He was so lost in his reverie that he jumped in surprise at the beeping sound of his mobile phone. He had a strong feeling it might be either Thomas or Jacob. Those two men were the only people he still kept in constant contact with ever since he entered the palace. He pulled his phone out from the pocket in his slacks. He was wearing one of his brand-new uniforms. Apparently, everyone working at the palace was expected to put on some kind of uniform. In his case, they came in shades of navy blue, black, white, green, or brown.
Have you gotten inside Prince Leonardo’s pants yet?
He snickered under his breath when he read the text message from Thomas. He shook his head in amusement as he typed out a response.
None of your business.
You haven’t then. What a waste! You should tap that ass.
Tristan guffawed as he replied to the text message. He still remembered the conversation he had with Thomas and Jacob on the final night that he lived at the apartment they shared.
I thought you consider him as being too old.
Yeah, he’s old, but his ass looks incredible on the TV screen. I’ll fuck him.
For fuck’s sake, Thom. We’re talking about my employer here.
It doesn’t change the fact that the man is hot like burning.
Whatever. Go away! I have duties to attend to.
You’re not fun anymore. I miss you, man.
I miss you, too. Let’s meet up on my day off. I have two days off every week.
Okay. Later.
He put his phone away and went into his bedroom. His bedroom was situated a few rooms away from the twins and Prince Leonardo. He didn’t own a lot of stuff, so his room was very sparse. It was to be expected, though. After all, he had grown up in an orphanage. Even when he had some money from his previous employment at the diner, he preferred to save as much as he could. As a result, he had entered the palace with only one suitcase and a backpack.
He opened his closet and sighed. He had one nice shirt and one okay pair of pants, but they were obviously well-worn. He didn’t have any other alternative, though. Prince Leonardo would just have to slum it with him during their dinner date later. Besides, he was certain they would be eating somewhere inside the palace, so he didn’t have to worry about causing the prince any embarrassment in public. He made a mental note to purchase something new and better when he had his next day off.
He knew he was being presumptuous. After all, the prince might decide to ditch him after their date, but hope sprang eternal. He really liked Prince Leonardo. He was holding tightly to the possibility that the prince might want to continue dating him in the future, but he didn’t have the courage to imagine anything much more than a few romantic dates. After all, Prince Leonardo wouldn’t want to marry a poor orphan like him. He wasn’t that fortunate.
Chapter 5
“Any issues arise during your meeting with the ministers that your father and I need to be aware of?”
Leonardo shook his head as he chewed the cookie before swallowing it. “No, Mother. Everything we discussed is quite ordinary.”
He had taken over some of his parents’ duties for a while now, which included some of the meetings with various members of the government. The meeting earlier had been productive. Most importantly, it had ended a lot faster than he expected it to, so he was able to join his parents and younger brother for the afternoon tea. He had wondered where the children were, but Mrs. Madeline informed him the twins were having theirs with Tristan.
A short meeting was a wonderful rarity, but that also meant he would be plagued with anxiety about his upcoming first date with Tristan a lot longer. He could at least put the nervousness aside when he had to concentrate on a meeting. Not that he regretted inviting Tristan. He was attracted to the younger man, and he could tell Tristan also liked him. He simply had a few concerns he couldn’t shake off. One of them was the fact that he was eight years older than Tristan. He was also a divorced man with two children. He worried Tristan might someday prefer to be with a man who had less baggage, if their relationship ever got that far.
“Is anything else bothering you?”
He avoided his father’s gaze as he sipped on his tea. “Not at all, Father.”
“You’ve been distracted for the past ten minutes,” Isaac chimed in while smirking at him. “Does it have anything to do with a certain handsome young man named Tristan?”
He was so surprised that he almost lost his grip on his teacup. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
His mother stared at him, which caused him to blush even further. “It does then.”
He contemplated his success rate of denying everything, but he knew it was a losing battle. “I invited Tristan to have dinner with me later.”
His father raised his eyebrows in mock astonishment. “It’s about time.”
It was his turn to be astounded. “How did you all know?”
Isaac chuckled. “You weren’t obvious in your words or actions, but we’re brothers. I can tell when you’re trying to hide something. It doesn’t take a genius to figure you out. You’ve been paying Tristan plenty of attention.”
He was rather bewildered when Isaac stretched out one hand and placed it onto the center of the table, but he was horrified when his parents put a substantial amount of cash onto his younger brother’s open palm.
“The three of you made a bet on us?”
His mother sat up straight and harrumphed. “A queen doesn’t make bets. She hedges on possibilities.”
He stared at his mother in amusement. “Did you just address yourself in the third person?”
His mother sipped on her tea before responding. “I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.”
He snorted in disbelief. “Have you no shame? What dignity were you referring to? Isaac, Father, and you were betting on whether we would get together.”
“Not quite,” his father piped up while picking up his teacup. “We know that it’s a matter of time before the two of you succumb to the mutual attraction.”
His eyes widened. “Then what was that bet about earlier?”
