Kings [A Medieval AU]

Chapter Thirty-Four - Talks with Mother

For Phil, the worst part of his day was waking up alone. The second worst part of his day was the countless hours spent without seeing Dan, and that was followed closely by crawling into bed without Dan and struggling to fall asleep until early morning. To put it simply, Phil had the worst day ever the day after Dan left.

He drags himself out of bed on yet another morning and goes to the dining room, where he drinks a cup of coffee and rubs his aching eyes. He stifles a yawn and ruffles his hair, wanting to go back to bed and knowing that even if he goes back to bed, he won't sleep. He exhales, finishes his coffee, and heads to his office. He doesn't think he'll get any work done, but he can try. He sits there, staring at his desk, and only snaps out of it when Chris enters with a bow.

"Sir, I have reports from the farming towns around Divum," he states, brandishing a small stack of papers. "So far, there have been next to no issues with crops or land. They expect a prosperous growing season."

"Wonderful," Phil replies. "We will not need to rely on Tenebris this year, then?"

"No, sire. Not unless a freak storm hits."

Phil nods, the idea of not needing Tenebris making his heart ache in his chest. "Excellent. Thank you, Chris."

"You are very welcome, your majesty."

They discuss a few other things, such as the Autumn ball, before Chris takes his leave. Phil watches him go before getting up himself, heading straight to his mother's room. He needs to talk to someone about the way Dan's absence weighs on his heart, and who better to talk to than his mother?

He pushes open her bedroom door and steps inside, finding his mother almost immediately. She sits by her fireplace, sipping a cup of tea and watching the flames, and when Phil walks in she smiles and gestures him over.

"Hello, dear," she greets as he takes a seat in the armchair across from her. "You seem troubled."

"I am troubled."

"Is it because of Daniel?"

Phil's head snaps up and his mother laughs softly. "How did you know?"

"You are not very subtle, Philip. Honestly, ever since that boy left you've been moping about the castle."

Phil pouts and crosses his arms over his chest, avoiding his mother's knowing gaze. "I have not been moping."

His mother shakes her head a little, a small smile on her face. "Philip, you clearly love him a lot. If you use your head, you can figure something out that will work for both of you."

Phil nods and exhales. "I suppose you're right."

"I am right, dear."

The king smiles for a moment before it falls away. He stands up and presses a kiss to his mother's cheek. "Thanks, mum."

"You are very welcome, Philip."

With that, Phil exits her room, thoughts whirling around his head.

~

Dan strides down the castle halls, cloaking billowing out behind him as he passes servants and guards alike. He keeps his expression serious to hide the pain behind his eyes, and as each day passes he expects someone to notice, but they never do. To everyone but him, life is exactly the same as it was before he was kidnapped.

He enters the throne room and settles into his seat, one leg crossing over the other. His parents stand on either side of the throne, regal and serious.

"Daniel, now that you have returned home, I believe it is time that we discuss your marriage options once again. It has been delayed for months, and we shall delay it no longer," his mother states.

Dan turns to her, trying desperately to hide the flurry of emotions that threatens to show itself. "Mother, I do not think that would be a good idea."

"Of course it is!" his father insists, leading Dan to glance at him. "You are in the prime of your life, and that means that it is the perfect time to marry someone. I agree with your mother when she says that this shall be delayed no longer."

Dan sighs and shuts his eyes for a moment before opening them again. "Mother, Father, I want to let you know that I refuse to marry anyone but King Philip. You can bring princesses and queens from all over the land, but I will take none of them."

His father's face hardens. "You are the king—"

"Yes, and if I marry Philip I will still be marrying a royal. Adrian can continue the bloodline if you want grandchildren."

"Daniel—" his mother begins, but she trails off as her son stands up and heads to the exit.

Dan reaches the doors and throws them open, his throat tightening. He can hear his mother following him, and he only stops once he's a decent distance away from the throne room.

"Daniel, I..." She falters once again, her usually severe expression softened. Dan exhales and runs his hand down his face.

"Mother, I don't think I can stay here much longer," he says, wasting no time in getting to the point. "I miss Phil so much it hurts, and living so far away from him and being unable to see him is horrendous. I am completely serious when I say that I will marry none but him."

His mother shuts her eyes for a moment and breathes, long and slow. "Son, you have only been back for two weeks. You are a king with a kingdom that needs you."

"I know. I have already been thinking this through, and I believe that we can arrange for me to live in Divum and still run Tenebris. Tenebris will always be my home, but Divum... Divum holds a special place in my heart that cannot be ignored. It will be a bit more challenging, but kings and queens have run kingdoms from far away before."

"What about us?" his mother asks. "Your family, your friends. Do you really want to be so far from them?"

"I can always visit."

His mother watches him for far too long before exhaling shakily and wiping her eyes. "When would you go?"

"At the end of the month. I must write to Phil first and arrange it, and I must also make sure that Tenebris is in order before I leave," Dan explains.

"Adrian will have nobody to learn from."

"You can teach him about ruling a kingdom just as you taught me." The king smiles weakly and places a hand on his mother's shoulder. "It will all turn out alright, I promise."

She exhales heavily and reaches up, cupping her son's face gently in her hands. Dan meets her dark-eyed gaze, which is so much like his own, and takes a deep breath, anticipating her next words.

"Daniel, I honour your decision and I have faith that you will run this kingdom well, even from Divum," she says, and Dan nearly bursts into tears. She presses a kiss to his forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too."