A Friendly Affair [AMW Only]

[Chrinthanium]

A Note From the Author

This thread is intended to be a character maintenance thread for the Imperial family of Chrinthania, which resides in the MT RP group A Modern World. Things that happen here are in-character (IC). Members of AMW who find a way to write themselves into this are more than welcome so to do. This isn't so much a complete RP, but a story arc that will be played out for maintenance purposes up to, but not limited to: character development, internal organization, building storylines for later RPs, and writing practice.

Thanks for reading if you've been following along. If you're new, it isn't that big of a read, so you can drop in at anytime and read through from the first post to the last post and every post in between. Comments are appreciated via TG (please don't post in this thread to comment).

[Chrinthanium]

Mermaid Dunes was the kind of house Nathaniel preferred. Not only was it built right along the beach just south of Surfers Paradise, it was near the people. He liked being around the people. He knew the permanent residents nearby by name. He’d even invite some of them over from time to time for barbecues and dinner parties. These were the kinds of things Nathaniel did that endeared him to his people (even if most would never get such access to him). Not only was it close to the people, he could sit by the pool and watch the surfers and sunbathers nearby as they attempted to section themselves off from the maddening crowds further north. For the most part, the neighbors respected his privacy, though sometimes the occasional tourist would try to get a quick selfie with him.

He arrived about an hour earlier than scheduled, which even for Nathaniel was quite early. He walked into the interior kitchen to grab himself a bottle of lager from the metallic refrigerator. From there he looked outside at the partly clear sky and the calm waters of Mermaid Beach. As he popped the cap off, he took a quick sip only to have something catch the corner of his eye. He cocked his head slightly and noticed an unknown figure with brownish-blonde hair dripping wet from the pool. Nathaniel took a deep breath. His heart began to thump in his chest as the feeling of cold ice shot through his veins. He put the beer down on the counter and backed out of the room careful to keep his eyes on the young stranger.

Once into the living room, he waved for his trusted friend and personal attendant Wilcox.

“Your Majesty,” Wilcox asked

Nathaniel leaned towards Wilcox’s ear, “Wilcox, there’s a strange man using the pool.”

Wilcox nodded slightly and raised his hand, giving Nathaniel the just-a-moment signal with his index finger. He walked toward the window and stared outward towards the pool. As he did, the young man was completing a cannonball into the pool after a particularly speedy running start. Wilcox smile and walked back towards Nathaniel.

“Your Majesty, that is Mr. Shane Jennings. He is a close, personal friend of Prince Ryan, sir. If you recall, you were told of his coming up to the house with your brother.”

Nathaniel’s face relaxed as a smile of relief broke on his face. He nodded at Wilcox and gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. “Thank you, Wilcox. So, that means Ryan is here, too?”

“Yes, sir. And Prince Peter will be arriving later this evening--sans guest. Apparently, the relationship is off again.”

Nathaniel shook his head slightly, “Well, he’s been trying to date models. He should aim for someone less high maintenance and more down-to-earth.”

Wilcox shrugged his shoulders, “Was there anything else I could assist you with?”
“No, Coxy, everything is good.”

Nathaniel smiled and began to walk back into the kitchen. He retrieved his beer from the counter and took a long pull. He then turned his attention back to the young man still doing cannonballs. He raised his eyebrow slightly as he watched him climb out of the pool. He watched as he walked over to a chaise lounge and retrieved a towel and started to dry himself off. Nathaniel was intently paying attention to Shane as he rubbed the towel across his chest and then followed intently as he slid the towel across his washboard stomach.

Just as Nathaniel was beginning to relax, Ryan appeared outside next to Shane shattering the illusions already dancing in his head. He walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa. He grabbed one remote and pressed a button and the shades on the windows began to lower automatically. On another remote he pressed a button and the wooden television stand’s top opened and a 70-inch mounted television rose from its depths. Once it reached an erect position, a soccer match appeared on the television. Chelsea versus Manchester City. Seemed to Nathaniel to be a good one to watch.

“Nate, you’re early,” Ryan said as he walked in from outside with Shane in tow. “Wasn’t expecting you until later.”

“I finished up some business early and went straight here from the palace,” Nathaniel said as he stood up.

Shane, wrapped in a towel and nothing else, just paused in surprise not expecting Nathaniel so early.

“Oh, Your Majesty, I’m.. I’m sorry, sir,” Shane said as he look towards Ryan for assistance.

Nathaniel shook his head, “It’s the beach. Everyone’s dressed like that.”

“Well, I suppose now’s as good a time as any. Allow me to present Mr. Shane Jennings of Melbourne,” Ryan said with a half smile.

“Mr. Jennings,” Nathaniel said as he smiled.

Shane gave a bow, keeping one hand on the towel to prevent it from dropping, “It’s a pleasure Your Majesty.”

“Right,” Nathaniel started, “let that be the last of the formalities. A friend of Ryan’s is a friend of mine. And my friends all call me Nate in private.”

“Guess I should change,” Shane said as he nodded towards Nathaniel and walked upstairs to his guest room.
As he entered the guest room, he slid the towel off, careful to give his boardshorts a quick once over with the towel. He placed the towel on the door knob to the room and slid out of the boardshorts placing them on top of the towel in a precarious position. He saw a blinking light on his smartphone and picked it up and noticed a few text messages. Mostly from his mates asking where he’s at, but there were two in particular, one from his mom and one from his eldest brother, Cooper, that caught his attention

Mom told me what happened, the message read. Dad’s a fucking cunt. If you need a place to stay, let me know. Amber and I have a spare room, mate. Dad might be an asshole, but the rest of us talked and we’re teaming up with mom to work on dad. Don’t let him get ya, mate. None of us care that you’re gay. Also, call mom. She’s afraid you’re not eating.

He slid his finger across the touchscreen and opened his mother’s text message. Shane, I love you. Please come home and let’s talk about this with your father. The family’s gonna set him right. Are you eating, Shane? You were always so thin, I worry you’re not eating. Where are you, honey? Please tell me where you’re at. I won’t tell you father, that fucking cunt. I’m gonna give him the what-for, I can tell ya. Please just let me know you’re okay.

Shane typed a quick reply to his mother. I’m fine and I’m eating, so stop worrying. I’m in Gold Coast for a bit. Had to get away. With Ryan and his brother. I’ll call you tomorrow. Thanks for the love.

[Chrinthanium]

Shane sat in the cool sand as the silvery glow of a waxing gibbous moon shimmered on the water before him. He reached into the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a lighter and a joint. With a quick flick and a long inhale, he leaned back into the sand and stretched out and just stared upwards at the moon. Holding in the smoke as long as possible, he exhaled with a bit of a cough. He lightly slid his hand across the sand almost as if he was trying to gently skim across the sand. He grabbed a handful of the cool sand and lifted his clenched fist high and slowly let the sand filter to the ground. As he took another draw, he felt a cold drop of water splash on his forehead.

“You look a million miles away, mate. You right?” Nathaniel asked as he offered Shane a beer.

Shane looked up and smiled slightly as he sat up. “Cheers, mate,” he said accepting the bottle.

“Can I ask you a question, uh, Nate,” Shane said.

“Sure.”

“How did you do it? I mean, when you came out your father was on TV hugging you. How did you get that kind of reaction?”

“I see,” Nathaniel said as he sat down in the sand next to Shane. He cracked open the bottle and took a drink. Then he wrapped his arms around his knees. “Well, it’s not so much what I did. It’s the person my father was. He didn’t care.”

Shane sighed heavily, “My father does care. He kicked me out of the house and told me that no-son-of-mine thing.”

Nathaniel cleared his throat a moment and took another sip from his beer, “That’s tough. I hear a lot of those stories, Shane. I know it hurts deep. It wasn’t all roses for me. My mother, well, she about had a heart attack and then told me I was going to hell and didn’t talk to me for about a month. My dad, though, he fought the good fight with mom and she eventually came around. Though, she’s not really okay with it. People deal with things in their own way. Sometimes they get it and move on or they don’t. It’s not your problem, though. It’s his problem. Anyone who cannot accept you for who you are, those are the ones who have the problem.”

“Doesn’t stop it from hurting, mate. My mom is gonna try to smooth this over with dad. And my brothers and sisters are gonna try and help,” Shane said.

“That’s good. Better to have a few allies to help you along,” Nathaniel said.

“I gotta small army. 6 brothers and 3 sisters.”
“Fuck me,” Nathaniel said chuckling, “that’s almost a whole footy team.”

“Yeah.”

“Ryan and Peter helped me out a lot.”

“Ryan’s a fuckin’ legend,” Shane said with a smile. “The moment I told him what was up, he was telling me to get my stuff and come up. He was the first friend I made at uni.”

Nathaniel turned towards Shane, “Hey, stay as long as you want or need. But just remember fleeing to Gold Coast won’t solve the problem back home, mate. You’re going to have to go back and deal with it. No matter the result. Sounds like you got heaps of family back home that love you regardless of who you sleep with. The most important thing is that you feel good about yourself. No matter what anyone else tell you.”

“I appreciate that, mate,” Shane said.

Shane offered Nathaniel the nearly-spent joint, but he declined the offer. Shane took a large toke and then exhaled into the night. He tossed the roach into the sand and watched as the red embers faded into nothing. “You’ve got good advice, mate.”

“Years of practice and a team of advisors,” Nathaniel said. “But, the most important thing, as I said, is you being happy with who you are. Doesn’t matter what me or Ryan or anyone else thinks. Not even you father. If he can’t come to terms with it, again, that’s his problem.”

“Doesn’t stop it from hurting.” Shane said.

The smile disappeared from Shane’s face as he took a big sigh. “My dad was my hero. He built a hotel in Melbourne, then built another one in Sydney, then they started to pop up in every town around. He built a family, too. He made it to almost all of our school plays and to most of our birthday parties. Even when it meant a deal might be lost, he still made time for us, y’know?” Shane’s voice began to tremble, “And I.. uh... yeah... looked up to him for that. Family first. And then I tell him and he just.... Just went crazy... He just went fuckin’ mental. He was screaming and telling me I w...wasn’t his son and..... I’m broken. All my brothers and sisters and even Mom can be on my side and that feels good, but.... I fuckin’ wanted to be him, Nate. I wanted to build a business, find love... and just... make him proud. And then.... He just pulled out his checkbook and wrote me a check and told me ‘Good luck, mate. Get out.’ Who does that?”

Nathaniel opened his mouth to speak, but was instantly interrupted.

“Who the fuck does that?” Shane turned towards Nathaniel, Shane’s cheeks now wet with tears. “What kind of father does that to his son?”

Nathaniel reached his arm around Shane. Shane turned his face into Nathaniel’s shoulder and started sobbing. First time in a very long time, words simply failed Nathaniel.

“You right, mate?” Ryan asked as he walked up to the pair.

“Yeah,” Shane said, “just kind of hit me all at once”

“You guys up for a movie? Cockney’s versus Zombies!” Ryan said.

“Yeah, give us a few,” Shane said.

Ryan nodded and went back inside.

“I think Ryan was right about you,” Shane said.

“Oh?”

“He said you were good to talk to. That you might have good advice. He sucks at giving advice,” Shane said with a half laugh.

Nathaniel laughed rather loudly, “His advice is to get pissed. Of course, it never solves the problem.”

“Does help you forget about it for a few hours,” Shane said.

Nathaniel pondered that thought for a moment before he replied, “Well, then let’s forget our problems for a few hours.”

[Chrinthanium]

Shane sat up in his bed, the blanket half hanging from his bare torso. He arched his back and leaned his head as far back as it could go until the soft popping sounds of his spine cracking could be heard. Before him on his blanket-covered lap sat his laptop; cursor blinking in anticipation of the words he was about to write. The body of the email stood very empty, the address indicating that his father was the recipient of the message. He felt the surge of sadness reflect throughout his body, but he fought back the emotion. Now wasn’t the time for angry words. Now wasn’t the time to get into long debates about religious matters and free will. Now was the time to try to see if there was any way to express his feelings without sounding like a little child complaining that his father was unfair because he wouldn’t buy him a pony. After a few more moments of watching the cursor blink at him in judgement, he closed out of the email and then closed the laptop--perhaps a bit too enthusiastically judging by the uncomfortably loud clap that came from it.

With a huff he slid out of bed, his bare feet hitting the hardwood floor with a slight thud. He made his way to the window. Throwing open the curtains he stared out at the beach, the gray overcast skies giving it a dreary and dull effect. A few people were walking, but the beach seemed rather vacant. At that moment a few drops of rain began to splash on the window eventually turning into a downpour causing what few people were on the beach to run for shelter. His shoulders slumped as the weather seemed to mimic his melancholy mood. He firmly returned the curtains to their previous position and returned to the bed where he stretched across it width wise as to allow his legs to hang down the side.

