Chapter II

“Do I look alright darling? I am afraid my dress would not be enough to impress the others.” Mrs Wraith asked, checking herself in front of the tall mirror.

“Yes mother, you look good. Why are you giving this too much importance?” Erik rolled his eyes.

“Erik, darling, this is the prince's wedding. How is it not important?” Mrs Wraith raised an eyebrow.

Erik shook his head and flipped his book's page, just staring at the words without actually reading them.

One of his friends who work at the castle told him that Axel was the one the prince chose and since that day he did not go out of his room. He would spend his days sleeping or reading a tragic book. He was only obliged to go out that day because he had to attend the wedding as the prime minister's son.

“My dear, you should wear the suit I prepared for you. I asked the best tailor in the country to make it. With it, I am sure you will catch the attention of all the young women invited today.” Mrs Wraith smirked. “Especially the interior minister's daughter, Jennie. I heard my friends saying that she has an eye on you.”

Erik sighed. “And I am not interested.” He mumbled.

“What are you saying?” His mother frowned. “She is the most qualified young woman in the country. She has everything; she is well educated, rich, and very beautiful. What do you need more?” She raised an eyebrow.

I need Axel.

“I just need to be left in peace, mother. I am not ready to get married.”

“You are almost twenty-four, my dear. You need a young woman to bear your future heirs.” She said, before taking a small pot where a beautiful red rose was gorgeously standing to smell it.

“Do not touch it!” Erik shouted before taking the pot away from his mother.

“Oh, god.” Mrs Wraith widened her eyes, putting her hands on her chest. “What is wrong with you lately? You seem very different.”

“Nothing, mother. I just do not like people touching what is mine,” Erik mumbled, staring at the rose with sad and angry eyes.

“But no one touched something yours darling.”

Axel is mine.

“Everyone! Your attention please!” Leon clapped his hands with a large smile. 

“It is a very big day as you already know.” He started when all eyes were on him. “You know how important today's event is, so you must also know that we have to prepare a very big feast. Let us show our guests who are coming from all over the world how our country Virtus has the best food.” The chef smiled proudly and all the cooks and assistants started clapping and shouting in the middle of the large kitchen.

“I want them to crave our food after they leave the castle, and I also want their highnesses to be proud of us.”

“We will do all our best chef!” one of the cooks shouted.

“Yes, chef. Let us work hard!”

“Will you need any help, Leon?” Nathan asked.

“Um no, my dear. I will just need you to warn people not to enter the kitchen today. I do not want anyone disconcerting us.” Leon said.

“I will do so.” Nathan smiled softly and squeezed his friend's shoulder. He was willing to do anything to help the handsome cook since he was secretly in love with him during years. He still could not forget the day he first came to the castle, saying that it would be an honour for him to cook for the royal family. He said that his dream was to make all the food they desired and always stay at their service.

He loved him for his confidence, his motivation, and his desire to make everyone happy around him. He also loved him for making each of his days inside the castle different and more entertaining. And above all, he loved him because he never left his side. He was always there for him when his work got tougher or when he missed his late parents.

Chef Leon was one of the most amazing and beautiful people he ever met in his life.

“And you, Nathan? Do you need any help? Is Lucian giving you a hard time today?”

“Just a little,” Nathan sighed. “The prince is nervous. He keeps rejecting food and spends the entire day looking through the window. He does not even listen to me when I talk to him.”

Leon sighed and patted the butler's back. “It is normal that he is acting this way, my dear. He is getting married to someone he barely knows and the king is very sick. He must be worried about a lot of things, and you should understand him.”

“Yes, I should.”

“Do you feel comfortable in your clothes, sir?” the court woman asked Axel after finishing to adjust some details of his white shirt and fixing his brown hair.

“Yes, I am alright,” Axel answered shyly. “Thank you for helping me. I am still not used to wear such fancy clothes.”

The maid smiled. “You remind me of the first time I came to the palace. I came from a poor family like you, and I wasn't used to anything here. But Her Majesty the Queen was very kind to teach me along with my other companions all the castle protocols and created these beautiful uniforms for us.” She said, pointing at the white and baby blue dress she was wearing.

