Regiphobia

The Sight

"Goda, get into a nicer suit," Gabe said as he walked into Goda's room. He shut the door behind him, "People are here and I don't want you looking like a mess."

Goda sat up, looking over at him. He hadn't told him about this. He wasn't ready at all. "O-OK-" he stuttered out, standing up quickly.

"Hurry up, too. I want you downstairs in ten. I'll be waiting by the door of the Great Hall."

Gabe left Goda alone, and he limped over to his closet to quickly change. He took off what he had been wearing, then pulled on one of his nicest suits. He only had a moment to glance at himself in the mirror before heading down. He had to wait for the elevator, which filled him with dread. He moved as quickly as he could and came into Gabe's line of sight.

"There you are," Gabe said with a small smile, "Come along, my love."

Two guards at the doors pulled them open, and Gabe lead Goda inside. People quickly noticed the two arrive, and silence swept through the room as people bowed and curtsied to the two men. Goda was immensely uncomfortable with all these eyes on him, as if he could do anything. People went back to their conversations after a quick word from the king to do so.

"This way," Gabe directed, leading him through people who naturally stepped away from him, giving them space. He took him straight to the two thrones placed in the back of the room. Goda sat in the smaller of the two, reserved for the spouse of the monarch. Gabe sat beside him for the time being, in the larger throne.

Goda was silent for a few moments before looking over at Gabe, "Wh-Why didn't you tell me so I c-could get ready sooner..?"

"Is it suddenly my job to keep you up to date on your responsibility?" Gabe raised an eyebrow, looking back at him.

"No, I j-just didn't have a lot of time t-to get ready and I wasn't told in any way th-that it was happening," Goda said, "If I'd known I c-could've looked better for you."

"But would you have?" Gabe turned forward again, but Goda kept his eyes on the other. He... didn't know how to feel. That was new. Usually, Gabe just told him how to feel or made it clear how he should be feeling. Now he was at a loss.

"Gabe-" he started to say.

"Be quiet. Why don't we dance?" Gabe stood, offering him a hand.

"B-But my leg-" Goda said, not wanting to embarrass himself in public.

"That's it," Gabe said in a rushed whisper. He took Goda's hand, pulled him up, and lead him out the back door of the main hall. Goda's eyes were wide as he was dragged out of the room.

"You are the most disrespectful, insolent, rude-" Gabe seethed as Goda just tried not to trip from how fast he was walking. "And to think I thought I could trust you to go to one damn outing!"

"Gabe, p-please, you're hurting me-" Goda said, looking up at the other.

"Oh, am I now?" he said. He stopped in a seemingly empty hallway. Little did the two of them know, Juan had hidden around a nearby corner to eavesdrop. He couldn't help himself.

Goda pulled his wrist back as soon as Gabe let go, rubbing it lightly. "Gabe, I-"

"You're really fucking pathetic, you know that? Absolutely goddamn useless sometimes," Gabe said, "I ask you one fucking thing and you have to around and mess it up, don't you?!"

"I j-j-just-" Goda shrank back, trying to hold in the tears.

"You just what, Goda? You just can't be quiet for five minutes? You just can't deal with this? You just don't know how the fuck to be decent?" Gabe raised an eyebrow.

"N-N-No-" Goda rested a hand against the wall so he didn't lose his balance.

"Bullshit, Goda. Bull fucking shit. You're just a waste of oxygen," Gabe said, eyes filled with anger, "who doesn't know his damn place!"

Goda just let his head fall, mumbling a weak apology.

Gabe sighed, "I don't know why I settle for you, Goda. You're lucky I do. Otherwise, you'd be alone again."

Goda nodded. He knew that. He knew he was alone without Gabe. Part of himself tried to remind him of Juan, but he didn't want to fight back against Gabe anymore. "...I kn-know, I'm sorry, I'll b-be quiet."

"Good. Now, let's head back. I don't want to hear another damn word, got it?"

Goda nodded once more, and Gabe grabbed his hand, leading him back.

From the other end of the hallway, Juan's jaw had dropped. That put that yelling Juan had heard a month ago into context, for sure. He just stared where Gabe and Goda had been. He was genuinely shocked, speechless.

"There you are Juan," he heard his brother's voice behind him, "...What are you staring at?"

Juan looked back to Jose, having no idea how to even start this conversation. "I think I just saw something I really wasn't supposed to, hermangran."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"...I mean, watching the king insult his fiancé for five minutes doesn't seem like something I should be listening in on."