A light knocking came at the bedroom door. At first Shane tried to ignore it, but it began again, this time a bit louder. He rolled out of bed and opened the door.

“Wondered if you were dead after last night, mate. It’s nearly half past 10,” Ryan said with a smile.

“Yeah, I’m good. Just been thinking about things.” Shane said. “Your brother made a lot of sense. Later on this arvo I’m gonna give the old man a call and talk. Can’t hurt.”

“Good on ya,” Ryan said with a smile. “Come on down when you’re ready. We all had a late start, so the staff are gonna be doing up a brunch for us.”

“Oi, you cunts never cook for yourselves, do ya?” Shane said with a laugh.

“Well, Peter tried. That was the first time in 40 years the fire department was at the palace. I’m not good in the kitchen. Nate’s got the knack, he just doesn’t have the time.”

“Tell ya what,” Shane said as he walked over to a duffle bag beside his bed., “for dinner let me in the kitchen. I’m a fuckin’ legend in the kitchen.” He reached into the bag and pulled out a tank top and slid it over his head.

“Deal,” Ryan said with a smile. “I’ll talk it over with Wilcox. Give him the list of things you need and he’ll get them for you. Anyway, I’m gonna go down and eat.”

As Ryan left the room, Shane grabbed a hair tie and put his hair in a makeshift manbun. He grabbed his smartphone from the charger and tossed it into the pocket of his gym shorts and walked out of his room. Quick jog down the stairs and through the living room brought him towards the dining room. He could hear Nathaniel talking on the phone and didn’t want to disturb him. From his vantage point near the door, he could see Nathaniel standing there bare-chested and in a pair of white soccer shorts. The Emperor seemed preoccupied with his conversation to the point he was oblivious that Shane was watching. Shane’s eyes widened slightly. He could feel his heartbeat a little bit faster. He even unknowingly cracked a slight smile.

There was something else, though. Something Shane couldn’t quite put his finger on. He’d seen Nathaniel on television and in the news quite often. He’d always thought Nathaniel was cute, but there was something about this moment. The lighting wasn’t perfect, the hair was definitely not styled, the stubble was visible. It was as if the pedestal that someone in his position always seemed to stand on had been removed. He was not some figure from the television or a news report. Nathaniel was almost normal in that moment in Shane’s eyes. Perhaps even attainable.

His concentration broke when Ryan walked out of the dining room. “Waiting for an invite?”

“It sounded like he was on the phone, didn’t wanna intrude,” Shane said.

“If it’s important, he takes it in the office. C’mon, mate. Time to eat.” Ryan said.

[Chrinthanium]

Mermaid Dunes
Mermaid Beach

Nathaniel sat down on the couch as the latest television show from California glared across the screen. A show about nerds who share an apartment. He tried to get into it, he really did. It wasn’t the kind of comedy he was used to. There were no real limits pushed, no real Chrinthani humor. Still, it seemed a decent enough show. Something, at least, to kill time before Ryan returned with Peter from the airport. It wasn’t everyday that one of them were greeted by the other upon arrival, but Nathaniel thought it would be a good touch. Give the local news something to talk about at the very least. As he sat on the couch half paying attention to the television, Shane came down the stairs and sat on a recliner nearby.

“How hard is that rain?” Shane said as he kept his gaze focused on the windows.

“Did you ring your dad up,” Nathaniel asked.

“Went straight to voicemail. I told him to ring me back,” Shane said with a shrug. “We’ll see.”

“Do you have a plan if things do not work out the way you want them to?” Nathaniel asked.

Shane leaned his head back in the recliner and took a deep breath. The idea of thinking beyond trying to reason with his father hadn’t quite been the foremost thought in his mind. In fact, it wasn’t even on the backburner. The hope and desire was to get his father to see his side of things and, failing that, his siblings and mother working together to force the issue.

Being forced to consider the issue, if only for a few moments, his mind wandered back to an idea he had after a vacation to Bondi beach when he was young of owning a surf shop and living at the beach. As he got older and started working odd jobs, he would start saving some of his money in the hopes of getting enough to do it. When he took a gap year and worked with his father building hotels, he managed to save a tidy sum, but it wasn’t enough to make the dream a reality. The check in his wallet given to him by his father would be enough to start the process--even if that money was nothing more in Shane’s mind than a buyoff.

“I have some cash saved. My parents were big on saving money. Kinda rubbed off, I guess,” Shane said. “And my dad, when he told me to get lost, he wrote me a check. Probably a way of feeling less guilty about all that. But, it’s a good bit of money. If talking doesn’t work out, I’ll deposit it.”

“It is none of my business,” Nathaniel began, “but how much did he buy you off with?”

Nathaniel’s choice of words left a bit of a sour feeling in Shane’s mind, but the truth often hurts. “Well, here it is.” Shane reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He pulled the business check out and handed it to Nathaniel.

Nathaniel unfolded the tattered check. He looked at the amount and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. If this was buyoff money, it was a damn good amount of buyoff money. To the tune of $250,000. Nathaniel looked back at Shane with a curious look.

“Dad called it the family severance package,” Shane said in somewhat somber tones. “I was just gonna tear it up and toss it, but if he just wants me gone, I’m gonna deposit it and build my dream with it.”

Nathaniel handed the check back to Shane and relaxed again on the sofa, “I will not tell you what you should do, but I would not deposit that unless you believe there is no alternative in reconciling with your father.”

Shane returned the check to his wallet and sat back down. Then he stood up again and smiled at Nathaniel. The smile wasn’t just a friendly smile. No, behind it was a plan. Something unexpected, something unplanned, something that gave Nathaniel a cold chill down his spine.

“What?” Nathaniel said hesitantly.

Shane just shook his head and motioned for Nathaniel to follow. Nathaniel didn’t move at first, but the motion became more and more commanding and urgent, so Nathaniel stood up and walked towards Shane. Shane then led Nathaniel to the door to the outdoor pool. Nathaniel looked at the pouring rain and then looked back at Shane, who was already opening the door and stepping outside. As he did, Shane kicked off his sandals, then pulled off his tank top, and looked back at Nathaniel.

“What are you doing?” Nathaniel asked with a slight smile.

Shane again was silent. He slid out of his shorts and underwear and then cannonballed into the pool. When he resurface, he shouted back to Nathaniel, “You comin’, mate?”

Spontaneity was not something anyone would attribute to Nathaniel. Unorthodox,? Yes. Spontaneous? No. In his position, there was a set code to everything. If he acted independently of most of the norms, there would be hell to pay in the court of public opinion. Even the unorthodox Nathaniel was bound by certain duties and protocol that required him to act in a certain manner almost at all times. The idea of skinny dipping in a downpour in a pool that was mostly--but not entirely--obscured from the outside world was not, in the least, at the top of Nathaniel’s thing to do today let alone something he wished the ever-present paparazzi to see. The fear of his naked ass being plastered across the internet was definitely not something he was interested in having happen.

“Oi, do something fun and crazy,” Shane shouted.

Nathaniel took a deep breath and then smiled. He slung his shirt off and disrobed and ran outside quickly and took a flying leap into the pool. The unfortunate problem for Nathaniel being the flying leap turned into a belly flop. From his vantage point, Shane simply had a pained look on his face while trying to not laugh as Nathaniel surfaced.

“When I said fun and crazy, I didn’t mean that,” Shane said. “That definitely didn’t look fun, mate..”

“Fuck me,” Nathaniel said as he winced in pain, “how hard is that water?”

“Pretty hard landing like that, mate,” Shane laughed.

Wilcox, the ever-attentive butler, noticed the commotion from inside and walked over to the door and pressed a button causing the roof over the pool to extend to the edge of the deck. The mechanical sounds caused Shane and Nathaniel to stop their hilarity and pay attention.

“Wilcox,” Nathaniel said. “Always has my back that man. I forgot about the roof.” Nathaniel waved to Wilcox.

Wilcox nodded to Nathaniel and then closed the blinds in the living room. The overhead roof that was still extending outwards was a recent addition to the house. It did provide slightly more privacy from anyone who may be using drones or aircraft to spy on Nathaniel’s activities. It was a modern convenience that only the most private of people would have, but it was one that the Emperor’s Life Guard insisted on having installed. It did lend itself nicely for when the pool was in use on days like this. It kept the rain out of the pool while providing those who wished to lounge outside on rainy day a dry place to do so.

“I am not certain how this classifies as crazy. Fun, yeah.,” Nathaniel said.

Shane raised a playful eyebrow and swam up to a spot just in front of Nathaniel, “It’s not really fun and crazy. This is more the crazy fun I was talking about.” Shane then leaned in and gave Nathaniel a kiss.

At first, Nathaniel attempted to resist, but it didn’t take long for him to realize that he didn’t want to resist and began to return the advance. In fact, he wanted to keep the momentum going. He got a slight shiver when he felt Shane’s hand against his cheek. Nathaniel wrapped his arms around Shane and pulled him in very tight until both felt the moment was just perfect and released the embrace.

“That’s the kind of fun and crazy I was talking about,” Shane said.

While Nathaniel was, of all things at this moment, flattered, there was a moment where he realized that there were many other issues such an entanglement could cause. Namely the fact that this was his brother’s best friend. There were unwritten rules of brotherhood. One of those rules was not to get involved with your brother’s friends. There was also the reaction Ryan would have if things didn’t work out between Nathaniel and Shane. Then there was also the reaction Ryan might have if they actually did work out between the two. There was also the fact that Shane was going through a rather difficult moment and may be misplacing a respect for someone giving him advice for something more. Though, as Nathaniel’s thoughts continued to race, there was one thought that kept spinning in his mind: kiss him back.

********************************************************************

Gold Coast Executive Airport
Outside Gold Coast

The flight had been cancelled the day before due to issues with the equipment. The fight today had been delayed due to the weather. All Peter wanted to do was get to the house and unwind a bit. The fact that he was now stuck on the tarmac because there wasn’t a gate available was infuriating him. For whatever reason, to Peter, it felt like the entire airline industry was collapsing around him in spite of the fact it was a private jet at a private airport that was small and out of the way as not to interrupt the commercial traveller. There were also the Imperial Secret Service--the backbone of the Life Guards--who were waiting outside in the rain. Even with umbrellas, Peter reckoned that had to suck for them. He didn’t even know why they needed to stand outside when he was, quite obviously, stuck on an airplane that wasn’t intending on moving any time soon.

A young woman dressed very smartly approached with a cheery smile as Peter sat in his seat awaiting the moment he could disembark.

“Your Imperial Highness,” she said, “I have just come from the cockpit. Captain Redding says we have about 15 minutes before we reach the gate. Could I get you a drink or something, sir?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Peter said somewhat annoyed. “Unless you can get me off this plane faster than that.”

The flight hostess smiled politely as she replied, “Sir, if I knew a way, I’d be more than happy to help. If there’s any updates, I’ll come back to inform you.” With that she was off.

While Peter was busy fuming at sitting on the runway, Ryan sat in an American luxury sedan awaiting Peter’s arrival. Between the sound of the rain on the roof of the car and the stale air, he was also becoming quite impatient for the whole trip to come to an end. Under Nathaniel’s suggestion, he came along to greet Peter and the local press didn’t even bother to show up. Mostly due to the fact that the rain was so bad parts of the area were starting to flood, some because it wasn’t that big of a deal to have a family of any calibre coming to town for a vacation. It was, after all, a well-visited vacation spot already. They were used to this kind of arrival. Still, it was better than sitting in the house on a rainy day being bored. Particularly with Nathaniel, who would most likely be watching all kinds of sports instead of the movies that Peter and Ryan would watch.

From his window Ryan could see the plane begin to move towards the gate. That was the driver’s cue to move into position close to the door to help keep the Prince from being drenched by the rain. The water-logged secret service maintained their positions without complaint. Ryan was just happy that Peter was about to get off of the plane. He was tired of all the angry text messages from Peter. There was one thing that Ryan was more worried about than the current issue at hand. He hadn’t heard from Shane all afternoon and was hoping he would’ve gotten some news about the phone call with his dad. He tried to call Shane, but the phone went straight to voicemail. The one thing that gave Ryan a sense of peace about his best mate was the fact that he was at home in Nathaniel’s capable hands.

********************************************************************

Jenning’s Residence
Melbourne

Mick Jennings was a large man. He’d always been one of the skinny kids during his youth, but as he built his business, his ability to buy and consume increased. This banded together with his progressing age to slow down his metabolic rate and increase his waistline. His wife, Charlotte, often said that he looked like one of those fat muscle guys always trying to pull a land barge down a strip of highway on the television. Regardless of his physique, he was still the king of his household. So it stood to reason that when his 25 year old son decided to come out to him that the religious man opted to take a hard line and send him packing.