Gentle knocks could be heard on the wooden door.

“Can I come in?” Axel smiled when he heard Andry's soft voice. “Yes, of course.”

“We shall excuse ourselves.” the maids bowed and left the room.

“Good afternoon! Oh, whoa!” The knight widened his eyes when he saw Axel dressed in his wedding clothes. “Very beautiful.” He mumbled.

“Thank you.” Axel blushed. He was wearing a long white shirt decorated with black lines which descended majestically on the cloth and on the end of the sleeves which fitted perfectly his black skinny pants and shiny black leather shoes.

“The prince will lose his mind after seeing you,” Andry smirked. “I must admit that he is very lucky.” He added.

Axel blushed and smiled at him.

“You are very kind, Andry.” He said.

“And also very handsome.” He added, shyly.

“Oh, thank you!” Andry dramatically put his hand on his chest and pretended to faint before bursting out laughing, making the younger laugh along with him.

“I am glad that you are smiling Axel, or should I call you, Your Highness?”

“No, no!” Axel quickly shook his head. “It is very uncomfortable. Keep calling me Axel, please.”

“I will,” Andry smiled. “You just looked very nervous, and I wanted to make you smile a little,” he said. “I should get changed now, I will see you later!” He smiled widely before leaving.

The guests were all gathered in the castle's hall. Kings and queens, princes and princesses, ministers and nobles were wearing their fanciest suits and dresses and were all waiting for the ceremony to start.

Leon was watching the guests from afar, smiling widely and watching their surprised reaction every time they tasted something made by him or his assistants.

The orchestra was playing and some couples were dancing or just enjoying the music in their table.

“Oh, lord! Son, you look amazing!” Maya hugged the prince.

“Darling, look at him!” She told her husband. 

“We gave birth to a very handsome son.” The king smiled, looking at the prince in his groom outfit.

“Do not be nervous, sweetheart. Everything will be perfect, trust me.” Maya patted his back. “And Axel looks very kind. I am sure he would not make you unhappy.”

“Yes, I know.” Lucian smiled nervously.

“Everyone, welcome and thank you for coming today,” Nathan greeted the guests. “I will ask you to applaud for our prince Lucian.” He said before the orchestra played music and Lucian entered the hall accompanied by his knight and best friend Andry.

All the guests were clapping, admiring how handsome and elegant the prince looked.

“Who is this young man?” A silver-haired male asked his secretary.

“He is the best knight of this country, his name is Andry Harrington. He is also a horseman and I heard that he is prince Lucian's best friend.”

“I see,” the male smirked, not taking his eyes off the blond-haired male dressed in his official knight's uniform. He felt his heart beat faster when the said man turned and made eye-contact with him.

“Andry Harrington,” the male sighed.  “Andry...”

Lucian sat on his throne next to the king and queen.

“Now let us all welcome our new prince, the new royal family member, Prince Axel.” Nathan smiled widely, staring at the man who walked slowly between the crowd.

Lucian bit his lower lip and tried his best not to look very surprised at his fiancee's breathtaking beauty.

“An angel,” he mumbled to himself, staring at Axel who was approaching him with a shy smile.

“God, am I dreaming?!” Mrs Wraith widened her eyes. “Isn't that our gardener? How is that possible?”

“I cannot understand how the prince chose him among all the qualified young women of this country.” The prime minister shook his head in disappointment. “I hope you would not make the same mistake, right Erik?” he asked his son, who did not listen to a single word of his because he was under a horrible shock.

He was used to seeing Axel wearing his dirty ripped clothes, and with his messy hair, and his face covered with grass. Seeing him wearing fancy royal clothes, his face shining bright like the rarest diamond made his chest tighten.

He wanted to scream and cry, and he wanted to tell the world that this man belonged to him. He wanted to steal him from the prince. He wanted him back.

“Grooms, will you please stand and face each other?” Nathan asked.

Both princes stood in front of the guests. Axel shyly staring at the prince and Lucian doing his best to look confident.

