Technically Undignified

Chapter 3

The meeting was now the dullest thing on Earth without Phil to marvel at. The amount of yawns Dan had to stifle was embarrassing. Oh well, he thought, at least Phil would be back soon.

10 minutes.

20 minutes.

Half a damn hour.

Where the hell was Phil? Maybe he had got lost because of the unfamiliarity of the castle. Dan had better go find him. He excused himself from the bickering kings and left the room, stumbling upon PJ.

"Hey Peej. Have you seen the Lion Prince? Black hair, blue eyes, surprisingly good-looking?" PJ raised his eyebrows.

"Well this alliance is taking a turn. I assume for the better?" PJ laughed as Dan blushed furiously, demanding him to answer his question. "Yeah I've seen him. Rushed past me, looking a little sad. I think he went to the battlements on the east side. You should probably see if he's ok." Dan thanked his friend and sprinted through the halls.

*****

Phil stood on the stone, trembling. Another reason why he shouldn't be king. He couldn't even be brave enough to do what's right. Lions are meant to be courageous but Phil was just a coward. What use is a cowardly lion? Phil breathed deeply and stuck one foot out over the edge, daring to look down. Jesus that's high. Definitely enough to kill him. Perfect. Phil took his final breath and began to step off the stone.

"Phil? What're you doing?! Get down from there!" The voice startled him and made him lose his balance. Phil was teetering over the edge, the reality of what he was doing striking him like lightening. He didn't want to die. He wanted to make this alliance work. He wanted to make Dan's father see reason. He wanted to change the world. He couldn't die yet. There was too much to do.

"Help me! I'm falling!" Phil felt a soft hand grip his and drag him backwards off the ledge. He fell into someone's arms, eyes squeezed shut in fear. The voice of the arms he was in soothed him and leant him against the wall, never letting go for a second. Fear stopped Phil recognising the melody leaving their lips. He opened his eyes ans saw his saviour. It was Dan. Dan had saved him. Dan was the one who had seen him at his lowest and still saw something worth protecting. Phil didn't know he could fall in love anymore than this. "Dan? What are you doing here?" The brown-haired boy chuckled.

"That room was hell after you left. Couldn't listen to them arguing anymore. Especially about you." Well that was forward. Phil felt weak in the knees. "This might seem like a stupid question but what were you doing up there?" Phil brought his knees up to his chest and hid his face. "Hey it's ok. You don't have to tell me."

"I was up there because I wanted to kill myself." Phil never thought he would utter those words in his life but, for some reason, Dan made him want to open up.

"I gathered that. Why do you want to do that? No pressure." In Phil's mind, there didn't need to be any pressure at all.

"My father is very liberal. He treats his servants as equals because he thinks work ethic increases. He does anything he can to make everyone who walks through our gates feel welcome, friend or foe. So, when I came out to him, he did everything I could to make me and everyone around me feel comfortable with me. But I hear them whisper when he's not in the room." A tear fell down his cheek. "They mutter about the future of our kingdom. How it would fall apart if there were two kings on the throne." Phil gripped his knees until his knuckles went white. "And he fell for it. When I told my father about the things I had heard, instead of speaking out, he alienated his own son to save his reputation." Phil launched himself at Dan, breaking down and weeping into his clothes. Through the sobs, he said, "I am forbidden to fall in love! I am not allowed to marry and rule the way I want all because my dad couldn't see past the lies everyone was telling! He believed them and not me, sentencing me to a life of loneliness, forcing me to do something that I only want to do with another man! He made me not want to live anymore!"

All Dan could do was stroke Phil's hair and wait for him to stop crying. Dear God. And he thought his dad was bad. Dan put his hand under Phil's chin and stared into the eyes he fell in love with today. "Can I tell you something only one other person in the world knows?" Phil nodded. Dan took a deep breath. "When my dad exploded at that meeting just now, my heart broke. Not only because this would ruin the alliance and probably meant I would never see you again, which is a crime to be honest." Phil looked away and blushed while Dan continued. "It broke because I knew my life would be a lie. I would live this life, ruling with a queen, just so I could please my father. I want to rule, it's all I've ever wanted since the moment I could breathe but now?" Dan sighed. "Let's just say I'm having second thoughts." Phil looked at Dan again.

"Why?" Dan half-smiled and continued.

"Because I thought that I could tell my dad and he would see that all of these suitors would fit me. I have to rule with someone I truly care for and I'm never gonna find him in a room full of princesses." Phil processed the sentence and gasped.

"You're gay?" Dan nodded. They didn't say much after a that. They were both wrapped up in the other's words, thinking of how this changed everything. Dan was the one who broke the silence.

"Well this day has been wild." They laughed. Then Dan became serious again. "This is gonna sound kinda crazy but hear me out." Dan cleared his throat as Phil shuffled closer, ready to listen. "Even though we only met today, I think we could do amazing things together. We could change people's views, become empowering representation and prove to people that we can do incredible things." Dan took Phil's hands and looked at his lap. "We could make a difference . If that's what you want." The flirtatious fowardness that Dan had displayed before was completely gone. It had been taken over by shyness. Phil could not resist.

"I would like that. Very much." Dan looked up, blushing and smiling so much he was glowing.

"Really?"

"Really." They embraced, happy with the way this dreaded day had turned out. For a brief moment, they forgot how hard it was gonna be. And, oh boy. This is going to be near impossible.