Throughout the course of the previous day and some hours since that decision, Mick Jennings’ quiet life in Melbourne was turned upside down. His wife was not speaking to him and the remaining 9 children (some who were still school age and lived with him) were following suit. His neighbour of 19 years, who had witnessed the more public portion of the display when Shane was pleading outside on the driveway, was also not speaking to him. In fact, he demanded a return of the garden hose and the chainsaw that haven’t been returned since two summers ago. It was a sticking point with Mick because the neighbor still owed him two pairs of garden shears and a retractable ladder and he felt it was an even trade.

Whatever the decision, Mick was a man who stuck by what he said--even if it meant he was on the losing side of an argument. In Mick’s mind, it wasn’t a losing argument from his side (because there was a global Catholic Church that said he was right and any good Irish-Catholic Chrinthani would abide by such guidelines in spite of the tide of public opinion). The fact of the matter was, in spite of any Papal edicts to support his position, the family was in an uproar and everyone seemed against him.

As he sat at his desk in his home office sorting through paperwork, he noticed his phone was off and decided to turn it on and check is messages. The usual messages were there: a few from his secretary explaining that she’d emailed him his schedule for the next week with a few changes and additional items that needed his attention, his sister had called asking to borrow ‘a few dollars’ until next week, and then one message that was quite unusual.

“Dad, uh, this is hard for me to say, but if this is what you want I’ll do as you wish and, uh, never talk to you again. I just wanna let you know that I love you, dad. I’ve always loved you. And I... I... I couldn’t lie to you, mate. I had to tell you because, well, I just had to. And....and I just wanted you to know that. But, um, if you think you can ever find it in your heart to talk to me again, I just wanna let you know I’m cool with that, too. So, call me if you want to. I’m up in Gold Coast with a few mates right now. Tell mom I love her, too.”

Mick put his phone down and just stared at it. He had a lot of emotions flowing through him in that instance. There was nothing more he wanted to do than to just be done with the situation. He thought about how he could have still gotten his point across without being as heavy-handed in the matter, but at the same time such an idea was foreign to him. His own son, the one who worked the hardest, did the best work, and was always the one he could trust in a pinch had just told him that he was gay. It was something that hit him out of left field. There were no plays in his playbook for such a moment. He was a Catholic man, a devout one at that. This was against everything the Church taught and promoted. There were spiritual consequences for his son that he couldn't bare to think about. But Shane was still his son and, at least Mick felt that he could still love him as such. He wasn't ready to make the call to Shane. Not yet. He needed time. Even with his entire family in an uproar against him, he had to process the new reality and work from there.

He did opt for a text message.

Shane, got your message. Will call soon.

[Chrinthanium]

Mermaid Dunes

Nathaniel's room, quite obviously the largest of all, was in tatters. Pillows had been tossed around like rag dolls. The bedsheets were hanging in precious positions from the edges of the bed. The mattress itself had become askew with its base. Somehow, even a lamp managed to find its way into a leaning position on the floor, it's shade cocked to one side in judgement. In the bed itself, Shane lie flat on his back with his hands behind his head while Nathaniel sat up in bed, the one remaining sheet covering him where it counted.

"You're joking," Shane said laughing.

"No, I wish I were. So, the British Ambassador was covered in marinara sauce. He was sitting next to my dad. It was quite embarrasing for my dad because he liked to run a tight ship. Of course, I was just the other side of the ambassador's wife trying my hardest not to laugh. And then my father, without missing a beat, turns to the Ambassador and says want some garlic bread with that. The ambassador just sat there looking stunned."

"What happened to the server," Shane asked.

"Last I heard he was managing a Macca's in Townsville."

Shane sat up in the bed and turned towards Nathaniel, his head slightly cocked. On Shane's face was a half smile. "So, uh, how do this work?"

"How does what work," Nathaniel asked. Shane just raised his eyebrows and rattled his head back and forth slightly a few times. "Oh, this. I suppose it depends on what we both want from whatever this is."

"Terms and conditions apply," Shane said with a friendly laugh. "Right, I just think we could be mates with benefits, if that's something you'd do. Not sure I really wanna go into anything more involved than that right now."

Nathaniel smiled, "That is definitely something to which I can agree. The last relationship I had, well, I am certain you heard the news on telly. It was everywhere."

"I did," Shane said, "but, that's what happens when someone is a cunt to ya. They lose ya." Shane took a deep breath, "So, let's keep it mates with bennies."

"Just, let us both agree that, in the future, if one of us wants out or something more that we are honest about it. I think that is a fair request." Nathaniel said.

"No worries, mate," Shane said.

"Oh, one more thing," Nathaniel said in a partially-stern voice. "You may tell whomever you like about this. That will always be your right. As far as the palace is concerned, as far as I am concerned, there will be no comment. The palace never comments on my personal life and I will never answer questions about it from the press. I just need you to know that."

Shane leaned in and gave Nathaniel a quick peck on the cheek, "She'll be right, mate. I'm not gonna tell anyone about this. After all, it's just a bit of crazy fun between two mates."

********************************************************************

Luxury Sadan En-Route to Mermaid Dunes

The Chrinthani mainland was a particularly particular landmass. It was known for its copious amounts of sunshine, beaches, and outback. The sunshine could go for weeks on end with nary a cloud in sight. Then, without much fanfare, the rains would come. And come they would. The price sometimes paid for having the world's largest beach resort was the rain coming all at once. And this was one of those times. Road around the area were going from heavily-traveled to water-covered faster than the traffic could adjust. Also it was flooding faster than the emergency services could combat. And because the emergency services couldn't combat the flooding fast enough, the roads began to back up. The most important roadway, and the one that lead directly to the house, was blocked not by flooding itself--though, that was the fear, too--by a B-double that had jackknifed and took out a sports car.

"You right mate," Peter said to the driver. "I think we passed this intersection three times in the last 10 minutes."

"Petey," Ryan said as he shook his head, "how rude you gonna be, mate?"

The driver, to his credit, just continued driving according to his intuition. Or, perhaps, the driver was just moving in any direction to keep the two boys in the backseat as quiet as possible. Either way, it was becoming quite evident that the driver could be one more turn away from being sacked upon the completion of the ride if Peter had his own way.

"Bloody drive," Peter shouted, "I'm not trying to be a wanker, but I was supposed to be at the house an hour ago."

"Fuck's sake, Petey." Ryan said. He turned towards the driver, "Mate, just get us there in one piece and ignore my idiot brother." Turning his attention back to Peter, "You're not gonna be happy unless you call Nate and he sends in the army to get us."

"Do you think he would," Peter said.

[Chrinthanium]

Mermaid Dunes

The car pulled into the driveway. Two hours later than expected with the rains still pelting the ground in a raucus tone. The driver stepped out of the car and deployed his umbrella in a quick, fluid motion. He stepped to the rear door and assisted Ryan first until he was safely under the awning and then returned to repeat the process with Peter. As Peter approached the door, his eyes locked on the door to the house. He took a deep breath and proceeded to open the door. Upon entering, Nathaniel was seated on the sofa, in his hand a well-read newspaper. As he heard the door, he turned towards it and cracked a slow smile as his brothers entered.

"About time," Nathaniel said, "I was about to send out a search party."

"Mate," Peter said as he laughed nervously, "just fuckin' happy to be here, I can tell ya. The roads are flooding."

Peter quickly turned towards the stairs and ran towards his room. Ryan walked over to the couch and slumped down on it beside Nathaniel.

"Petey's a little bitch," Ryan chuckled. "I bet that driver asks for a new detail after this."

As Ryan regailed Nathaniel with the story of trying to get to the house, Shane stretched out in his bed, a smile still on his face. He could still feel Nathaniel's kiss against his lips. He remembered the tingling sensation as Nathaniel's warm breath caressed his neck. It still felt as if Nathaniel were pressed to him. These thoughts consumed his mind. His hand slid across his own chest as the replay continued. His hand slowly moved down his torso as he began to lick his lips slightly. His pulse began to beat faster as his breathing became more shallow and more frequent. He felt flush.

And then his eyes opened sharply as he looked around and was alone in his room. He took a deep breath and shook his head. With force he flipped onto his side and stared at an empty side of the bed. His smile turned into a frown as he curled up under his covers. He sighed as he remembered the conversation afterwards and how everything was laid out and clearly defined. He ran his hands through his hair as he pinched his lips together. He clenched his jaw as he realized that he'd never felt that way with anyone else and it was already seeming like there would be nothing more than benefits. But what benefit would it be if there was a chance and Shane did nothing to act on it? What benefit would it be if he simply continued on trying to act like nothing had happened when, in fact, something had? Just an hour removed from the conversation he was already regretting his decision.

[Chrinthanium]

As the afternoon flowed into evening, the kitchen was a flurry of activity. Shane stood at the marble and steel island as pots bubbled and billowed steam before him. With effortless grace he danced through the kitchen as though an orchestra was playing a light and feathery waltz. Behind him, the two steel double ovens stood like sentries on either side of a counter space and sink. A single kitchen staf member assisted as well as any diligent sioux chef. Things were blending together in seamless fashion as the smells of steaming veggies and citrus floated into the dining room next door. While Shane cooked, there was a certain glow about his face; an illumination so bright it could almost be considered as a religious experience for the young man who seemed most at home in the grand kitchen. In the distance Wilcox stood waiting for the cue that dinner was ready. With a quick glance and a giant smile, Shane noddedd at Wilcox to call the brothers Thornton for dinner.

Wilcox found the three young men in the living room playing a video game console dealing with all kinds of random violence in a city that looked remarkably like the visions of Los Angeles seen on television. He cleared his throat gently which caused Nathaniel to peek up from his current activity. With a quick tap on Ryan and Peter's shoulders, the boys saved the game and progressed into the dining room. The room itself was simple and casual. Light colored walls, soft lighting, glass table with contemporary chairs in a dark gray. Ryan and Peter opted to sit beside each other while Nathaniel took a spot across from them. As he sat down, Wilcox and the attentive temporary sioux chef began to bring in a mixed green salad served on square plates that curved upwards slightly at each corner. The black underside of the plates looking complimentary to the red top of the plates.

As Wilcox began to hand out the plate, Shane brandished a cocky smile as he noticed the seat beside Nathaniel was open. He stopped just before sitting down and looked at Nathaniel. Shane shifted his eyes towards the seat asking permission to sit. Nathaniel responded with a simple hand gesture towards the chair. Taking his seat, Shane reached for the linen napkin and slid it out of its holder. He folded it in half and then draped it over his lap. As he began to remove his hands from under the table, he lightly slid his hand along Nathaniel's knee cap. This caused Nathaniel to jump from the unexpected advance which caused his legs to hit the underside of the glass table with a jolt causing everything on the table to bounce slightly making a terrible clacking sound.

"You right," Peter asked as he prepared to take a bite.

"I am, Peter. Just a jumpy muscle. Went outside to get something that had blown by the pool and got attacked by a magpie." Nathaniel said. "Hyper-extended my knee a bit. Kind of still painful."

"A magpie? In the rain?" Peter asked.

"Damndest thing," Nathaniel said as he shot Shane a what-are-you-doing look. Shane, for his part, smiled briefly at Nathaniel and turned towards the food.

Peter took a sip from the bottle of lager sitting before him. He looked across the table innocently and noticed Shane as he spoke with Nathaniel. It struck him as he noticed Shane's eye seemed to shine, then gloss over and soften as Nathaniel spoke. Shane's entire posture seemed to ignore the fact there were two other people sitting across from him. Even when Ryan entered the conversation, the looks from Shane to Ryan were very brief and always seemed to return to the general direction of Nathaniel. Peter pondered this as the meal progressed. There was a calmness about the situation. Nothing alarmed Peter. He seemed to almost chalk it up to another young man who may be attracted to Nathaniel. Somewhere just after the main course, Shane stepped into the kitchen to check on dessert while Nathaniel excused himself from the table for a moment.

"I think your mate's got the hots for Nate," Peter said quietly to Ryan.

"Shane? C'mon, he's got better taste than that," Ryan joked. He looked at Peter whose face was emotionless and stoic.

"Nah, mate, Shane's got it bad for Nate. Last time I saw that look was from Sonja."

Ryan tried not to laugh, "Wasn't she the one who dumped you for an underwear model from Paris?"

Peter cleared his throat as he checked to see if either of the missing people were returning. "Beside the point, you fuckin' cunt. How are you gonna feel if your brother and your best mate go off to root tonight while you're trying to sleep?"

