Reign or Shine

by H J Welch

  “You’re really letting me borrow these?” he asked.

  Cas laughed softly, making Matty look up from the box. “No, sweetheart. These are yours to keep.”

  Matty’s mouth dropped open. “But how did they make them so fast?” It was safer to ask the practical question, rather than nervously questioning if Cas really meant that big a commitment so soon.

  Although…they’d already talked about marriage and children. Matty could accept some damn jewelry without fainting.

  Cas winked, then carefully removed the first cufflink from where it was nestled. “People around here aren’t blind. I think they realized love is well and truly in the air for me and my brothers. So there were some more pairs made recently.”

  He stepped closer to Matty, lovingly turning his arm and gently removing the other – again, very nice but now completely outdone – cufflink so he could fix his gift to Matty’s wrist. After both were secure, Cas put the old ones in the box and closed it, then held Matty’s hands in his own. They both admired the way the silver roses glinted in the evening sunshine.

  Matty was trembling, ever so slightly. Not from nerves, but purely from happiness. These weren’t just cufflinks. They were a promise of the future he and his love had before them.

  Cas leaned in and softly kissed Matty’s forehead, then released his hands and offered Matty his arm. “Do you, um, want to take a selfie?” he asked, blushing a little. “Seeing as we’re about to be announced as a real couple. One last moment in our little bubble?”

  Matty’s heart swooped with pride and happiness and no small amount of butterflies. He loved it when Cas got a bit nervous, but he loved his suggestion even more. They were boyfriends now, and boyfriends took photos as a couple.

  “I’d love to,” Matty replied bashfully.

  Cas jutted his chin back at Matty. “Why don’t you take it? Then you could, um, send it to your family?”

  Matty had to laugh. Prince Cassander of Rosavia was anxious about making a good impression with Matty’s family? He didn’t have to worry there. After he’d spoken to his sister and explained everything as best he could, he knew that Finley had gushed to her moms about Matty’s new man. They were all thrilled with the way destiny had treated Matty.

  But he absolutely wanted to capture this moment, for many reasons. He and Cas were stepping out from the bubble into the world, after thinking they could never last as a couple. And, more to the point, they were looking hot.

  Cas hugged Matty close as they positioned Matty’s phone and took several shots to choose from. But when they looked through them again, they both cried “That one!” at the same time in unanimous agreement. It was the photo where Cas had tickled Matty’s side, making them both laugh and look at each other instead of the camera. It was natural and relaxed and utterly perfect.

  Matty sent it to his family group chat with the comment Cinderella is off to the ball! He bit his lip, still not quite believing that was really true.

  But then they straightened themselves out and Cas took Matty’s arm again. “Are you ready?” he asked.

  This was it. Never mind what von Tarr had been printing in her terrible newspaper. This was Cas and Matty’s official coming out as a couple.

  And Matty was more than ready.

  “I am, Your Highness,” he said a little breathlessly. It was the first time he’d tried using Cas’s official title, and for a second, he questioned if he’d made a mistake.

  But Cas’s smile didn’t falter. In fact, his eyes crinkled and he leaned in to kiss Matty on the lips. This time, though, it was with real heat. “You can call me that,” he murmured against Matty’s ear, giving the lobe a quick nip, “only if you truly believe that one day I’ll be calling you that as well. And so will the rest of Rosavia.”

  Matty gulped, but he met Cas’s gaze as he leaned back again. With a shaky breath, he jutted his head toward the door and squeezed Cas’s arm. “Come on. We don’t want to be late…Your Highness.”

  Cas sighed happily before kissing Matty’s temple. “No, we don’t,” he agreed.

  The palace thrummed with life as they stepped out into the hallway. Matty could feel the low rumble of hundreds of voices through the floor more than he could hear them. Apparently, it was customary to allow most people to arrive before announcing the royal family, which they did from youngest to oldest. So almost everyone would have arrived by the time he and Cas made their carefully-timed entrance.

  Despite his best efforts, the thought of so many dignitaries and international heads of state all looking at him at once was leaving Matty a little lightheaded. He clutched onto Cas’s arm, hardly noticing the corridors they were walking down or the footmen leading the way.

