What I Meant By Forever

Loyalty

1871 AD, 1 115 461 days later
"Repeat after me: I pledge myself to the king and promise to do everything within my power to protect him and my country, even if this requires me to give my life in service," the king instructed. The knight before him obliged, and with that, the deed was done.

Two months later and much had changed between the king and his newest attendant. Dream had become a companion, someone who, after a long day, King George could talk to for hours on end and never grow tired. One who King George felt he could confide anything in, no matter how odd or embarrassing, and Dream felt the same.
One day the two were talking, and the King asked the knight one of these odd questions.
"Do you believe in soulmates, Dream?" He enquired.
"I do," the blond answered without a single moments hesitation.
The King thought about it for a moment before making a decision.
"Maybe I do. I like the idea that everyone has someone, even if they never meet," he mused. Dream chuckled.
"Still looking for a Queen I see," he smirked. King George returned his smile, a twinkle in his eye that wasn't there before.
"Maybe the problem is, it's not a Queen that I'm looking for," he grinned.

Fast forward a year and almost every interaction between the King and the knight was in secret. Dream would sneak around the castle at ungodly hours of the night to spend time with his favourite person.
"Can I tell you something?" Dream asked one night, "and it might sound a little crazy."
The two men were perched at the end of the King's bed, facing the window. Outside, the sky was full of stars, but the two were too caught up in each other to notice.
"I'm all for crazy," King George replied.
Dream shuffled closer on the edge of the bed.
"I don't know why, but I feel like we were meant to meet. As if something, somewhere, made sure that we met. Do you get what I mean?" He explained. King George nodded.
"Just like when I asked you about soulmates," he added. Dream was a little surprised by this, but replied, "yeah. Just like that."
He turned to look at the King, whose eyes glittered in the darkness. In his melted chocolate coloured eyes, Dream could see the reflection of the stars.
"Hey, I can see the stars in your eyes," he grinned, and then rushed to explain, "as in the reflection of the sky, of course."
George laughed at him, and nodded.
"I can see the stars in yours too," he smiled, leaning in and cupping Dream's face in his hands, "right there." He swept his thumb under Dream's eye.
Dream leaned in further and connected their lips, tasting sugar and wine and a million things only a King could afford.
After a while, they pulled apart, breathless.
"Looks like we have another secret to keep," George breathed.
"Looks like we do."

Dream woke up, tangled in a mess of limbs and silk sheets, just as the sun appeared over the hills. He gathered his clothes and was getting changed when his soulmate began to stir.
"You're leaving," he noticed.
"The cost of keeping a secret is great, but it's worth it, for a love such as this," he replied before slipping out of the door and back to his bed.