Ryan shrugged as he took a sip of wine. "That's fucked that you'd even say that. Still, they're both adults. The only problem is if it goes down the dunny. I could lose my best mate or my brother. Bit shit if you ask me."

It was at that point Shane returned with Wilcox in tow. "I present to you my own homemade Lamington."

[Chrinthanium]

Shane sat on the couch, slumped somewhat and slid down enough that his feet extended well beyond the edge of the sofa. He stared at the window, the sound of the rain finally dissipating as he did. In his hand he held his smartphone with the message from his dad open. He other hand rested on his face, covering his eyes. He wiped his hand down his face as he took a large sigh. The idea of his father contacting him was, suddenly, more frightening than getting no answer. What if his father called him and went back into a tirade about things that Mick Jennings couldn't possibly understand? What if he decided to reinforce his earlier position? What if the call never happened and this was nothing more than a big kiss off in a cruel way by giving his son some hope? So many questions raced through Shane's head as he just sat there in the mostly dark room.

"You right," Ryan said as he stood off to the side almost entirely in the dark.

Shane shrugged at Ryan as he motioned halfheartedly towards the smartphone in his hand. "My dad says he'll talk to me soon. No idea when that is or what it means."

"That's good, though. Maybe he just needs time?"

"It's been two days. And there's nothin', mate. Nothin' that makes me feel he's gonna change."

Ryan nodded and sat down beside Ryan on the couch. His eyes darted to and fro as he kept opening his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He leaned his head down and started to nod it slightly. He turned towards Shane and put his hand on Shane's shoulder.

"Do you remember Lizzie MacDonald?" Ryan asked.

Shane raised an eyebrow as he tried desperately to remember who she was. He snapped his fingers a few times as he started to recall. "Yeah, that chick Sophomore year that wanted me soooo badly."

"Yeah, that's the one," Ryan said with a slight smile. "I remember when you came out to her. Mate, she looked shattered. Like she'd just gone completely mental. Took her a while to come around, but she did. Same thing with a few of our other mates. People react differently. Maybe your dad just needs that time. Maybe he just felt blasted by something he wasn't expecting and now he's gonna process it. I remember when Nate came out to me. He was so afraid we'd hate him or something. Peter and I kind of knew already, but when he said it, well, we just kind of were thrilled he told us. Dad was the same way. Our mother, on the other hand, went off. Then she came around."

Shane made an agreeable sigh. "I know, mate, but it's driving me crazy. Like, Mom's been giving him hell for it and Cooper's basically stopped talking to Dad. Nick-o and Noah are trying to get me to come back home and Emma just won't stop crying in her voicemails. It's like he doesn't know he's tearing the family apart. I wish I had been straight. Then everything would be right."

Ryan took a deep breath. He wasn't that kind of person. Ryan was more the jokester, the clown, the troublemaker. He wasn't good on heart-to-heart talks. That was Nathaniel's territory. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to have Nathaniel show up and take over, but here Ryan was trying to be there for his best friend. Of course, the thought of Nathaniel showing up reminded him of the conversation Peter had with him earlier. "Your dad just needs time, Shane. He'll come around and realize he's being a cunt and she'll be right. He always comes around. Remember when you crashed your car? Took him two weeks before he even spoke to you again."

"But he didn't tell me to get out of the house. It was a rough night, but it wasn't like this. And this isn't a car," Shane protested, "It's me. His son. His fuckin' flesh and blood. Cooper, as much as I love that cunt, he wanted nothing to do with the business. Nick-o wanted to help, but he's useless, mate--a bloody drongo. After two hours of work, he was rushed to the hospital because he managed to nailgun himself. So, dad put it on me and I did it because I liked it. I was there for him when the chosen ones told him to fuck off. I did more for him than anyone of my siblings. And he fucking kicks me out because I like blokes? Then he has the nerve to tell me he'll talk later? I'm his fuckin' son, mate. The good son who did everything his dad wanted. Fuck me, mate. This just fuckin' hurts. And if it wasn't for you and Nate, I'd probably be hanging from a ceiling fan in some shitty motel room."

"Mate, that's not on," Ryan said indignantly, "I'd be fucking pissed at you if you did that. And that doesn't solve the problem."

Shane nodded in agreement," I know. That's why I came to you. I figured you'd get me drunk a few times and we'd play video games all day. Then you said Nate was coming and that I should talk to him. Like I said, you two cunts kept me from going over the edge."

Ryan chuckled slightly, "I didn't do much."

"You did, Ry. You probably don't realize it, but you did. Just answering your phone and dropping everything to come and get me. Means a lot, mate."

Ryan smiled. "Been through some shit. If we had a beer for every time we caused trouble and got out of it, we'd be alcoholics."

"Drunks, mate. Alcoholics go to meetings," Shane said.

"You right?"

"Ry, I will be. Think I'm gonna head up soon. Maybe this rain'll be over tomorrow. I need the beach in my life right now." Shane said.

"Right, then, I'm off to bed. G'night." Ryan stood up and walked upstairs.

Shane reached onto the coffee table and took a drink from his beer bottle. He got up to take the bottle to the recycling bin. As he did, Nathaniel came downstairs. Nathaniel's hair was rather all over the place and he seemed to be a bit uncertain in his steps. To Shane he looked like a zombie that hadn't quite gotten the transition right. Nathaniel stopped once he realized Shane was in the living room.

"You still up," Nathaniel asked.

"Yeah, talking with Ryan. Not as good as talking to you, but he's got good points. Hey, sorry about dinner. Didn't mean to startle you. Was just messing about."

Nathaniel nodded sleepily, "No worries." Nathaniel lumbered forward a few more steps before he stopped again, "Just about to have another slice of that Lamington you made. Damn good, Shane. You got a knack for cooking. Care to join me?"

Shane nodded, and followed Nathaniel into the kitchen. Shane took a seat at the small table in the kitchen as Nathaniel grabbed the platter, two plates, and a couple forks and then followed suit.

"The PM just called me and I have to wait for him to call me back. Seems the flooding is pretty bad in areas. Might have to do some official business tomorrow." Nathaniel said as he sat down.

He took a piece and put it on a plate and offered it to Shane, and then served himself. As he took the fork and sectioned off a piece, Shane looked up at Nathaniel. "Must be a busy life. Always doing things, going places, dealing with emergencies and all."

"Definitely a full-time job," Nathaniel said. "You know, everyone sees the parties and the state dinners and all the pomp and circumstance. They see that fairy tale life that someone in my position is supposed to lead. They do not see all the work that goes into it. All the times that it caused me to have to put my duty before myself. Kind of why my last relationship fell apart."

"Didn't know," Shane said. "Outside of what the news said."

"Good old news," Nathaniel said as he placed a bite into his mouth, "always getting the story without having the facts. Still, they did not blame him or me. They chalked it up to different interests. I was interested in him, he wanted some uni freshman who played rugby. Guess that counts as different interests. It did not seem to matter that most of it stemmed from him not being able to deal with me doing what I have to do. He could not handle all the press and lack of privacy and all the functions. Sometimes it goes like that, Shane."

"Maybe you need a guy who understands your position, who understands that you've gotta lot to do, someone who knows what it's like to always be going somewhere." Shane said as he smiled.

"I am beginning to wonder if that guy exists," Nathaniel said. At that moment, Nathaniel's mobile began to ring. He reached into the pocket of his sweatpants and looked up at Shane, "I have to take this." Nathaniel stood up and answered as he began to walk out of the kitchen towards his office.

Shane sat at the table and took a bite of the cake. He nodded his head slightly and looked back at the empty chair once occupied by Nathaniel. "Maybe you need a bloke like me." He sighed as he continued to eat his cake.

[Chrinthanium]

Jennings Residence, Melbourne
The next day....

Pictures on a wall capturing moments of joy and happiness, of pride and celebration, and of family and togetherness. In the Jennings household, there were copious amount of such images. Framed, protected from the elements, lining a wall that ran the entire length of the living room and nearly reaching as high as the tallest person in the house could reach. The pictures, each one a single split second of time, were precious memories and, as far as Mick Jennings felt, made the house a home. He’d never given them too much thought after they were put into place. He’d never studied them or taken much time to relieve those moments via trips down memory lane. For some unknown reason, he felt the urge to breathe them in. His eyes scanned the numerous images until they rested upon one image in particular. In the picture, he stood beside Shane outside of the first hotel Shane had helped him build in Penrith. He gazed at Shane and chuckled at the giant smile on his face. Mick’s eyes fixated on Shane and that silly grin.

He also thought back to the conversation a few days ago. It wasn’t every day that anyone in the household outside of Mick himself called the whole family together. In fact, even Mick had rarely done it. When Shane called the meeting, he thought it was Shane ready to announce that he’d found a new place to live or that he’d met a girl or that he got a girl pregnant. Of a thousand different thoughts as to what the important meeting could be about, Shane coming out of the closet was not one of them. Mick didn’t know how to process the news. It felt like a kick in the teeth from a mule. Here was his protege suddenly issuing life-changing news. What would the guys on the site think? How would they react? What would the neighbors think? The people in the Diocese?

One thing was for certain, his decision had caused his whole family to cut off communication with him. As he turned from the pictures before him, he saw the pillow and blanket back on the couch and another handwritten note from his wife, Charlotte, stating the only way he could come back to the bedroom was to bring Shane home. There were problems mounting on top of problems. Children were ignoring him, his wife was disowning him, and even the dog seemed to be avoiding him.

None of them understood, though. None of them understood what he knew from childhood. He remembered being a little kid and his grandfather took him fishing. He remembered how his grandfather taught him how to cast his line and reel in the fish and clean the fish. He remembered the day two men were found floating in the river. He could still see the bodies as they floated by, tied together. His grandfather said nothing about the bodies other than “Faggots, serves them right.”

The sound of a snapping finger beside his ear jerked him out of his thoughts. “Where are you? I’ve been calling you for five minutes,” Charlotte said.

“Just.... remembering when I was a boy and that time by the river,” Mick said quietly. “I don’t want that for my boy. I don’t wanna hear they fished him out of some river because some idiot.....”

Charlotte put her arm around Mick, “Then call him and talk to him. Tell him that story and that’s why you feel the way you do. Don’t hide behind religious conviction. I reckon thee last time you went to mass, we only had 8 kids.”

“Been that long?” Mick said.

Charlotte nodded in agreement, “Now, go talk to my son... our son... and tell him how you feel and why you went crazy. Unless you want to spend the rest of your life on that couch.”

***

Mermaid Dunes

Shane put the smartphone down on his bed. The watery lines were still visible along his flushed cheeks leading to red eyes. He lept from his bed and ran out of his room and stormed down the stairs and came to a stop in the living room where Ryan, Peter, and Nathaniel were watching a movie.

“My dad called,” Shane said as his chest heaved and he gasped for air. “We had a good talk. He doesn’t hate me! He wants me to come home!”

Ryan jumped up and smiled, “Right on, mate!”

“That is excellent news,” Nathaniel said with a large smile.

“Good on ya,” Peter said. “Too bad that the airport is closed until the flooding stops.”

Nathaniel elbowed Peter in the ribs and shook his head in a displeased manner. “Though, in spite of his lack of tact, Peter is right. Nothing is coming in or out and there are a lot of roads under water right now. The rain will probably not let up for a few days.”

Shane cleared his throat as he broke into a smile, “There’s always a fuckin’ catch, mate.”

“I can assure you that PM Pledger and the governor are working to get things moving again, but the floods have to stop rising first. I cannot even get back to the palace right now,” Nathaniel added. “Might as well make the best of it, though. Let us celebrate Shane’s good fortune!”

“I like what I’m hearing. Nothing like a couple of coldies to make any day better, I can tell ya,” Peter said.

***

The Next Morning...

One of Nathaniel’s eyes cracked open, the ceiling illuminated by sunlight. He popped open the other one after some struggle. He looked towards the window and saw filtered sunlight, something which gave him immeasurable joy. Though, something didn’t feel right. It was like there was something heavy about his arm. In fact, something felt like it was clasping him tightly, refusing to let go. He turned his head and saw Shane wrapped around him, snoring lightly. In that moment, Nathaniel froze. He didn’t want to wake Shane. In fact, he kind of liked seeing him sleeping there. It had been a while since he woke up next to someone. Particularly someone who was as cute as Shane. So, he did what he felt he should do: he leaned close and gave Shane a kiss on the forehead. Shane shifted slightly, tightening his grip on Nathaniel... if that was even possible at this point.

“Good morning,” Shane said half asleep. At least, to Nathaniel, it sounded close enough to good morning. Shane’s eyes opened slowly. He drew one arm close to himself and rested his hand on Nathaniel’s chest and started lightly rubbing back and forth.