  At Matty’s change in grip, Cas lifted his other hand and rubbed the back of Matty’s, kissing his head as he did. “It’s going to be absolutely fine,” he promised in a low, soothing tone. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. Remember?”

  Matty exhaled shakily and nodded. Cas was there to protect him, not that he should need protecting. But Matty wasn’t on his own. “I remember, Cas,” he said, feeling a little better.

  Cas kissed the top of his head again. “So perfect,” he murmured.

  The voices were getting considerably louder as they descended a staircase and approached an open set of double doors. Light was spilling out into the hallway, and Matty could feel the air had gotten warmer, so he suspected this had to be the ballroom, filled with people. The sound of crystalware clinking and a melody from a harp mingled in with the constant flow of countless conversations. He and Cas paused as one of the footmen held up a hand, making them wait a few feet from the door, out of sight from the rest of the guests that were already present.

  “This is it,” Cas said softly. Matty looked up and met his gaze. “Are you ready?”

  Matty breathed deeply, then nodded with a smile. “Yes, I am,” he said honestly.

  Who on earth would have thought that when Matty had stepped off that plane just two weeks ago, this was where he’d end up? If someone were to have told him that losing his luggage would lead to the best thing that had ever happened to him, Matty would have assumed they’d lost their mind.

  The footman nodded at Cas. Cas gave Matty a quick kiss on the cheek, his spicy aftershave wafting over Matty and enveloping him. “Just follow my lead,” he told Matty.

  And then they were standing in the bright light from a dozen chandeliers, each dripping with dazzling crystals that reminded Matty of the waterfall at his and Cas’s magical cabin. The room seemed to turn as one, an impossible number of eyes looking to Cas and Matty.

  Matty held on to Cas with his head high. He belonged here. Hopefully, in time, he’d get used to the attention. He might have even enjoyed it in that moment, just a little.

  “Prince Cassander Fabian Ivor van Rosavia and Matty Doyle.”

  Surprise hit Matty like a truck, but he absolutely refused to show it on his face as he and Cas waited a moment, then began walking down the steps into the ballroom. He’d fully expected the palace to announce him as his full name – Matthew – which he hated. However, they’d gone with his informal, hardly impressive, but much-preferred moniker.

  “Matty?” he whispered to Cas as Cas plucked two glasses of Zasfer from a passing tray. Blueberries bobbed in the tall glasses as Cas passed one to Matty.

  “Of course,” said Cas with a grin. “That’s your name. You don’t need to pretend to be anyone else for anyone here. You’re good enough, just as you are.”

  Matty bit his lip, bursting at the seams from the praise, then used that pride to fuel his confidence and kiss Cas on the cheek in front of all these important people. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Cas said warmly.

  He placed his free hand on the small of Matty’s back, making it abundantly clear to anyone looking their way that they were there as a couple. Matty might have been tempted to look around and see the reactions of the people nearby. After Ida von Tarr’s sca
thing attack on his low birth and accusations of gold digging, there might be those who disapproved.

  But Matty realized he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was Cas, and he was looking at Matty like he’d hung the moon.

  “Well, look at this disgustingly happy sight,” someone cried playfully. Matty turned, only feeling slightly apprehensive as a young-looking man with chestnut brown hair skipped up to them. Judging by his matching formal wear, Matty realized this had to be one of Cas’s brothers, and that his family introductions were about to begin.

  As much as Matty really did only care about Cas’s opinions, he couldn’t help the flash of nerves that rushed through him. But they vanished just as quickly as the young guy thrust his hand forward and grinned at Matty.

  “I’m Wren, Cas’s favorite brother,” he announced, waggling his eyebrows as Matty accepted the handshake. “So you’re the man who finally got the stick out of his ass?”

  “Wren,” Cas growled, rolling his eyes.

  But Wren just batted his eyelashes as he released Matty’s hand, then punched Cas lightly on the shoulder. “What? It’s a good look on you! Matty, keep doing what you’re doing.” He winked, and Matty only blushed a little.

