Thy Gay Prince

Chapter 2

The dining room is quite elegant with banners of all ten clans and enough seats for an extravaganza. The wooden table was filled with all sorts of fish and bread and cheese. Wine was in every glass and everyone looked happy, well everyone but me.

See, I didn't like my father much. I mean he was a king and all and I was his son but we never really connected. I do believe it's because my mother left him 10 years ago, after that he didn't really connect with anyone anymore. That and my father is deathly sick with a sickness the doctors can't cure and he's making me marry to a young woman before he passes.

So yes, you could say I didn't really have nice feelings for my father after that. His speech was really boring too, something about having heirs to the throne and continuing the blood line. I'm not sure.

So there I am sitting all by my lonesome self because I don't talk to my father. Then a young woman comes to sit by me. I look over to her and she's pretty don't get me wrong but I knew something was fishy about this girl. Her emerald eyes looked sad and she was very slumped into her wooden chair.

"Hello?" I ask the girl.

"Oh! Are you talking to me?" She asks in a quiet, shy voice.

"Yes." I answer.

"Oh well hello." She glances at me and goes back to her plate.

Something was very wrong with this girl. She couldn't have been more than 17 but yet she was shy. She had nothing to fear unless she was forced here. Wait a minute...

"So why have you come to Dountry?"

"Wait you don't know?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Umm how do I start this?" She whispers to herself. "Well your father requested me to be at this table tonight."

I look at my father. He was talking to one of the town clerks to his right for I was on his left. He didn't seem to be bothered or nervous. In fact he was having a joyful time, a little more than the usual.

"Wait one second." I look back at the girl.

"Father!" I call for him.

"Yes son?" He turns to look at me with his brown beard and ocean blue eyes.

They were the same color as mine. And I hated them. I heard my mother had the most beautiful milk chocolate eyes, and I'd rather have those.

"What is this young girl doing here?" I ask.

"Well uhh, son I-I..." He stumbles with his words and I knew enough already.

"Father, you were planning on me marrying her weren't you?!?!" I yell.

"Well it was a choice I had to make for you since you clearly can't make up your crazy young mind!" He yells and the whole room comes to a complete stop.

The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. I glare at him. I hated my father, with all my heart I wanted to be away from him. Even if that meant that I would run away.

"You can't do this." I tell.

"What's stopping me?" He glares.

"Me." Noah comes out from the background.

"Who are you? Little kitchen boy?" My father laughs and so does everyone else.

"Maybe, but you can't force your son to marry someone he doesn't love. It's not right." Noah stands up a little straighter.

"Oh and what are you going to do about it?" My father mocks.

"I'm- I'm not su-sure but I know it's not right and I will stand up for Prince Cade!"

"Noah..." I look at him, wanting him to go away so he doesn't get hurt.

He looks at me too. A little smile appears on his lips. My father sees our looks and pounds his fist on the table.

"My son is not gay!" I turned to look at him, astonished.

His face said it all. He assumed that we were... Together? And didn't like it. He called over Noah.

"Wait father don't do this! We are not together!" I scream.

"It does not matter! A boy who gives my son that look is to be punished!" And with the back of his large hand he swung at Noah.

Noah fell to the floor instantly after contact. His face was already swelling up with a bruise. Purple, blue, and black danced around the injury.

"Father!" I run to Noah cupping his cheek.

"Now boy, that'll teach you to never go near my son ever again. Or the punishment will be much worse." My father stands and leaves the table, dismissing everyone else.

"Noah? Are you okay?" I look at the bruise, growing bigger every second.

"Well my face hurts a lot." We both let out a little laugh.

"Here stand up." I grab his arm and help him up.

He wipes himself off and we start walking toward the infirmary. As we walk we start to talk.

"I am so sorry Noah." I tell him.

"Don't worry about it. Just another scar to show my brothers and sisters." He laughs a tiny laugh.

"How are they doing anyway?" I ask with curiosity.

"Well Anthony hasn't been doing well in school. Keeps getting in trouble with the teacher."

"What did he do?"

"Well he likes to not do his homework and talk back to the teacher."

"That comes with age, I was the same way when I was 12."

"Yes, but he still needs to get a good education." Noah looks concerned.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much." I tell him.

We reached the wooden door for the infirmary. It wasn't very grand. Just a small room with a box to the outside to keep it cool and turn to ice. The small room also had a couple of beds and stools. I looked in the ice box and grabbed some leather. Tying the leather like a pouch I held it up to Noah's face.

"Thanks."

"No problem, it was my father after all."

There was a long pause after that. Something was wrong with him. And I was determined to find out.

"What's the matter?"

"Oh nothing."

"There's got to be something." I insist.

"It's nothing." He looks away from my face and I don't push him any farther.

There's no point in trying to make Noah mad. I know there's something wrong but I won't persist. It wasn't worth it to ruin our friendship. Or whatever we had.