Nathaniel said nothing. He just looked at Shane, still mostly asleep. There was peace in that moment. There was contentment in that moment. There was also the voice of Ryan in the hallway talking to Peter. This caused Nathaniel some distress as he knew Ryan didn’t even suspect anything and, if Ryan should just walk in, which he was known to do, to wake up Nathaniel, such a sight could be a shock. He calmed down when the voices disappeared downstairs. Shane, for the most part, didn’t even move. And, Nathaniel didn’t want him to.

[Chrinthanium]

Sunshine, like an old friend unseen in years, made a triumphant and joyful return to Gold Coast. The news that nearby waterways were still rising was chief concern, but the return of sunshine meant that the worst, for all intents and purposes, was over. Rescue and recovery were now the plan. The Government at both the provincial and central levels began to organize every available resource to find those trapped and missing in the waters. From his office at Mermaid Dunes, Nathaniel sat diligently monitoring the situation as he would if he were back at the palace. In spite of the figurehead role the Emperor of Chrinthania maintained, there were still items that required his approval and assent before their implementation. In this instance, he needed to be ready to give verbal authorization as quickly as possible. As Commander-in-Chief of the Chrinthani Defense Forces, he needed to issue certain orders. Lives were at stake. After 700 mm of rain in 48 hours, the situation couldn’t be more dire for some and he was not going to let anything die because he didn’t move quickly enough. Furthermore, once he could get to a heliport, he was going to view the flooding himself.

A simply knock came at the office door. After Nathaniel gave his permission to enter, Shane walked in carrying a small plate with toast and a cup of tea.

“You didn’t eat anything this morning, thought you could use something,” Shane said as he gingerly placed the items on the desk.

Nathaniel smiled lightly as he viewed the tea and toast. “Vegemite on toast and tea. A truly Chrinthani breakfast. Cheers, mate.”

“No worries,” Shane said with a smile, “so, I guess I’ll leave ya to it.”

“Hey,” Nathaniel said, “I, uh, just wanted to say that I am very, very happy your father seems to be coming to his senses.” He opened his mouth to say something else, but a split second later just nodded at Shane.

Shane nodded back, “Yeah, I’m so stoked. Ryan said that Wilcox found a way to get me to an airport to get back home. The man’s a fuckin’ legend if he did.”

“That he is,” Nathaniel said. “And if he said he found a way, you can bet your ass your will get home.”

Shane stood at the doorway. He seemed to want to do something, but hell if he knew what to do at that particular moment. His eyes darted around while his breathing became more frequent. He could feel his heart pulsing and a last of warmth came over his body as he stood there looking at a smiling Nathaniel.

From Nathaniel’s viewpoint, Shane seemed nervous. It was like he could feel there was something that Shane wanted to say, but, for whatever reason, Shane wasn’t saying it. “Shane, you right?”

Shane shook his head no. He grabbed the doorknob and closed the office door. He walked over to Nathaniel, moved past the desk, put his hands on both of Nathaniel’s shoulders, pulled him in and kissed him. He didn’t know how to tell Nathaniel how he felt, nor did he think he could put the right words together. What he did know what that in this moment and in this instant there was nothing he wanted to do more than to convey his feelings to Nathaniel.

And Nathaniel heard them loud and clear.

As Shane pulled back once the moment began to pass, he stepped back and looked down at the floor, then back up at Nathaniel. The smile on Shane’s face was bright and his eyes even seemed to twinkle in the sunlight. He took a playful step backward, then a few more, looking to ensure he didn’t trip. Once he reached the door to Nathaniel’s office, he smiled again at Nathaniel. He then bowed to Nathaniel, spreading his arms out in supplication.

“Your Majesty,” Shane said with a playful smile. Then he opened the door and stepped out. Once he closed the door behind him, he slid down to a seated position, his knees up to his chest, and placed his hand over his eyes. He wiped down but couldn’t remove the smile from his face. He leaned his head back slightly and let out a quiet laugh.

It was then the office door opened. Nathaniel saw Shane seated, head now turned towards Nathaniel. He grabbed Shane by the arm and escorted him back to his feet. Then it was Nathaniel’s turn. He leaned in and gave Shane a return kiss right there in front of the office door, not too far from the living room where Peter and Ryan were busy watching television. And Nathaniel didn’t care who saw. He didn’t care the repercussions from the kiss. Then he returned to his office to answer the phone and closed the door behind him.

Shane licked his lips gently, savoring every last bit of the kiss. Never before had there been such a smile on his face, nor had he walked with such light and joyful steps before as he made his way towards the living room. In fact, Shane wasn’t even sure if his feet were touching the ground. His mind spun with a flood of emotions as he walked towards the sofa where Ryan was seated and floated onto it, his leg extended before him and crossed. Even there, he leaned his head back and smiled and began to chuckle.

“You right, mate?” Ryan asked.

Peter gave him a look from the corner of his eye and nodded towards the direction Shane has just come from.

Ryan rolled his eyes and then gave Shane a moderate backhanded-smack in the shoulder. “I don’t fuckin’ believe it,” Ryan said. “You do know that’s my brother, right? You couldn’t at least talk to me about it? You had to, to sneak around behind my back? What the fuck, mate?”

“It just sort of happened, Ryan. I can’t explain it, it just did.” Shane said.

“A car accident just sort of happens. Wrong change at the store just sort of happens. It’s quite intentional when you root my brother,” Ryan said. His eyes narrowed as he started breathing heavily, “And what side do I take if you two stuff this up? Huh? What happens then?”

“Be happy for me,” Shane protested. “Can’t my best mate be happy for me?”

“Happy? No, not in the least. Jesus fucking Christ.” Ryan said.

“Ryan, calm down,” Peter said.

“Fuck off, mate,” Ryan said as he glared at Peter.

Peter stood up and grabbed Ryan by his arm and started to drag him out of the room, “Right, you’re coming with me. Shane, please excuse us.”

Ryan try to extricate himself from Peter’s grasp, but Peter won that tug of war. He dragging didn’t stop until they reached the dining room.

“What. The. Fuck,” Ryan said huffing as his chest heaved.

“You’re about to walk right into a fucking situation you don’t wanna have. If you’re so fucking worried about losing your mate, you’re doing everything in your power to do that right now. He and Nathaniel are dating, fucking, whatever it is... so what? You can’t stop it, you can’t change it. It’s happened and now, as a brother and a mate, you need to calm down and let those two sort out where this is going.” Peter said. “I’m serious, Ry. I get where you’re coming from, I really do. Mate, you just gotta let this one go. It sucks they didn’t tell you before, but, you can’t fix that now.”

Ryan growled slightly, then started breathing heavily out of his nostrils. “What if this works out, Petey? What then?” Ryan raise his hand and then pointed at Peter bringing his protruding index finger within a centimeter of Peter’s eyes. “How would you feel?”

Peter took a second to respond. He thought about how he would feel if Nathaniel started dating his best friend, “Well, my best mate is is Victoria Baines, so, if Nate were fucking her, I’d be more confused than ever before.”

Ryan sighed, “You’re a fuckin’ idiot. You really are.” He pulled his hand away from Peter’s face and stepped back. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb and sighed against, “This is going to end badly, mate. And I don’t wanna be in a position to lose either one because of it.”

Peter shrugged, “I get that, but that hasn’t happened yet. And, really, it’s fuckin’ selfish of you to try to deny both your brother and best mate happiness if that’s what they want. Yeah, if it ends badly, it’ll be fucked up, I can tell ya. But what if it doesn’t? You’re always sayin’ Nate needs someone and what if that someone is Shane? What if this is the one Shane’s been looking for? Right? So, you’d deny both of them a chance at that because you might get your feelings hurt?”

If there was one thing that Ryan hated, it was when Peter was right and he was wrong. Of course, Ryan didn’t believe he was wrong, he was just preparing for the worst possible scenario. That didn’t change the fact that, even though he didn’t want to admit it, Peter had a point. A small point. “If it falls apart, I’m holding you responsible.”

Peter huffed, “Well, whatever gets you through the night. Now, go back in there and apologize to your best mate, you fuckin’ cunt.”

Ryan, with Peter following behind, walked back into the living room. Shane was missing and Nathaniel was sitting on the couch.

“Where’s Shane?” Ryan asked.

“Packing,” Nathaniel answered. “So, I heard you two talking. I just want to say that I am sorry, Ryan. I should have spoken to you about this once it started happening.”

“Too late now,” Ryan said as he flopped into the recliner, “Do you like him? Seriously, Nate. I mean, do you like him? I’m worried that this will end and he’ll get hurt or you’ll get hurt and I’ll have to take sides.”

Nathaniel sat up on the couch and leaned forward towards Ryan, “I would never put you in a situation where you would have to choose between Shane or myself, first of all. And, as far as my interest in Shane, I do want to explore that possibility. I also do not want to cause a rift between you and me or you and him. So, before I even explore this option, I want your blessing, Ryan.”

Ryan sat on the recliner staring off towards the ceiling. A million scenarios ran through his head ranging the gambit from horrible break-up and having to choose sides to marriage for life. As he sat there and stared and Nathaniel awaited his reply, one nagging issue kept coming back into Ryan’s mind.

“Just don’t stuff this up, Nate. He’s a good guy and he’s got a really big heart. I know you’re not the kinda bloke to do shit like Zach did to you, but, just don’t hurt him.”

Nathaniel nodded slightly in agreement, “He does feel things deeply, Ryan. I can see that clearly. I promise not to break his heart.”

Peter smiled, “You’ll never make him cry? You’d rather die than live without him?”

“Oh my god,” Nathaniel groaned. He turned his attention back to Ryan. “So, are we good?”

Ryan hemmed and hawed a moment before replying, “I got plenty of worries, but.... I trust you.”

[Chrinthanium]

Jennings Residence, Melbourne

Having a large family means having a large house, it’s simple mathematics. Over the years, the Jennings’ had 10 kids, three cats, two dogs, a parakeet, and numerous goldfish. A place for everything was the order of the day when Mick decided to build his own house. Being a builder of hotels, a house was much simpler to build. Plus, with his connections, there was a host of top-quality tradies at his disposal to do the skill work. The house had everything from an elevator to the third floor to an outdoor pool and even a game room big enough for a billiards table as well as a table tennis table.

The one thing about the house that made Mick a happy man, besides the architecture, was the noise. Children laughing, talking, often joyous, sometimes unhappy, all melding together into a wondrous and boisterous symphony. The big moments were holidays, in particular Christmas. Every year the big tree would go up in the large living room just by the large windows. Each child would take turns decorating the tree, but it was Charlotte that got the duty of putting the star on top. Mick always let Charlotte do it because he stated she was the star of the family. On Christmas morning, the children would speed towards the tree, under which an avalanche of presents waited for the children. Dolls and bikes and video games and cricket bats and anything else the kids wanted. Mick was fond of spoiling the children, with Charlotte’s permission.

Having been gone for only a few days, there wasn’t much time to build a yearning for memories past, but seeing the house appear before him as he pulled up in a taxi gave him a tremendous sense of joy. The last instance in which he saw the house, he was being driven away by his brother Noah towards any place but there. Now, he felt almost as if the triumphal march from Aida should be playing. As he handed the driver his fare plus a little extra, he grabbed his backpack from the ground, slapped it around his back and walked up to the big, brown door. He reached into his pocket to grab his key, but his mother opened the door. She had been waiting for him.

She grabbed him and gave him such a hug as she’d never given before. So big and hard of a hug that she actually felt like she was going to pull herself through him. Shane laughed gleefully as she seemingly refused to let him go. When she finally relinquished her grasp, she had to wipe a tear from her eye causing her mascara to run slightly.

“Oi, everyone! Shane’s back!” she exclaimed loudly and proudly.

It didn’t take long for those present in the house to come from every angle. Firstly, Noah came running in. Noah was the next one in age range after Shane and quite possibly the one sibling he had the closest relationship with. They were, if nothing else, two peas from the same pod--mostly. The youngest children, twins Laura and Emma came followed by Andrew, James, and Katherine. The two oldest children, Cooper and Nick, were absent. Cooper was at work and Nick was off doing whatever it was Nick did.

Of course, the one person Shane wanted to see the most was his father, who came in after all the children came through. Mick walked somberly into the living room, his head down, eyes looking at the floor. He tried to dress his face in a smile, but it seemed like that was the last thing on his mind in that moment. Shane, having hugged the last sibling, walked towards his father. At first, Shane extended his hand towards his father. Mick hesitated slightly, almost as if he was unsure what he wanted to do in that moment. Then, he took Shane’s hand, pulled him in, and gave him a hug.

“I don’t know what to say,” Mick said.

“No worries,” Shane said as he sniffled. He released from his father’s grip and wiped a few tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. “You said it all on the phone, dad. And, I know that, uh, I kinda hit you outta the blue with this and I didn’t mean to...”