Isaac snickered. “The timing. I estimated it would take you both a week. Father thought two weeks were more likely. Mother, on the other hand, approximated that the timing would be a month because she claimed, and I quote, ‘I know my sons very well. While Leonardo will make a fine ruler someday, he is utterly hopeless when it comes to matters of the heart.’ Thanks for proving me right. I’m going to put these twenty thousand euros in my bank account.”
He gasped. “Twenty thousand…never mind. At least, it’s only that one bet.”
“Not quite.”
He almost choked when he heard his mother’s words. She was now glancing down guiltily at her teacup. “There’s another?”
“More like two others,” his father replied before biting down on a mini egg tart.
He wondered if he appeared as horrified as he felt inside. Then he heaved out a resigned sigh. “How bored are all three of you that you have to…you know what? Never mind. I don’t want to know.”
“That will be best, big brother.”
He was going to respond to Isaac with something sharp, but the words were stuck in his throat. He changed his mind at the last second and decided it would be best for him to keep his mouth shut. Besides, he loved Isaac very much. His younger brother might be taller and more muscular than him now that they were both adults, but he could never shake off his protective instinct toward Isaac. He would always be the older brother who couldn’t stop looking out for Isaac.
He reached out and grabbed a mini egg tart. He would just stuff his mouth with food, so he wouldn’t be tempted to restart the conversation that might end up digging the hole deeper than it already was. His family knew too much as it stood. He didn’t want them to blab something out in front of Tristan in the future, which might embarrass the younger man. He needed to be certain he and Tristan would be able to make it for the long haul, first and foremost. Not
that he was thinking about marrying Tristan. Not at all. He was simply playing it safe.
* * * *
“The…the weather is wonderful tonight, isn’t it?”
Tristan did his best to smile at Leonardo, but he was so anxious and stiff that it felt as if his face was going to crack any second now. “Yes, Your High…I mean, Leo.”
“Are you enjoying the food? If you don’t like it, I’m sure the chefs will be glad to prepare something else for you.”
“No! I mean, yes. The food is delicious. No, they don’t have to cook other food for me.”
“Right. Glad to hear that.”
“Yes. Right.”
He tried not to wince at how foolish he sounded. He might only have a high school diploma, but he didn’t think he was stupid. He would love to attend college, but he didn’t have the money. Aside from opening his own diner, his other dream was to continue his education someday. He truly believed having more knowledge, regardless of whether he would make use of it or not, could only be beneficial to him.
“I…I like your shirt and pants.”
He glanced down at his clothes before responding. “Tha…thank you. I…I like them, too.”
“You’re welcome.”
This time around, he couldn’t prevent the grimace. His clothes were worn and old. They were nothing special. Meanwhile, Leonardo was positively sexy in a nice and expensive-looking button-down shirt that was loose enough so as not to be obscene, yet simultaneously fitted to show hints of the man’s incredible muscles underneath it. Moreover, Leonardo was gorgeous beyond compare as the light from the candles shone upon that aristocratic face.
Tristan gazed at the transparent tent set up in the garden, along with a couple of electric fans to keep the air inside the tent cool and comfortable, before eyeing the delicious food in front of him. There was also a violin player next to them. The food was delicious, and the music was soothing. It was an enjoyable date. He was touched that Leonardo had been thoughtful enough to order for the creation of such a memorable setting for their first date.
“How did you come up with this idea?” he inquired while gesturing all over the tent.
“Internet,” Leonardo blurted out before blushing in embarrassment. “I…I want to be romantic, but I’ve never been good at it. That probably explains why my marriage failed.”
“I see.”
Leonardo gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought up my ex-wife, especially not on our first date.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be. She’s a part of your past. I don’t mind listening to anything you want to share with me.”
“Are you certain?”
“Absolutely.”
The silence stretched on for a minute or so before Leonardo put down his utensils, so he followed suit. “Elaine was a wonderful woman. Even prior to the wedding, we were…well, not friends, but more like acquaintances. I was aware that she never wanted to marry me, but her parents were ambitious. They pushed her toward me in the hope that she would be the queen consort someday.”
“Why did you marry her?”
Leonardo shrugged. “I got along better with her than any of the other women being paraded in front of me at that point in time.”
“What about her? Why did she agree to be your wife…I mean, ex-wife?”
“She told me once that she was tired of her parents putting so much pressure on her, so she decided to marry me in the hope that they would stop.”
“And they didn’t,” Tristan interjected with the utmost conviction.
Leonardo gave him a bitter smile. “No, they didn’t. The public scrutiny of being the future queen consort didn’t make it any easier for her either. She also didn’t like having kids, but she did it in the hope that the media would stop focusing so much on her. She was probably betting on the public being more interested in the children. She never expected the increase in public interest over her after the twins were born.”
“So, she snapped and cheated on you in a desperate bid for her total freedom? Reputation be damned?”
