A Royal Mess (MxM)

10 - Faithful

When Bradlan went to Joelin's room on the order of his father to find out how his relationship with Aylissa was going, making the prince feel like a gossiping girl, he found himself actively seeking out Rahis.

Unfortunately, the only two people in the room were Joelin and that bore Alland. He hated that servant with a passion and knew Joelin disliked him too. Of all the royal family's personal servants, Alland was the worst. Followed closely by Zoria, Sabrasia's. Joelin's old one, Trenin, was alright. He was just thankful that his own, Calin, wasn't half-bad and actually could be quite funny when given the chance. But these servants were supposed to be ones that you liked and could talk to, Joelin just decided that it would be mean to retract the position while every time Bradlan spoke to the servant he was always debating ordering an execution.

"Bradlan, what brings you here?"

Bradlan shrugged. His father was very confusing with his instructions. He told him to get the information because Joelin was more likely to open up to his non-serious brother than his father, but he was also instructed to not let Joelin know that's what he was here for. "I'm bored." He said the first thing that came to his mind, which wasn't a bad excuse and Bradlan would often wander about when he had little entertainment.

"Can't you go bed a whore or something?"

"Too tired for that." In all truth, whores and servant girls began to lose their appeal after he began remembering that drunken conversation with Rahis. Don't get him wrong, he still had his fun, just to a lesser degree.

Joelin exhaled deeply, leaning his arms against the back of the chair he was standing in front of. "Well then, what do you want me to do?"

Bradlan shrugged again, walking over to his brother's bed and flopping down on it, eyes still on Joelin. "Talk?" He suggested. "What's new with you?"

Joelin rolled his eyes. "We see each other many times every day, there isn't much time for new things to happen to me."

"Well I'm sure there is now. I heard talk of you speaking with King Maurin."

Joelin looked at him, confused. "I have barely spoken two words to him since he came here."

"Oh, shoot, that was Rodier." Bradlan mentally hit himself, that was stupid even for him.

"Rods been talking to the King?"

"Apparently." Bradlan searched in his mind a way to bring the conversation back to Aylissa. "I guess having to practice being King and all and trying to build better relations. Speaking of, did you spend any time with her since your incredibly short ride?"

Whatever he did was apparently enough because Joelin didn't seem to suspect a thing. "I have, she and I had lunch today." When the soft sound of the door opening sounded through the room, both Joelin and Bradlan looked towards it. Bradlan found himself disappointed yet again when it was just one of Joelin's servant girls.

"And how was it?" Bradlan asked, bringing attention back to their conversation.

"Well I managed to stay for the whole time so I'm going to say not bad."

"Ah, so you're finally starting to get along?"

Joelin looked away from his brother, ashamed. "I may have stayed still but my level of voice seemed to steadily increase the whole time."

"What? Please tell me you did not yell at the Princess." Joelin's head stayed down. "Your future wife."

"I do not want to marry her. I won't. There is no way for us to get along, I will be miserable with her."

"Well you don't get much of a choice."

Joelin's head finally snapped to meet Bradlan's eyes. "No! You don't get to just sit there and berate me on my situation! Somehow you're older than me and yet this is forced to me! You know why? It's because you are too immature and selfish to do this without father being concerned for a war!" He ranted, taking Bradlan aback. "Just leave." Joelin cracked out after a few moments, ashamed once again, this time for his loss of control.

Bradlan didn't argue or say anything, just stood up and started walking out. He turned back once to see his brother, maybe to try and apologize, but looking at his deflated brother, who was barely holding himself up against the chair and was slouching horribly, hair wild and hanging around his face, he turned back around and walked out quietly.

He didn't even look where he was going, and due to that a few steps later he nearly ran into Rahis. Immediately forgetting what had happened in the room, he smiled and greeted him, earning a short reply. Deciding that Rahis' company would be much preferred compared to that of anyone else he knew, he grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hall into his room before releasing it once inside and collapsing on his bed. Only then did he speak again. "Sorry to drag you from your duties, but I'm bored and can't think of many people who'd want to talk to me."

"Umm..." Rahis looked around for a second, still confused. "It's alright, Joelin might get a little upset though."

"I believe my brother is already at his capacity for being upset, Aylissa seems to drain all of the joy from him."

Rahis nodded. "I feel so bad for him, I cannot imagine being forced into a marriage."

"I thought that people did that all the time in small villages like the one I'm sure your from."

Rahis shrugged. "Not so much anymore. But it still happens I guess. Mostly to girls, so I never really had to be concerned about it, I am worried for Yadentine though."

Bradlan nodded, recognizing the name from earlier, his younger sister. "It seems every marriage here is arranged. I'm surprised that Joelin's the first to have to go through it, you'd think Rodier or I would already be claimed."

"Neither of you are? But Prince Rodier is to be King, and you are a prince, there are no more desirable bachelors than you guys."

"I think due to our high positions it's not due to lack of partners but caution as to who will rule the kingdom." Bradlan reasoned. "Whoever Rodier weds will become Queen of Tana and I fear that my parents believe that I would not be faithful so they believe they cannot pick a lady from a powerful family for me."

"Would you be faithful?"

Bradlan shrugged. "Depends on the situation. Would you?"

"I'd like to think I would be."

Bradlan scanned him up and down. "I think you would be. Based on what I know of you, I'd think that no matter who you marry you will be faithful till the end. It's an attractive quality to have, I guess. One that I doubt I'll ever have."

Rahis couldn't find it within himself to reassure the prince, his face burning. The prince had indirectly called him attractive and made a strange feeling bubble up within him. Only seconds later did he realize that Bradlan was expecting some sort of response. "I can't speak for what will become of you in the future, but you seem nice enough now, at least to me." That seemed to satisfy him as a small smile crept onto his face. "Now, I must get going, if I am any later Joelin just might find it within himself to put an end to me." They smiled at each other before Rahis left politely, leaving a much happier Bradlan behind.