Mick shushed Shane and then spoke, “It’s not your fault, mate.”

“Let’s don’t play this game,” Shane said. “Just let it go be in the past and look forward to a better future. It’s okay, dad. We’ll get over it. We’ve always had rows, and we always get over them. It’s just another one, and she’ll be right.” Then Shane reached into his pocket, pulled out the check his father had written him when he kicked him out, and handed it back to his father who accepted it and then tore it up.

Mick smiled and then, in typical Jennings fashion, changed the subject. “How was Gold Coast?”

“Nice, when it wasn’t raining. Place was flooding out while I was there. But, it did give me cause to think about my life a bit and what I want out of it,” Shane said.

“Oh, what then,” Mick said.

“I’m gonna chase my dream, dad. I’m gonna head back to the coast and build that surf shop. I’m thinking instead of Bell’s Beach I’m heading for Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Bondi or bust.” Shane said with a smile.

There was definitely an ulterior motive to his thinking. Such a movie would put him closer to Nathaniel and whatever was going to happen in that area would have a much easier time in coming to fruition. Living in Melbourne would make it more difficult, not to mention that Shane did have another university friend who lived out that way who was looking for a roommate.

“How you plan on doing that,” Mick asked.

“Well, Rhys needs a flatmate. Work and save money for a year or two, then build that surf shop and make it work,” Shane said.

“Oh,” Mick said with a surprise, “When is this gonna happen?”

“Well, I spoke to Rhys on the way here. He’s gonna need to know soon and, if so, should be out that way by the end of the month.” Shane said.

“That’s only two weeks,” Mick said. “Do I even know this Rhys bloke?”

“Yeah, you do,” Charlotte interjected, “that’s the cunt that got Shane arrested for indecent exposure when they and some girls went skinny dipping at Cairns on a clothing-required beach. Then a few months later got kicked outta uni because he was caught selling pot to an underaged kid in Brisbane.”

“That guy, right,” Mick said. “No, Shane. That’s not a good idea. Sounds like he’s a bit dodgy. I didn’t work my ass off for all these years to build all this to have my kids go off and live with some drug dealer. No, mate. That’s just not cricket. Wait here.”

Mick marched off through the living room and into a hallway down to his home office. He opened the door and then took a small key out of his pocket. He unlocked the drawer and pulled out a checkbook. He marched back into the living room with the checkbook in hand.

“Rip up that other check I gave you. How much you need to do this without some lowlife?” Mick asked.

Shane gasped as his father sat there with the checkbook in front of him. Did his father not realize that money can’t buy everything? It can’t cause a mistake to go away anymore than it can cause happiness. Didn’t his father realize that Shane would be happier if allowed to work hard to achieve something versus getting a handout from his father. Of course, Rhys wasn’t the most reliable person on the planet. In fact, he’d barely talked to Rhys since Rhys moved to Bondi. Maybe it would behoove Shane to shut up, swallow his pride, and just name his price.

Shane opened his mouth to answer, but his father just started writing. Then he tore off the check, blew on it to dry the ink, and handed it to Shane.

“That’ll get ya started, mate,” Mick said. “I’m giving you this on a few conditions. One, that you stay here for a bit longer and help me finish out this St. Kilda project. Two, that once you are successful you pay me back. Three, that you’re in this house every single Christmas.”

Shane looked at the check. He gently pushed the check back towards his father. “I can’t take that. I have my own money in the bank. I can find an apartment out there and live. I just, well, if I had a flatmate, I could save money. Bondi can be expensive.”

“Fine, Shane,” Mick said, “if my father had done that to me, I’d probably do the same. Still, I wanna make sure the place is good, y’know. Can’t have my son living in a shit apartment. Let me come along with ya. I'll be there to inspect the place for ya. And, if ya like it, I've not issues helping you with rent."

Shane pondered the idea for a few moments. It was a good deal to say the least. If his father decided later to back out of the deal, Shane would still have some money to keep the bills up. If it was a big enough flat, he could even get a flatmate to offset costs. “Deal,” he said.

[Chrinthanium]

Brightmore Palace, Sydney
A Month Later

Just to the East of the Sydney central business district lies the Imperial Botanical Gardens and Brightmore Palace, the official residence of the Emperor of Chrinthania. It was the only true palace in all of Chrinthania. There were large houses that were often referred to as palaces, but they were not palaces any European or fairy tale lover would understand. It is what made Brightmore Palace a tourist attraction in every sense of the word. On a simple tour of the public rooms visitors would come to know that Brightmore Palace once was the home of the Duke of Brightmore a small dukedom that has since ceased to exist. The stately home on the property had been demolished in 1810 and Nicholas I had the current palace built on that very spot. Since its completion in 1815, it has been the home of every emperor since. The average tourist would see the portrait room and portions of the Imperial Collection of Art. They would most often find minor Imperial family members wandering to and fro filling in for Nathaniel to greet the tourists on certain days. And if the tourists were lucky, they may even spot Nathaniel at the Imperial Door, a doorway where emperors have greeted tourists whenever the mood struck. Nathaniel has, by far, done this more times than any other emperor in his short reign.

On this particular day, Nathaniel was left with a vacancy in his schedule owing to a last-minute schedule change by the Prime Minister, who was busy dealing with a budget meeting. For 10 minutes, Nathaniel had nothing to do. So, he took the opportunity to greet those who were touring the palace. He stationed himself at the end of the hallway which led directly to that door, just off to the side hidden from public view by a wall. Before him was a mirror in which he could assure his tie was perfectly straight, his silver tie clip was dead-on horizontal, and his hair was good. In the day of social media, appearance was everything. Once perfectly settled and ready to appear, he turned towards the hallway and walked with a quick pace towards the purple divider that kept the public out of the private side of the palace.

Anyone who was unaware he was making an appearance would soon know he was coming as the entire crowd--which ranked somewhere around 50 people--began to chatter as he approached. A few Chrinthani citizens would bow, though that was a custom and not a requirement, and people of foreign extraction could do as they pleased for the most part. As if a tidal wave of innovation had swept the crowd, phones were raised and various flashed began going off as he approached. Nathaniel stopped at the divider and smiled at the crowd. He remained mostly still so that those taking pictures could do so, the only movement being his head as he slowly turned his head taking in the crowd. Towards the back of the crowd he noticed a familiar face. He gave a polite nod to the familiar face of Shane Jennings, who returned the gesture in kind.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Nathaniel said to the crowd, “it is a great pleasure to meet you all and I hope you enjoy your tour of the palace. Then he turned his head towards the tour guide at the front, a middle aged man whose name tag simply read “Reg” and leaned in towards him.

“That man in the back, shoulder length brown hair, red flannel shirt. His name is Shane Jennings, would you please have him stay behind after the tour? He is a personal friend.” Nathaniel said.

Reg nodded, “Yes, Your Majesty, it will be my pleasure.”

Nathaniel waved at the people and stopped as a few more people opted to take pictures, and then he marched back into the private portion of the palace. As he reached the end of the hallway, his deputy private secretary, Luke Davis, began to walk beside him handing him a copy of his updated itinerary. Nathaniel scanned the document filing away times and names. Locations were unimportant as there was always someone to whisk him away in the direction he needed to go.

“Luke,” Nathaniel said as he made an unscheduled pause.

Luke was not paying as careful attention as he should as evidenced by his walking an additional few meters beyond where Nathaniel stopped before he realized that Nathaniel had stopped. A nervous smile crept upon his face and he returned to the spot where Nathaniel was waiting.

“Luke, do you know when the tour ends?” Nathaniel said.

Luke began to search his mind to see if he knew anything about the tours of the palace as Nathaniel stood waiting, which was not a good thing to make Nathaniel do. “I... have no idea, Sir.”

“Your Majesty,” said an older woman who was busy polishing a nearby decorative table, “The tours begin at the top of the hour and end at quarter till the hour, Sir.”

“Thank you,” Nathaniel said trying to view her name tag. “Thank you very much, Margaret.” Nathaniel flash a disappointed look at Luke as Nathaniel extended his hand to greet Margaret. Margaret, for her part, grasped Nathaniel’s hand in a very lady-like manner and did a polite curtsey.

Then Nathaniel and Luke began walking down the hallway further. Nathaniel peered at his watch and then looked back to Luke, “So, the next meeting is at 2:15?”

“Yes, sir. About 35 minutes from now. Your lunch is ready and will be awaiting you at your private office. Your 2:15 is scheduled to be in your office, so you’ll have a few moments to sit.” Luke said.

“Very good,” Nathaniel said. “Can you go to the West Door and find a young man for me. His name is Shane Jennings, wearing a red flannel shirt. He should be there waiting, most likely with a guard. Once you find him, bring him to my office.”

Luke wrote the information down on a slip of paper he retrieved from his pocket. The request was a bit unusual as it wasn’t often people waited for the emperor there, but Luke was determined not to fail again after two in a row. “Yes, sir.”

“And call down to the kitchen and tell them to send up whatever he wants,” Nathaniel said.

“Yes, sir.” Luke said as Nathaniel came to a stop at a junction. “Is there anything else?”

Nathaniel shook his head no and proceeded down the connecting hallway. As he passed by various people moving through the hallways would nod at him. He would always respond with a quick smile, nodding back from time to time. Guards along the route would stand with their backs against the wall and do a full bow as Nathaniel passed by them. A few turns and then he arrived in the office portion of the palace. Then, a short walk to his personal office.

Outside of the personal office of the emperor stood two guards. Rather than bowing, these guards came to attention, and then rendered a salute. They were not the average life guards roaming about the corridors. These were often young army soldiers or marines who were recommended for such duties by their superiors. They always guarded his office, his private apartments, and the all the palace’s entry points. After returning their salutes, Nathaniel entered his office.

The immense office overlooked the city’s CBD and the Harbour Bridge. It was originally a library with a much smaller office adjacent, but Nathaniel’s father saw fit to turn it into his own office and use the smaller one as more of a private office--a setup Nathaniel continued. The books that originally lived in that room were either moved to the private library of the emperor or donated to museums (if they were of historical significance anyway) or donated to local libraries. Along the far wall stood an intricately-decorated oak desk. On top of the desk were the usual modern items: a laptop, a business phone, ink blotter, pen cup, and all the other accouterments. Also sitting on the desk was a silver platter. On top of the platter was a lid and its contents were revealed to be a grilled chicken salad with a light vinaigrette dressing.

As Nathaniel began to eat, he started thumbing through some mail that had been placed there for him to read. He tried his best to reply personally when he could, but the sheer volume of mail that came to him was beyond the control of a single person. The mail included everything from invitations to weddings and birthday parties to requests of the emperor to intercede on behalf of a citizen with a legal matter to chastising him and his “abhorrent” behavior.

All of the legal questions were referred to the palace’s legal team, more often than not these were items the palace couldn’t assist with. Yet, rather than explain they couldn’t, they would send instructions on how and where to receive the help they needed. If the palace could affect influence over the situation, it went to the office of the Chief of Imperial Staff whose office would begin the process of assisting.

Invitation requests were always turned down. That didn’t stop Nathaniel from showing up somewhere once in a blue moon providing he had the time and was in town for it. This most recently happened in January of 2017 when Nathaniel had been invited to a couple’s wedding. While he did not attend the wedding or the reception, he did stop by to wish the couple a happy life at the end of the wedding ceremony and even gave them a card with a gift of two VIP tickets to the Opera House to see a contemporary rendition of The Magic Flute.

The rest of the mail, whether it be fanmail or less-than-flattering, was often staffed out to his personal secretary’s office who would then have form replies sent. Once in awhile, Nathaniel would pen the reply himself, although such letters were far and few between.

As he thumbed through the mail on his desk and ate his lunch, Luke opened the door to his office with Shane following behind. As Shane entered the room, he looked to and fro at the various portraits and pictures on the wall. He was particularly interested in the view from the office. As a man who helped his father build hotels, architecture was something he had a fond appreciation for. Luke left the office as Shane moved slowly towards Nathaniel. He wasn’t certain what the protocol in this moment was. Though, he did bow to the emperor because he didn’t know what else to do.

Nathaniel smiled and walked out from behind his desk, “If you wanted to visit, you could have just let me know rather than try to sneak in with the tour.”

“You know me, full of surprises,” Shane said as Nathaniel approached. “Just took me about 4 tours before you showed up.” Shane laughed. “You’re also not so easy to contact.”

Nathaniel then gave Shane a big hug, “So, I have not heard from you since you went back. I suppose everything went well?”

“No worries,” Shane said. “Actually, I’ve been really busy with dad’s St. Kilda’s project. Working a lot of overtime and stuff. Saving up some money because I’m gonna start that surf shop I told you about.”