  “I intend to,” he said, looking fondly over at Cas.

  “Okay, bleurgh,” Wren said with a laugh, waving his hands at them. “That really is disgusting, stop it.”

  Another man with close-cropped hair who was a little broader and taller than Wren appeared behind him. He touched Wren’s lower back, murmuring something into his ear.

  It was such an intimate moment, Matty looked away for a second, not wanting to intrude. But the man appeared to have a real calming effect on the young, bouncy prince, diffusing any awkwardness before it even really began.

  “Yes, Thom,” Wren said softly. Then he turned back to Matty and Cas, and Matty recognized the same manners switching on in Wren as he’d witnessed with Cas. “Cas, you already know my valet, Pierce, but he’s here tonight as my date, Thom. And Thom, I’d like you to meet Cas’s friend, Matty.”

  “My boyfriend,” Cas corrected swiftly and easily, squeezing Matty’s shoulder.

  Wren didn’t seem to mind being corrected. In fact, he preened. “Oh, yes, boyfriend. I knew it.”

  Thom shook both their hands, then looked curiously at Cas. “So it’s officially ‘Cas’ now, Your Highness?”

  Cas nodded. “It suits me much better than ‘Sander.’”

  A strange mix of pride and awe flushed through Matty. Cas had been going by ‘Sander’ before? Had he changed it since meeting Matty? Had Matty been one of the first people to call him by his preferred name – or maybe the very first? He loved that idea.

  He didn’t get the chance to ask Cas just then, however, as another man approached their little gaggle who was also wearing the royal rose formalwear. His hand was linked with another man’s who was dressed in regal, flowing white cotton and a bright blue vest with gold buttons. Judging by his own crown and formalwear, Matty guessed he was also some kind of royalty.

  “Matty,” said Cas, indicating the new arrivals with his hand. “I’d like you to meet my brother, Jules, and a dear friend of the family, Prince Dante of Thedes.”

  “It’s been a while,” said Dante, shaking Cas’s hand, while Matty shook with Jules, who winked.

  “I’m the terrible middle child I’m sure you’ve heard about.”

  Wren blew a raspberry. “Please. Compared to me, Leo, and Ben, you’re almost as much of a saint as Cas here.”

  Jules didn’t challenge his younger brother. Instead, his eyes went wide and he looked back at Cas. “Did you hear?”

  “Hear what?” Cas asked, sounding nervous.

  Wren, however, was practically hopping in glee. “Ben missed his announcement.”

  “No!” gasped Cas.

  “Luckily, Dante and I were ready to go, so they just sort of glossed over it. But Ben’s a no-show. I don’t even think he’s back in the country.”

  Cas frowned at Wren. “No, we saw him yesterday.”

  “Shhh. He wanted it to be a surprise!” Wren scolded.

  Jules tutted and looked out over the crowd. “Knowing him, he’ll stagger in drunk and singing the national anthem.”

  Cas actually paled. “Not again,” he rasped.

  Matty loved how natural the banter was between them. It reminded him of his own sister. Matty had been able to talk to her on his new phone for a good hour between all his grooming today. It had been a huge relief to tell her the whole truth, and – when she’d gotten over her initial shock – of course she’d teased Matty about not being capable of a casual fling in the slightest. The teasing showed she cared, just like Cas and his brothers. It didn’t matter that these guys were royals. They were still real people with family dramas, like anyone else.

  But they were also still princes too, and this was their country’s big night. So before long, they were interrupted by other dignitaries and diplomats and royals wanting their attention and pulling them in three different directions. Matty watched as Cas’s conversations ranged from polite small talk to genuine-sounding catch-ups.

  Matty was always surprised when someone spoke directly to him. He was content to just watch Cas and listen in, if he was honest. But the more people who said hello specifically to him, the better he got at his own limited patter of small talk. Most people were more interested in Cas anyway, but then they ran into a Princess Amirah who had once apparently been considered a good match as Prince Leo’s potential bride. She didn’t seem salty about the way things had turned out.

