion evident on his face as the farmer plops himself down again. "Why me?"

Seán's eyebrows furrow, and he quickly wipes his eyes before meeting Mark's gaze. "Pardon?"

"You have advisors, servants, people who literally fall at your feet, and yet you chose me to share your emotions with. Why?"

The king studies him intently for a moment before sighing. "Honestly? I saw a lot of myself in you. When you were first brought in front of me, I felt your power and knew something was different with you, so I kept you here. Upon talking and having lessons with you, I realized that you were the laid-back, silly guy that I haven't been in years. You are a king, so I can treat you as an equal in front of my advisors, but you have never acted like a king, and that was refreshing." Seán chuckles a little bit. "People are always so stuffy around me just because I am the king, but you were never like that. I thought that if there was anyone I could confide in, it would be you."

Mark wipes the last remnants of tears from his eyes, a light smile gracing his face. "That is not the answer I was expecting."

Seán rolls his eyes and sniffles faintly. "What were you expecting?"

"I don't know." He shrugs a little, his eyes twinkling. "'I have a thing for bad boys'?"

The king's ears turn bright red as his mouth falls open ever so slightly, causing Mark, for the first time in what feels like ages, to laugh a laugh that warms him to the core.

"Mark!" Seán scolds, still moderately horrified as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"Yes, Seán?" Mark asks, grinning widely.

"You... just... nothing." The king attempts to hide his smile with a weak scowl. "I cannot believe you."

"I am pretty unbelievable."

Seán leans over and punches Mark's leg playfully. "Oh, shut up."

"Look at you, smiling and being happy! Isn't that so much better than being sad?" Mark asks.

"I admit, it does feel better." He gestures to the farmer. "You're smiling too."

"That I am."

The king smiles a little and glances out the window for a moment before looking back at Mark. "If you ever want to interrupt me from my work, feel free to come to my office.  Paperwork can get so tedious without a welcome distraction every now and then."

"I will most definitely take you up on that offer," Mark replies.

Seán smiles and stands, dousing the fire and gesturing for Mark to follow. The farmer obliges, getting up and moving down the stairs with the royal.

Mark glances sideways, feeling a surge of pride at the twinkle that hasn't disappeared from Seán's eyes. It's by far the happiest Mark has ever seen him, and that feeling is absolutely irreplaceable.

They reach Seán's office, and Mark bows a little before waving goodbye. The royal rolls his eyes in that lightly irritated way and waves back before stepping inside and closing the door. The farmer grins and walks to his own room, feeling a whole lot better than before.

He realizes, for the first time in true clarity, that they will both have their days. They will both have days where they won't be able to smile, and there will be times where everything feels okay. Mark hopes that maybe, just maybe, they can help each other get through both the good and the bad.