Nathaniel offered Shane a seat, then Nathaniel sat on the edge of his desk, “Really? Bell’s Beach would make a great location.”

Shane clasped his hand in his lap and then leaned his head down as he started to speak, “No, actually. Comin’ out this way. Dad and I came out to scout locations. Bondi Beach or somewhere thereabout.” Shane looked up and flashed another big smile to Nathaniel.

“Remarkable,” Nathaniel said genuinely surprised, “Tough market in Bondi, mate. However, with your tenacity, I think you will succeed. When do you think you are coming out this way?”

Shane raised his eyebrows as he spoke, “Went looking at flats today, found a sweet one just a few minutes from the beach. Got plenty of room for a few mates to move in if I need it, but dad says he’s gonna cover rent for a while to help me save money. But, the rents not bad. I got a few thousand saved and I’ve already got a job as a trady. Won’t pay as well as the old man, but she’ll be right.”

“If I had known, I could have found you a tradie job with one of the firms that work here at the palace.” Nathaniel said with a grin.

“Nah, mate, I mean I appreciate the offer, but it wouldn’t be right for me to impose. Besides, I do have 5 years experience thanks to my dad. So, it didn’t take long,” Shane said

“I understand,” Nathaniel said as he looked at Shane. “Damn glad to see you again.”

“I don’t suppose you can get away to come over for dinner,” Shane said.

Nathaniel chuckled slightly, but that was a daunting request. It was difficult enough for him to just go anywhere what with security and motorcades and all the bells and whistles that came along with the job, “Well, in theory I can. In reality, it is a logistical nightmare. Security would have a heart attack if I decided last minute to visit a mate in an apartment building, not to mention your neighbors would not like all the ruckus.”

Shane smiled again, “What about a restaurant?”

Nathaniel paused as he started to weigh the consequences of going out to dinner. It wasn’t an unheard of proposition. It just hadn’t been done with a sitting emperor. Usually it was the other members of the family who had the kind of time needed to go out to eat even though all of them lived in a house in which a full kitchen staff prepared their meals every single day. It was an attractive proposition, however. The restaurant could very easily be rented out or a special room reserved that would make security very happy while giving Nathaniel and Shane the kind of privacy that was needed.

“Do you have a suggestion?” Nathaniel said. “If I can get the request to security early enough, we can most definitely make this happen tonight.”

Shane’s eyes widened as he nearly leapt out of his seat, “Yeah, I was thinking Langstones.”

Nathaniel started to nod his head, slowly at first, and then as he processed the logistics in his mind, he broke into a wide smile, “I will arrange it.”

“My treat,” Shane said. “And don’t fight me on it, mate.”

Nathaniel threw his hands up in the air in surrender, “No worries. Just let me tell security and she’ll be right.”

***

Langstone’s, Sydney CBD

The exterior didn’t offer any clue as to the inside. A tinted glass window overlooking a busy Sydney street, a small set of stairs leading up to a door. From the outside, it appeared as nothing more than a niche restaurant that catered to well-tailored fund managers and wine connoisseurs who thought the more expensive the wine, the better the taste. It certainly was never on the radar for an Imperial family member, let alone the emperor, for a dining experience. What it did afford was privacy and intimacy. The owner had been contacted early enough that he could put the staff on a gag order. The special table was reserved and kept at the ready as to keep Nathaniel and Shane far enough from the window that the average passerby wouldn’t notice they were in there. Even the diners in the restaurant were given a polite request to refrain from taking lots of pictures. Security wanted to rent the whole restaurant out, but Nathaniel refused the request. They settled on a specific table in which there was some added privacy in the back corner by the wine bar. Security did manage to force Nathaniel to accept that they would be at a table in front of him blocking him, partially, from the rest of the restaurant. Security even went so far as to not have a motorcade (something which delighted Nathaniel to no end since he’d never had to stop for a red light before today). Of course, the black SUV they arrived in was bulletproof and, from some angles, bomb proof.

Two guards exited from the middle door and formed a barrier on one side of the stairs while the two from the front seat finished the makeshift human hallway. Nathaniel exited first, followed by Shane. Nathaniel stood back and allowed Shane to take the lead, another novel experience for Nathaniel on a day becoming noteworthy because of them. Shane opened the door for Nathaniel and he entered with a smile. The diners, at this point unsurprised and at peace with the event long before it began, all stood and gave Nathaniel a polite bow. Then, as quickly as they sat down, the hushed conversations moved quickly from the presence of Nathaniel to the young man he was with. As they sat down, the restaurant seemed to return to a bit of normalcy.

Shane looked around and notice the quick glances in their direction. He turned towards Nathaniel with his bright smile and said, “They’re all watching you.”

Nathaniel shook his head slightly, “No, they are watching you. They are wondering who you are. They want to know why we are here together. You, sir, are becoming the big story in their minds.”

That last comment stuck in Shane’s mind. He was used to blending into the background, another young Chrinthani man with surfer-like hair who was far too fond of the water and beer. He wondered what made him so special all of a sudden when, in his mind, Nathaniel should be the center of their attention. “Why would they care about me?”

“They already know all about me. They know nothing about you,” Nathaniel replied. “And in this setting, it is pretty much a done deal this is more than just a friendly dinner.”

As the waiter came and took their drink orders, Shane started to feel like every eye was on him. He felt like they were silently judging him and trying to work out what it is that Nathaniel saw in him. He felt like there were far too many people concerned with what he was doing right now rather than their own lives and what they were doing at this point. When his drink finally came, he took a good, hard drink from it.

“You right?” Nathaniel said.

Shane took another drink, “No worries. Just kind of feel like they’re all staring at me.”

“No,” Nathaniel said as he gave an incognito scan of the room with his eyes, “Some are still looking at me. Waiting to figure out who you are by my body language. I told you, dating me is quite difficult.”

Shane sat there nervously stirring his drink thinking about whether he should take another big sip from the cocktail or if he should shift his chair so that his back was more towards the other diners.

Nathaniel noticed his nerves and leaned forward to speak to him a bit more quietly, “Do you want to know how I got over it all? My father told me the best thing to do is ignore that they are here. You do not feel they are watching you when you go out to the pub with your mates, do you? You might not even notice they are there outside of when they pass by. Just focus on me and I will focus on you and before you know it, they will all become the setting and not the plot.”

Shane took a deep breath and then leaned back slightly. He crossed his legs and then it happened. Somehow, he misjudged the clearance and knocked the table with a particularly hard thud causing the table to shift slightly as it was forced upwards towards Nathaniel. That was when Nathaniel’s wine glass fell backwards and, in a matter of a split second, a glass of red wine was boring into Nathaniel’s lap. The entire restaurant came to a halt as Shane turned several shades of pale. Nathaniel, in his cool demeanor, held back the natural urge to jump up and simply took the napkin from his lap and tried to mitigate the onslaught of wine.


“Oh god, oh god,” Shane said in a panic. “Oh god, Nate, I’m so sorry.”

Nathaniel gave him the calm down signal with his free hand while he beckoned a waiter to bring more napkins with his other hand. “Everything is fine. Just a little accident.”

That’s also when the camera phones began to take pictures. Lots of pictures. Some phones still had the shutter noise on and it became evident what was happening. Shane grabbed his napkin and covered his face and ran out of the restaurant. Nathaniel waved security off and walked outside. Just as he did, he saw Shane pressed against the building sitting on the group with his knees to his chest, his hands over his face.

“No,” Shane said, “oh my god, I’m such a fuckin’ cunt, mate. Goddamn it. In about 5 minutes, I’m gonna be the cunt who spilled wine all of you. It’s gonna be all over social media. What a fuckin’ idiot.”

Nathaniel looked up at the door as security was beginning to come outside. He gave them a motion indicating for someone to cover the check and anything else that needed to be covered. The lead man called the SUV over.

“Alright, Shane,” Nathaniel said as he grabbed him by a hand and started to pull him up. “It will be fine. Trust me, Shane.”

Shane did scramble to his feet. Nathaniel wiped a tear from Shane’s eye. He pulled Shane close to him. Shane snapped out of his funk for a second as Nathaniel leaned in and kissing him. Right there. In front of everyone in the restaurant, who were now watching out of the window. In front of whomever was passing by on the busy CBD street, which began to back up as people stopped to take more photos. As Nathaniel kissed Shane, the restaurant patrons and staff began to clap and cheer, though their celebrations were muffled mostly by the window.

Shane wrapped his arms around Nathaniel and kept kissing. There was a shiver that went down his spine and exploded through every portion of his body. His fear and embarrassment began to melt away. For the few seconds Nathaniel kissed him, it was almost as if nothing had gone wrong. And then the kiss ended.

“Sir, we should go,” the guard said as he held the door open.

“Shall we?” Nathaniel said.

Shane just nodded and followed Nathaniel into the SUV.

[Chrinthanium]

Nathaniel's Private Apartment, Brightmore Palace

The morning routine was in full swing as Nathaniel read the newspaper while sipping on a cup of tea and noshing on some vegemite on toast. The newspaper often had stories related to him and his actions on the front page, but it wasn't often that it was referring to something personal. The emperor maintained a tight control on the Imperial family attempting to keep their personal lives out of the public eye. There wasn't anything to hide, but even a man in his position had to feel that personal privacy was important to some degree. Every paper across the country was running a picture of him kissing what has been described as a "mystery man" outside a restaurant in Sydney. There were a few fleeting references to a slight issue inside the restaurant, but those reports were trumped by the fact Nathaniel was locking lips with someone. Even pictures captured from diners inside the restaurant were treated as secondary or unimportant in comparison. A few attempted to find a clear-enough picture of the mystery man, but there were none to be had. At least, as far as anyone knew at this point.

The kiss served a two-fold purpose: he liked Shane and really wanted to kiss him and tell him everything was going to be fine and to give the press the very story they were now running with. A deflection tactic. A way to take the spotlight off of Shane and put it back on Nathaniel. Nathaniel was used to that kind of scrutiny. A private citizen like Shane was most certainly not suited to it. There were also other people to consider, mainly Shane's family. If the press snooped too much into who the mystery man was, that could bring a horde of press around Shane's family. As far as Nathaniel knew, no one in Shane's family was aware of the romantic interest between the two men. Nathaniel wanted to keep it that way until both he and Shane were certain there was more to it than a fling.

Shane, for the most part, had resigned himself that the first official date had ended in disaster. He stayed at the palace, though not in Nathaniel's bedroom but in an adjoining private apartment that had once belonged to Ryan until Ryan moved to Richmond House. Due to Shane's overnight at the palace, the issue of getting Shane back home without being noticed was a high priority. It wasn't that there were a throng of press outside trying to catch a glimpse, but that there might be enterprising paparazzi who were, for all intents and purposes, stalking the palace on the off chance the mystery man was, in fact, spending the night with Nathaniel. Beyond that, Nathaniel knew at some point the press would catch on to who Shane was, where he lived, and even his personal mobile number. Once that secret was out, Shane would very likely find himself the center of too much unwanted attention both from the press who wanted to follow his every move and get all the juicy details as well as people trying to gain access to the emperor via his significant other--something which would be more annoying for Nathaniel than Shane in reality. In spite of the fact Chrinthania was a constitutional monarchy and the emperor had no real political power, the enormous popularity Nathaniel crafted with the people would give anyone with close access to Nathaniel's boyfriend a foot in the door for the kind of access only reserved for a select few.

The palace wasn't just for show, it was for protection. When it was built, it was to show the wealth of the Chrinthani monarch and protect him from those who would seek to do him harm. In the modern day, the kind of protection it afforded was privacy protection. It wasn't that direct threats against Nathaniel weren't happening. They did, but most were discredited. It was that to function in his role properly, he needed to be cordoned off from the outside world and the people. The more powerful the media and social media, the more important this protection became. This kind of protection could not be guaranteed living in a flat in Bondi Beach. In fact, it was probably the least-likely place to have that kind of privacy protection. If the news got out as to Shane's identity, it would almost be impossible for him to live there, let alone anywhere in the country without his privacy being violated.

While all these thought whirled around Nathaniel's mind as he reviewed the news, Shane came into Nathaniel's private dining room, his lumbering footsteps and sunken pose on full display. He slumped into a chair across from Nathaniel and poured himself a cup of tea. "How bad is it? Am I a joke yet?"

Nathaniel pushed the paper in front of Shane. With a snatch he took it from the table and reviewed the front page. He felt a little better that no pictures had a face shot of him. He felt even happier once he realized they were calling him Nathaniel's mystery man. At least, for now, he'd still have his privacy. A slight smile appeared on his face. "Well," Shane said, "that's a relief."

