Kings [A Medieval AU]

Chapter Twenty-Three - Breakfast

Dan and Phil don't talk about what happened until they're settled down for breakfast in Phil's private dining room.  Dan silently admires the stained glass windows and basks in the warmth the fire gives off for a moment before turning to the food in front of him, prodding it with his fork.  Phil yawns and reaches out, wrapping his coffee cup in his fingers.

    A couple minutes of quiet pass.  They're not uncomfortable, but a certain tension lingers in the air that makes it hard for Dan to focus.  He continues to poke at his breakfast, resting his head on one hand.  He feels obligated to eat, because so many people in kingdoms around the country have nothing, but his appetite is completely absent.  They haven't talked about last night yet, and it makes Dan a little sick to his stomach to bring it up.

    "Dan, you haven't taken a single bite of food yet," Phil says, setting his coffee cup down.

    "I know."

    "Why?"

    "I'm nervous."

    Phil tilts his head to a side ever so slightly.  "Are you scared to talk about your dream?"

    Dan meets his gaze, mouth falling opening ever so slightly.  He didn't expect him to catch on so fast.  How does Phil understand him so deeply already?  The king of Divum smiles lightly and pours himself some more coffee from the small pot in the centre of the table before leaning on his elbows, intertwining his fingers and resting his chin on his hands.  His eyes are so blue, and his gaze helps some of the tension leak from Dan's muscles.

    "Do you want to talk about it?  It was pretty bad, and you seem fairly concerned about it," Phil asks, tone gentle.

    His voice helps Dan relax even more, and he takes a deep breath.  "Yeah... it was just... about the whipping.  And you and Adrian and my parents and PJ and Rose were all there, and you all hated me and just... confirmed my fears, I guess?  Told me that all the stress I'm feeling is my fault."

    Phil frowns and nudges Dan's foot under the table.  "You know I could never hate you, right?"

    "I know."

    "Good."  A small smile graces Phil's lips before falling away.  "I think your fears and your worries placed themselves in the bodies of the people you care about the most.  And not only that, I also think that you're afraid of disappointing them.  Me."

    Dan laughs breathlessly.  "You have read into me far deeper than I would have expected, Lester."

    "It's been a pleasure, Howell," Phil replies, the corner of his lip twitching up into a grin.  "If you ever need to talk, I'm all ears.  And, if you ever have another nightmare, just come to my room.  I'll show you where it is sometime."

    Dan feels his face going red at the thought of Phil showing him his bedroom and quickly looks away, taking his first bite of food.  It's kind of lukewarm, but it's better than nothing.  Phil chuckles softly and picks up his coffee cup, taking a small sip.

    "So, Chris informed me the other day that it's just about time for a diplomatic meeting in Viride.  King Seán is one of my most important allies, and keeping positive relations is critical.  I want you to come with me for this meeting," he states.  At Dan's grimace, he sets his cup down.  "I know Tenebris doesn't do allies, but I think you might change your mind.  Plus, I don't want to spend days away from you."

    Dan exhales and meets Phil's gaze.  "Okay.  I'll come with you, but only because I don't want to be away from you for that long.  If something more happens with Viride, then so be it."

    Phil grins and gets up from his chair, moving around the table in order to plant a kiss on Dan's cheek.  "Thank you."

    "You're lucky you're so damn cute, Phil."

    "Aww, thanks."

    Phil returns to his chair and Dan continues to eat.  After a few moments, Phil looks back to Dan.

    "Why doesn't Tenebris have any allies?  Do you know?"

    Dan shrugs, then nods.  "When my great-grandfather was on the throne, a war broke out between a bunch of the bigger kingdoms.  Tenebris got betrayed by its allies, and it lead to mass amounts of death.  Since then, we've just supported ourselves and avoided having allies at all."

    Phil hums and sips his coffee.  "I think I remember learning about that war."

    "If you had never heard of it, I would've been really surprised.  It was huge."

    They continue to make small talk as Dan finishes his breakfast, which has only gotten progressively colder since he last took a bite.  When they're done eating, Phil heads to his office to work and Dan tags along, lounging on the couch by the fire and listening to Phil's pen scratch across paper.  Chris comes in eventually and the two of them hammer out plans related to their trip to Viride, Dan listening quietly instead of paying attention to the book in front of him.

    If he's being honest, Dan is kind of excited about going to Viride.  He's never been, and he's heard stories about how beautiful the kingdom is.  And, of course, he can't complain about spending several days travelling and sharing a tent with Phil.  However, he's also worried about the meeting itself.  For as long as he can remember Tenebris has been a lone kingdom with no allies, and now this opportunity to change everything presents itself.  Can he do it?  Can he actually change the way Tenebris has been run for decades and tread a new path?  It's scary, but he thinks he can.

    His train of thought is broken by Phil, who sits on the couch next to him and leans over, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck.  Chris is gone, and Dan is actually amazed that he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice him leave.

    "We've sent a letter to Viride to let King Seán know we're coming.  We'll leave in a few days," Phil says between kisses.

    "Sounds good," Dan replies, running his fingers through the hair on the back of Phil's head.  "You're being very affectionate today."

    "I'm in a weird, cuddly mood."

    Dan hums and wraps his arms around Phil, letting his eyes flutter shut.  Phil continues to press gentle kisses to his neck and face, holding him close.  The fire crackles in the background, warming the air, and faintly Dan can hear the sound of wind howling against the windows.  It's cozy in Phil's office, and Dan couldn't be more content.

    "Hey, Phil?"

    Phil meets Dan's gaze and cocks his head to the side slightly.  "Yeah?"

    "I think I love you."

    A smile breaks across Phil's face and he leans down, catching the king of Tenebris' lips in a kiss.  "I think I love you too."

A/N: Sorry about the slow updates. I'm going on tour soon, so there's a lot of prep that I have to do. Expect some slower updates while I'm gone (from the 17th to the 28th).