“We are all reunited today to celebrate our first royal wedding after the king and queen's union twenty-two years ago. The prince grew up to be a very kind and modest gentleman loved by his family along with his people. 

Today, he is here to share his heart with a very handsome gentleman, Axel. He chose him among a thousand of young people and promised to make him a very good prince to their people.” Nathan said. “Your Highness, I hope you will share some words with us.”

Lucian nodded and took a deep breath. “My dear people, I would like first to welcome you to our castle.” He smiled and all the guests clapped for him. “You must be curious about why I chose Axel to be my husband.” He added before turning back to face the younger. “I saw something in him that I have not found in the others; simplicity and modesty. Do you know what he offered me? Not gold, not diamonds, and nothing shiny. He offered me his sincerity, and what truly represents him; a flower.” He smiled, making Axel blush.

“I knew he was the prince I would need by my side in the future, and this is why I am introducing him to you today.”

The crowd clapped once again.

Nathan recited his long speech and both grooms made their promises, looking nervously at each other.

“Now, you can kiss.”

Lucian nervously rubbed the back of his neck and stared right into Axel's eyes, asking for permission. Axel nodded shyly, feeling his heart beating faster. Lucian approached him slowly and put a hand around his waist.

“Welcome to my family, my prince.” He whispered in his ear before facing him and closing the gap between them. They shared a very shy and sweet first kiss.

“Congratulations my princes!” Nathan shouted, as excited as he has ever been.

The guests came one by one to greet and congratulate the grooms who were sitting on their thrones.

It was finally Erik's turn. He approached them nervously and bowed. “Congratulations my prince.” He mumbled softly.

“Thank you, Mr Wraith.” Lucian smiled.

“Your Highness,” Erik bowed to the new prince who was looking at him with sad eyes.

“Congratulations,” Erik said, feeling his heart shed into small pieces. He kept staring at Axel's eyes during long seconds, telling him everything through his stares.

Lucian furrowed and stared at them confusingly, a million questions playing inside his brain.

“Your Highnesses.” Erik finally broke his and Axel's eye contact and bowed to both princes before leaving.

“Are you alright?” Lucian asked his husband whose hands were shaking.

“Y—Yes, I am alright, Your Highness.” He nodded slowly.

“I want you to call me by my name now.” The prince put his hand on his

“Yes, Lucian.” Axel blushed.

“My princes, I would like to introduce Daniel, king of Agustus,” Nathan said before a very intimidating silver-haired male approached them.

Andry, who was standing next to his best friend widened his eyes because of the king's allure. He had feline dark eyes, and his hair was arranged in a very strange but interesting way and was wearing clothes different from theirs. 

He looked stunning and very charismatic.

“Congratulations, sir Lucian.”

Andry’s heart beat faster when he heard the king's deep voice.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. It has been such a long time.” Lucian stood up to hug the older. He was the only guest he made a contact with. 

Axel looked at them with questioning eyes. “My prince, king Daniel is a very old friend of mine. I met him in his kingdom Agustus when I went with my father there years ago.” Lucian said and Axel simply bowed to the silver-haired king.

“You chose well, sir Lucian. You chose very well.” Daniel chuckled looking at Axel. “And I see a new face here.” He added, smirking at Andry.

“He is not very new. It is just that you have not come here for a long time. He is Andry, qualified knight, an amazing horse rider and my beloved best friend.” Lucian proudly said, putting an arm around Andry's shoulders.

“Well, your friends are also mine, am I wrong?” Daniel smirked and Andry simply bowed.

“I took advantage of this wedding to spend some days here in Virtus. I like the ambient here.” The king said. “Maybe sir Andry would like to show me around?” He asked, admiring every inch of Andry's beauty. His soft blond hair, his brown eyes, his lips, his sharp jawline, and well-built body.

“Of course Andry would like to do it!” Lucian smiled tapping his friend's arm.

“Yes, with a very immense pleasure.” The knight said.

“I feel like the next days will be very interesting,” Leon whispered to Nathan, staring from Lucian and Axel to Daniel and Andry.

“Yes, very.”