That day…

“Your majesty,” Omari shuddered and bowed his head.

Queen Hortensia stared at him with no emotion on her face. She saw how scared he had become, but his curiosity got the best of him. He peaked at her to see if she was still there and his eyes shone with admiration.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked him.

“Oh, it’s just that I see where Octavius gets his eyes from. He even has your nose,” he said.

Queen Hortensia touched her nose, confused. Many said that all her children looked like their father, never her. Composing herself, she said, “It looks like you’ve been pretty close to him to have noticed that?”

“How could I have not?” He answered absentmindedly.

She looked at him, surprised, and asked, “Why are you here?”

He walked up to his bag and started getting dressed. She did not look away, which surprised him, but he wasn’t afraid. She was the one who was married and so she should look away.

“I’m not stupid, your majesty. If you didn’t know who I was, then you would have yelled and I know for sure that Caecilia told you about me.”

His gaze turned to her after he slipped on his crop top.

“Please don’t tell his highness. I’m only doing my job,” she pleaded.

“He trusts you,” Omari hissed at her.

“You shouldn’t tell him ‌I’ve come to see you,” the queen said.

“There are no secrets between us,” Omari said.

“So he trusts you?” She asked, surprised.

“He loves me,” Omari said and marvelled when he saw the look of astonishment on her face.

“That’s all. I had to leave because you summoned me,” she said.

“What about his parents?” The King asked.

She shook her head, “I have yet to meet them but I want Octavius to introduce his lover to us formally and I don’t think he’ll ever. Especially with him no longer living here.”

“I’m exhausted,” he said. 

Queen Hortensia looked at her worried husband. “Should I have not told you?”

He chuckled, “You said Omari said there were no secrets between them, so there shouldn’t be between us. You’ve held this burden to yourself for so long.”

She sighed, leaning her head against his shoulders, “Your majesty, I just want our children to be happy. We’ve had so many that we’ve lost count. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if we had daughters instead of sons. Once a woman disowns her family, she has a life like mine, or worse.”

He ran his hand up and down her back. He had a lot to think about.

There has never been a gay person in their family, no there is, two of them in fact. He knew that something was amiss with his child, but to find out that it was this?

Losing Octavius over just this?

And he never found out what was wrong with his child. He focused on his crown prince, the second born and the third born, the rest?

He was a failure as a father.

How was he able to keep things calm within the kingdom?

 *

Crown Prince Linus looked at Prince Magnus and saw that he was angry. He looked over the bush and saw his parents get up and walk away. Sitting down on the ground, he sighed, “I never thought things would be this complicated.”

“Why couldn’t he just say anything?” Prince Magnus asked.

Linus looked at him and shrugged. “I don’t know, but it has nothing to do with us.”

Prince Magnus stared at his brother. He had so much to say, in fact he felt disgusted!

 *

Octavius regrettably returned to his office in the royal palace. Immediately when King Demetrius heard of his arrival, he went to Octavius.

Not only him, but Prince Magnus and Crown Prince Linus.

When Crown Prince Linus saw Prince Magnus, he was worried—did he come here to confront Octavius?

They didn’t even knock when they entered and caught a fright when they saw their father there.

The King had just arrived and now there were two more visitors?

What was going on?

“Have a seat,” Octavius showed his brothers the seats beside their father. Usually the king would sit in his seat, but Octavius needed to get things done and his father wasn’t here to berate him or announce a decree of some sort.

He looked at his sons, who just entered and said, “I’d like to have a word with your brother in private.”

Prince Magnus turned to his father before he sat down and nodded his head. Looking at Octavius, he said, “Once father and Linus are done with you, come find me.”

His fingers pushed open the laptop, and he nodded his head. After he left, the king looked at Linus with a questioning brow and it made him hesitant. He didn’t know what his father was going to do or say, but he needed to speak to him urgently. “I’ll wait outside.”

Octavius looked at his brother who was leaving and wondered why he was so popular today.

“Octavius,” his father called. He closed his laptop, giving his father his full attention.

“I just wanted to let you know I will no longer force marriage on you.” He said with a worried frown on his face.

Octavius was surprised. “Why the sudden change? I thought you’d keep on looking.”

He shook his head slowly. “I want to make peace. I’m not getting any younger and your mother wants you back home. I also would like it if I could have grandchildren from all of my sons, but I can’t force it.”

Octavius gazed at his father, confused. He should be happy, but there was no way that he would just let this go without a reason. What was he after this time?

Nodding his head, he said, “Thank you, but I’m not sure that I want to move back home. I just got on my feet and I’m enjoying it.”

“Octavius, your mother is worried. She cries herself to sleep. I’m afraid that she might get sick from all of this fighting and it’s not safe for you to be alone.” He said.

Octavius was afraid to admit to it, but he didn’t care. She never cared enough for him, so why should he do things for her sake? Nodding his head, he said, “I’ll think about it.”

King Demetrius was pleased. He wasn’t losing out this way. Getting up, he walked around the chair, then stopped and asked, “Tell me something, that friend of yours. Is he still around?”

“Who?” He asked.

“The boy from that day at the arcade?” He answered.

“Oh… yes he is,” Octavius stuttered.

“Invite him to the palace. I’d like to get to know him more. We only know Antero and Darren, but they’re grown up now. Nothing much to learn about them,” he grumbled as he walked away.

“Oh, okay…”

 *

Octavius knocked on the door to his brother’s office. “Come in,” Prince Magnus’s voice called from the other side.

He opened the door and said, “I’m here. What do you need from me?”

Prince Magnus looked at his brother, then at the seat in front of him. His eyes moved over to the couch and he said, “Let’s have a seat on the couch and talk.”

Sitting down, Octavius watched him walk over, then looked away when he sat down.

Magnus took off his jacket and chucked it to the side. Stretching his arms out against the backrest, he tapped Octavius on the head and asked, “How are you doing lately? It’s been a while since we’ve last spoken.”

“It’s been years. What are you talking about?” Octavius said.

Magnus raised a brow and moved closer. Leaning his head on his shoulder, he said, “I’m sorry about that. Things have been too busy around here and with my family.”

Octavius said nothing.

He just kept his gaze on the tree outside. Magnus reached his left hand over and glided it up his left thigh to his shirt, and unbuttoned the two middle buttons. Slipping his hands in, he rubbed against Octavius’s abs, saying seductively, “You’ve gotten buff.”

Octavius pulled his arm out and glared at him. “What the fuck do you want from me?”

Magnus grabbed him by the neck and asked, “Since when are you so disrespectful?”

Octavius kneed him in the stomach and stood up. Magnus was hugging his stomach in pain on the couch.

Looking down at his brother, he said, “I don’t need your pity any more and you should stop this shit! You have a wife and children and you’re even fucking women on the side, and don’t you dare ask me to get rid of someone again? It’s time you learn to deal with your own shit! And you call yourself my brother.”

Octavius was furious. He stormed out of the office, but not before he heard Magnus laugh on the couch, saying as he turned around, “Well, haven’t you grown up?”