  “Did you see Leo and his fiancé enter?” she said with a giggle before she sipped her Zasfer.

  Cas and Matty nodded. They hadn’t spoken with the heir to the throne yet, but Matty was sure they would before the night was through.

  Princess Amirah’s eyes glittered almost as much as her sari as she looked around the room, then back to Matty and Cas. “Leopold van Rosavia, in love with a man. Well, I never.” And then she turned to Matty with a big, bright smile. “So, how did you two meet? You’re American, aren’t you, Matty?”

  He swallowed. They hadn’t actually discussed what he should and shouldn’t say about that, but Cas didn’t jump in to speak for him. In fact, he just beamed at Matty, waiting for him to answer. So Matty decided to just keep it simple, but tell the truth.

  “My niece is in Alpina for an archery tournament. We happened to bump into His Royal Highness in a sporting goods store in the city. I’m afraid I didn’t recognize him to start with – we don’t exactly get a lot of Rosavian news in New York. But we just sort of hit it off.”

  Cas squeezed Matty to his side with a chuckle. “I tried to cook dinner for Matty, and it was a disaster.”

  “Well, no, it wasn’t,” Matty corrected playfully, “because I saved the day.”

  “Oh my god, you two are too adorable,” said Princess Amirah with a sigh. “How long are you in Rosavia for, Matty?”

  That burst his bubble pretty quickly. “Oh, um, we fly home tomorrow, actually.” It was amazing how the happy tingle in his belly from the wine and good company suddenly fizzled away.

  “Actually,” said Cas sincerely, “I was hoping to talk to you about that.”

  Matty blinked, and Amirah cleared her throat. “That sounds like my cue to leave,” she said cheerfully. “Oh, look! There’s the French ambassador’s daughter. I wonder if she’ll dance with me?” She winked at Cas and Matty. “Catch you later!”

  She melted into the crowd, leaving Cas and Matty. They were hardly alone, but Cas steered Matty by the elbow to a sort of private corner by a huge Thedian vase that Matty could probably fit in, if he felt like climbing all over centuries-old art.

  Cas smiled at him warmly and rubbed his arm. Matty tried not to nervously down his entire drink in one go. As confident as he was in his and Cas’s relationship, this was still a problem for them. Matty lived four thousand miles away.

  “Have you had any thoughts about
what you’d like to do regarding the living situation?” Cas asked. “I know this is sudden, but the fact is you don’t live in the city. I don’t want you disappearing to another continent without at least some plan in place.”

  Matty smiled. “Me either. But all my relationships before were in New York, and they still failed, so-”

  “So, those guys were assholes,” Cas said firmly. But he was still smiling, so Matty knew he wasn’t actually mad or anything. “Distance isn’t going to break us up, sweetheart. But I do want to keep seeing you as often as possible.” He chuckled and kissed Matty’s forehead. “I kind of like having my boyfriend close by.”

  Matty chewed his lip, Cas’s words seeping through him like he was slipping into a hot bath. “I like that, too,” he admitted. “What do you suggest?” This was definitely one of those problems he just wanted Cas to fix.

  Cas nodded. “Well, to start with, how about I get an apartment in New York, and we can manage flying back and forth for a while? Just take one thing at a time. I’ll pay for the flights, of course, but we might want to start thinking about what kind of role you’d like to take on in the royal household.”

  Relief made those pesky tears want to spring in Matty’s eyes again. That all sounded perfect, exactly what he’d hoped for. A slight worry crossed his mind, wondering if that was greedy of him. But that was his awful parents and useless ex-boyfriends talking. Once and for all, he banished them from his mind.

  Cas told him he was perfect, and Matty believed him. He was a good person who deserved good things. And he wanted so badly to do something that he felt mattered with his life.

  “You mean like the charity work you mentioned?” he asked excitedly. He had to be honest, that sounded way better than ripping ticket stubs or waiting tables.

  Cas nodded. “But I know you want to be close to your family, too, so we’ll just start by dividing our time and see how it goes. Is that a good enough plan?”

  Matty beamed and kissed Cas softly on the lips. “Absolutely.”