Leonardo didn’t utter a single word for quite some time. Tristan picked up his wineglass and sipped on it before replacing it on the table. He had so many things to ponder and consider in the upcoming days.
“A part of me doesn’t blame her. I mean, I was humiliated. I still feel it sometimes, but I can’t begrudge her to chase after what she really wants, and that’s her freedom to be who she yearns to be. I can’t do the same thing.”
“You can abdicate.”
“No, I can’t. There are two reasons for that. The first one is that I’m not the only person affected. If I relinquished my right to the throne, all my descendants would have zero rights to it. The most important reason, however, is the fact that Isaac never wants to be a king.”
Tristan’s eyes widened in shock at the confidential revelation. “Oh, I see. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Do you want to be the next monarch of Gefrington?”
“I do. I love this country, and I love its people. Do you?”
“I don’t understand your question.”
“Do you love this country and its people?”
His heart thudded at the implication behind the inquiry. “I do. What are you really asking for, Leo?”
“I like you very much. At first, it was…” Leonardo stopped abruptly before dismissing everyone from inside the tent. When the two of them were left alone, Tristan waited for the prince to continue. “At first, it was pure lust on my part. I was terrified that you, a stranger, were at the park with my twins, but I also felt aroused upon seeing you. It wasn’t just your face or body I craved. There was something about you that caused me to almost lose my breath the first time I laid my eyes on you. I hadn’t felt that way ever.”
Tristan’s breath hitched. “Leo…”
Leonardo stared him straight in the eye. “I wanted to fuck you so bad that I was half-hard the entire time we spoke in the living room inside the palace during that first meeting.”
“I…I’m not a prude, but I don’t think I’m ready for that step in our…well, whatever this thing is between us.”
Leonardo smiled in understanding. “Neither am I. Don’t get me wrong. My dick is harder than a chunk of diamond right now, but there’s also a part of me that doesn’t want to take you to bed. At least not tonight.”
He beamed at the prince in return. “Thank you. I need time to wrap my head around everything that’s going on between us. It’s…it’s a huge step for me.”
Leonardo appeared to be a little confused, but the prince didn’t seem intent on pursuing it any further. “Whether we manage to maintain our relationship long enough for sex to occur or even get married to each other, I need you to understand that my children always come first.”
Tristan nodded. “I get it. Anyway, talking about the twins, they were very excited earlier this afternoon.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh-huh. They were very proud of the cupcakes they baked.”
“Chocolate?”
He chuckled. “That, and a few other flavors.”
“I can’t wait to try them all.”
“I’m sure they will be delighted. The twins are amazing. They’re two of the most well-behaved children I’ve ever met.”
Leonardo snorted. “I hired a tutor when they were three. They had to learn how to behave in public and how to speak properly.”
“Why did they stop?”
“They weren’t supposed to. The previous tutor left because he was getting married. Then Helen came along.”
Tristan was taken aback. “She wasn’t just the nanny?”
Leonardo shook his head. “She was supposed to continue their lessons when the kids came home from kindergarten, but I had to let her go. If she couldn’t devote her attention on the safety of my children, then she had no place in their lives.”
“I…I can help the twins with their academic lessons when scho
ol begins again in the fall, but I know nothing about palace protocols, except for the fact that I should bow at members of the royal family when I encounter any of them in the palace. I don’t even know all the correct forms on addressing every member of the royal family.”
Leonardo chuckled. “Don’t worry about that. You can read up on the protocols in some of the books in the palace library. Besides, I’m looking for another tutor for the twins. What I need is for your assistance to ensure the twins are taken care of. After all, I can’t always be there for them.”
“No problem.”
The conversation topic switched to Tristan’s past. He had a strong feeling Leonardo knew more than the man let on, but he indulged the prince. He even showed Leonardo his only prized possession, which was a gold ring with some symbolic carvings all around it that hung on a chain of gold around his neck. The people who worked at the orphanage had told him it came with him when they found him abandoned right by the front door. Leonardo appeared rather surprised upon seeing it, but the prince didn’t have any further reaction to it. Tristan figured the man was just shocked he owned something like that.
He was rather disappointed when their dinner was over, but it wasn’t the end of the night. They ended up spending the next hour in the dining room inside the palace with the twins, who were excited about the cupcakes they baked for their father. He was relieved Leonardo’s parents and younger brother decided not to join them. He wouldn’t know how to behave in front of them because all he craved at the moment was to be as close to Leonardo as possible. He wouldn’t be able to do that freely with the other adults present.
As he took in the sight of Leonardo and the kids, he could feel the strong stirring of a yearning deep inside him. He wondered if he would someday have a family of his own. He didn’t dare to hope his relationship with Leonardo could lead them into matrimonial bliss in the future, especially after only one date with the future monarch, but it was nice to daydream about it. It was all inside his head anyway. Nobody would have to know about it. He just had to keep his mouth shut, and no one would be none the wiser about his silly, little dream of marrying Leonardo. It could be his greatest secret for the time being.
His Fairy Tale Ending Page 4
