Dick had been in the palace for a week. Wally had helped him through the trial, holding his hand and whispering sweet things when there was silence. Seeing Zucco shook Dick up, more than he liked to admit. Wally took Dick to their chambers when the trial was done, massaging his muscles and kissing all over his face.
Wally was very adamant on how much Dick ate. He was set on Dick getting his weight back, and nothing was going to deter him. Dick found his ribs slowly disappearing and his appetite growing. Wally helped him through it all, even when Dick admitted he felt fat. Wally assured him he wasn't fat, that he was getting to a normal size.
Bruce checked in on the consort often. He had taken to the boy, being able to relate to losing your parents when young. He was relieved to see the boy getting healthier, as it meant his son would be happier. Dick had been extremely nervous the first time Bruce visited him, wondering why the king would deal with someone in his condition. Since then, Wally had helped him ease into palace life.
When Bruce heard exactly what Zucco did to Dick from Wally, he was fuming. If what Wally told him was correct, and he trusted his son, Dick was malnourished. Maybe he could get one of the fairies to do him a favor and help. Right now Dick's growth was stunted, making him barely tall enough to kiss Wally. Wally's crown slipped to the bridge of Dick's nose, the band of gold too big for his head. Dick had giggled, but Bruce and Wally knew what that meant. Wally had an average head, so Dick's was tiny.
Dick had been ragged on by Zucco and the two boys about his height and his weight. He was very self conscious of the way he looked, and both Bruce and Wally were trying to help him overcome that. It wasn't easy, but Dick had been through years of abuse. He'd only been at the palace for a week now.
The boys from the house were never allowed around Dick alone. They worked as stable boys, but with someone constantly watching them. When Wally carried Dick to the stables to get a horse, they always had a supervisor. Wally would lead the horse as the two talked in the field, Dick still too weak to walk out there and back.
Wally hated the circumstances that caused Dick to be so small, but he loved how small he was. He could easily lift Dick into a princess style, and carry him around the castle. Dick didn't seem to mind, often snuggling into Wally. But Bruce felt it was unhealthy for Dick to be that small. So he and Wally compromised, and talked to the fairies.
Dick woke up one morning to feel weird. He seemed to take up more of the bed. With a groan, he sat up and rubbed his head. His unusually large for his size head. Dick realized something had happened, and he'd grown. "Wally? You in here?" Dick called out.
Wally walked in. "Hey, darling. You ok?" "What happened? I feel bigger, or something." Dick was shaking. Wally smiled. "That was something Bruce and I were talking about. I'm going to pick you up and bring you to the mirror, ok?" Dick nodded, shaking hands wrapping around Wally's neck.
Wally carried Dick over to the mirror and gently set him down. Dick leaned on Wally and kept the weight off of his ankle, but even then he could tell he'd grown. He paled. "How?" Wally grabbed Dick's hand and kissed his cheek.
"Bruce felt it was unhealthy for your growth to have been that stunted, so he talked to some of the fairies that owe him a favor. They helped return some of your height and weight to you for good, but not enough to make you too big. I can still carry you around, but you're going to be much healthier now."
Dick had grown so he was almost the same height as Wally. He could see his body was bigger widthwise, as well as his muscles. He didn't know where he got those abs, and he had a feeling it was going to take a lot of work to keep them like that. "You ok? Did we do too much?" Wally asked. "No. No, you're fine. I just never thought I'd grow this much. I thought I'd always be the small consort with the crown too big for my head."
Wally chuckled and sat Dick on their bed. He took off his crown and placed it on Dick's brow. It slipped down, but not as badly as before. "See? Still small, just not as bad. Bruce has some of the best goldsmiths making you a crown that'll fit." Dick blushed as he set the crown on Wally's head again. "He didn't have to do that for me." "Yet I want to."
Dick blushed harder and turned around to see Bruce behind them at the door. Bruce walked over and sat by Dick before grabbing his hands. "You deserve the best money has to buy, then some. Believe me, I want to do this. You've been given nothing for a long time. You deserve more than that, so much more." "You two saved me from being a servant for Zucco the rest of my life. That's all I want." Dick smiled.
Wally knew Bruce wanted to say Dick wasn't a servant, he'd been a slave, but stopped him. Dick was happy, and that was all that mattered at the moment. Bruce still assured Dick he'd wanted to do it, and bid the two a good day before going to deal with the problems of his kingdom.
Wally tucked a piece of hair behind Dick's ear. "You look absolutely stunning. I don't know where these muscles came from, but I am glad to see them on you." "They'll be hard work to keep." "I know you can do it. Do you want to go to the field again? I enjoy being able to talk to you alone." Dick smiled. "That sounds wonderful."