At that point a knock came at the door. Without getting up Nathaniel granted permission for entry. Luke Davis walked in. "Your Majesty, Mr. Jennings, forgive my intrusion."

"Shane, this is my deputy private secretary Luke Davis." Nathaniel said. Shane nodded and then returned to his tea.

"Sir, we have a plan for getting Mr. Jennings back to Bondi Beach. One of the staff offered up their car." Luke walked outside and escorted an older lady into the dining room.

"Margaret," Nathaniel said with a smile, "How very kind of you."

"Your Majesty, it isn't much of a car, just a rusty Holden ute, but it'll get him back to his flat." she said as she curtsied to Nathaniel.

"I'm surprised you didn't offer, Luke," Nathaniel replied.

"It was discussed, Sir, but most your official staff are more well-known to the press. Captain Danforth thought it should come from someone who wouldn't be known to the outside world." Luke then turned towards Margaret, "Sorry, ma'am."

"It's alright, love. Mr. Jennings reminds me of my grandson. I'm happy to help you anytime you need, Your Majesty." Margaret said with a grandmotherly smile. "My grandson is a Digger stationed at Oakleigh Barracks."

Nathaniel smiled at Margaret, "Well, next time he gets some free time, bring him to the palace. It would be my most excellent pleasure to meet with him."

"I'll pass the word along, Your Majesty. Just let me know when you need me." Margaret said.

"Well, Margaret, I think Shane that is up to Shane," Nathaniel said.

"I'm ready now, Margaret. Thanks heaps," Shane said.

***

Surfside Apartments, Bondi Beach

The four-story brick building was unassuming with its north-facing balconies and ground floor car park. The ute pulled up to the door of the building and Shane unbuckled his seat belt. He'd felt a bond with Margaret along the way. She'd spoken at length about her 25-year service at the palace housekeeping crew, her grandson and how he was set to be married next month, and about how much she believed in saving her money. She spoke mostly about the fact that she was thrilled to have finally met a reigning emperor. They apparently didn't meet much of the household staff. She was aware of Nathaniel's penchant for taking selfies with various staff, but the housekeepers were required to remain out of the way for the most part. Shane leaned over and hugged Margaret and thanked her for her assistance. Once out of the car, she drove off in her ute back towards Sydney.

From across the street a lone man stood partially hidden in some bushes, a camera in his hand. The pictures snapped as quickly as possible as Shane progressed into the building. "Gotcha," he said as he reviewed the images on his digital camera. He found one perfect one that gave a complete frontal view of Shane. It matched the face on his camera phone, a picture he'd taken while dining with his current girlfriend at Langstone's the previous night while Shane and Nathaniel were there. Within the hour, Shane's life as a private citizen would end.

[Chrinthanium]

Shane's Apartment, Bondi Beach

Bare feet were sat upon the coffee table, legs crossed at the ankles as he sat his bare torso back against the sofa cushions. Mick has taken a taxi to the airport to head home leaving Shane to relax and enjoy his new surroundings. The apartment itself was the standard fare: white walls and ceiling, wooden floor, windows which faced the north and south, the balcony to the northside of the apartment. The apartment was fully furnished in typically-basic fashion for a young man just starting out trying hard to save his money. It was evident where Shane's focus was, however, as the main focus of the living room was a wall-mounted 65" 4K television to which was attached a gaming console. The cable company had yet to arrive to set him up, though the morning would bring that addition. As he sat there playing a war game, he could not have known what was happening in the outside world. At least not until his mobile started to going into constant overload with the notification tone.

At first, Shane tried to ignore the tones as they went off, but what started as a small trickle suddenly became a barrage of tones that caused him no shortage of frustration as he put the game on pause. He snatched his mobile off of the table and there were no less than 50 text messages and several dozen social media notifications. The first text he read came from Noah which simply was a question mark. With each passing message, the picture started to become clear: he was found out to be the mystery man. That particular fact was confirmed by news articles linked to his social media profile by his mother and most of his siblings. Other comments on his social media were coming from people he'd never met before. Most of the comments were positive, but the internet of things also produces its share of trolls who were now feasting on his very public social media accounts.

The mobile rang, it was a Nathaniel's direct line. "Nate? What should I do?"

"I cannot talk in specifics because your line may be tapped, illegal as that well is," Nathaniel said. "Come to the palace as quickly as possible and bring your laptop and your phone."

"Why do I need to bring all that?" Shane asked. No response. "Hello?" Shane took the phone from his ear and the call was already ended.

He slid his feet into the thongs by the couch and raced to his bedroom and grabbed the laptop and tossed it into its bag. He ran towards the living room and snatched his keys from the coffee table. He unlocked the door and went to go walk outside until the 18c air hit his body. He put everything by the door and raced back and grabbed a button up short-sleeved shirt, tossed it over his shoulder, grabbed everything else with the free hand, and went downstairs to his pick-up truck. After fastening his safety belt, he peeled out of the apartment complex as a dozen or so paparazzi attempted to no avail to get a good shot of him.

***

Nathaniel's Office, Brightmore Palace

Shane raced into Nathaniel's office, the shirt on but completely unbuttoned and flapping about at the pace he was moving. His laptop case was slung over his shoulder. He stopped at the desk and sat down in the chair to the left.

"I"m here."

"I can see that, Shane," Nathaniel said. "Right, so we have a plan for this. This plan was formulated last night before we even went to dinner just in case something like this should happen. Now that they know who you are, you will be the subject of much of their attention. You are able to tell them whatever you like, just remember the palace does not comment on my personal life and I will never tell them anything."

"Oi, you told me that already, Nate. What do I do about these cunts now?" Shane asked abruptly.

Nathaniel took a breath, "What happens now is that Danforth will be here in a few moments. He is going to collect your smartphone and your laptop and secure them with a special software package we have to prevent the outside world from hacking into our computers and smartphones here at the palace. Takes a bit to install and configure, but Danforth's team is handy with these things. We have alerted the authorities in Melbourne to patrol your parent's home to prevent the media from interfering with their ability to get on or off the property. You should know that we cannot stop them, however, from trying to take your picture or ask you questions. Again, it is entirely up to you whether or not you wish to give them what they want."

Shane nodded for a moment, "Mate, I wasn't expecting them to catch on so quick. I went from sitting in my boardies at the flat to going flat out down the highway to get here. It's kinda not right, y'know, that they can do this."

Nathaniel cleared his throat, "Well, they have a right to report news just as much as you have a right to privacy. The line blurs precisely between private and public . In your flat, it is private and they cannot hound you there. Driving down the motorway, walking to the beach, surfing in the ocean, all of that is public. There is no way to stop them from taking your picture in a public location, Shane. Your truck may be your private property and they certainly cannot force their way in or stick their camera through one of your open windows, but a picture of you driving it down a public motorway is fine."

Shane shrugged, "Look, Nate, fact of the matter is, you're a really nice guy and I think that there's something between us, but I dunno if I can handle all this. I mean, bloody hell, I don't feel safe at home or going to the servo for noodles or fuckin' hell, mate."

Nathaniel let out a very long sigh, then he nodded very softly, "I understand, Shane. Look, whatever decision you make, I will respect it. I just..."

"You just?" Shane said.

"I just..." Nathaniel stood up and walked over to Shane, Nathaniel sat in the chair next to Shane, grabbed Shane by the face, pulled him close and kissed him. After a few moments, Nathaniel stopped. "Just that."

"Before I make my decision," A very flushed Shane said, "how long does this kinda thing last?"

Nathaniel shrugged, "A few days to a few months, Shane. Until the next big story comes about or they get tired of the story."

Shane chuckled, "How do ya make them tired of the story?"

Nathaniel, "Well, how about while Danforth secures your devices, I give you a crash course in how to handle the paparazzi."

[Chrinthanium]

Shane’s Apartment, Bondi Beach

Is he really worth it? That was the question racing around Shane’s mind at the moment. All other issues seemed to fade in comparison to that one, underlying thought. Certainly Shane was young and attractive (at least he believed so) and could date other people who came with far fewer complications. A surfer from Bondi wouldn’t have paparazzi following him around or anyone else he dated. Another tradie would only have heaps in common with Shane and he wouldn’t have to worry about random people taking his picture to plaster in magazines or websites. Even the local root rat at the neighborhood bar would have far fewer issues. So why, for the sake of his sanity, would he even entertain the idea of seeing the most famous man in all Chrinthania? Just a month ago he was pining for Nathaniel, now he wasn’t even certain if it was going to work and, to point, maybe he didn’t care.

With furious frustration he flipped his pillow over to the cool side. He kicked the blanket off, then slid it back over himself only to kick it off one more time. He turned on his side slightly curled up and closed his eyes only to shift to attempting to sleep on his back. Then, he flipped over and tried to sleep on his stomach. He finally gave up and just returned to lying on his back, facing the ceiling, and placing his hands beneath his head. He peered over at the clock, it’s red LED display judging him for being awake at a few minutes past two in the morning. He grabbed the pillow from behind his head, slid it out, covered his face with it and screamed his frustration at the innocent pillow.

He slid the pillow down his face and onto his chest as he took a deep breath. He sat up in bed, then slid off the edge. He stopped at the dressed and picked up a brown wooden box and walked outside with it. From his perch he could just see the ocean to his right and the gray-white shimmering of the moon over the water. He sat down on the chair and placed the wooden box on the table. He opened the box and then pulled out an already-rolled joint and light it. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, slightly coughing as he did. The cool air caused goose pimples to appear across his box as a gentle breeze came in from the ocean. He sat in the chair with his legs crossed at the ankles, listening to the waves and the few people still up that this hour of the morning. He could smell the sea so strongly he could taste it. Once more he was transported back to the house where he first met Nathaniel. He stood up and walked to the edge of the balcony and leaned on the railing. He took another long drag and stared up towards the moon. He finished the joint and returned back into the apartment placing the box back on the dresser.

Returning to his bed, he gazed back up at the ceiling and he calmed down. As he did, he remembered when he first met Nathaniel at the house in Gold Coast. How he didn’t seem like the man he’d seen on television nor did he seem like the man Ryan described. In fact, there was something very attainable about Nathaniel in that instant. Even though Shane couldn’t put his finger on it at the time, it was the fact that Nathaniel didn’t seem like anything more than your average 27-year old man. And stripping Nathaniel of all his regal authority and his fame in his mind, and imagining him as the average Chrinthani doing average things, it somehow reminded Shane of what he saw in Nathaniel.

A smile warmed the icy frustration from his face as he remembered his time back at the Mermaid Dunes. How Nathaniel sat there and let him just cry on his shoulder and gave good advice and even seemed to care. And then he reverted back to their first time and how special he felt in Nathaniel’s arms and how natural it felt to be next to him, holding him and just being with him. Something inside just clicked and he couldn’t shake the feeling and he didn’t want to shake the feeling. He liked the feeling. He’d never felt like that with anyone else and he didn’t think he ever would.

The frustration returned. The idea of that first time was enough to send a flushed feeling across his body. His heart rate increased, his breathing quickened. Desire overcame what was once a rational human being and replaced that ration with nothing more than passion. A deep-seeded kind of passion that caused all other thoughts to disappear. It was more than just that want, that animal-like pining that came in like a flood and wash everything else away, it was intense, it was demanding, it wanted and it needed and the feeling knew nothing else. Singular focus overcame Shane as the feelings intensified. Like a giant crescendo that kept building from the quietest, lightest note the feeling kept building inside him until the the symphony of feeling reached the final, fevered pitch and all tension was released and the all the build up and yearning for completion had been satisfied more so than Adagio for Strings could ever hope to achieve. His chest heaved from his deep and powerful breaths. His pillow and sheets were soaked with perspiration. His heart pumped the blood so powerfully he could almost feel it rocking him as the sensations which rang throughout his body brought nothing but contentment.

He looked back at the clock, it’s red LED display still judging him, this time for other things, as it informed him that it was now after 3 in the morning and it was past his bedtime.

***

The alarm sounded far too early for Shane, though he did drag himself out of bed and go through his morning routine. The first day on a new job was not the day to be late and it wasn’t even in Shane’s DNA to ever be late. He was even born early. Driving to work was rather uneventful. A few paparazzi took some pictures from the street as he drove past, but it was even too early even for them, perhaps. A stroke of good luck did hit as he arrived at Devon’s Builders without any press fanfare. They may not have found out where he worked yet or they may still come. Either way, Shane took a moment to savor the lack of a cameraman and entered the building.

“Oi, the new guy’s here,” Bill Lentil said as Shane walked in.

“Mr. Lentil,” Shane said, “How ya goin’?”

Bill laughed deeply as he slapped Shane on the back. “None of that Mr. Lentil stuff ‘round here, mate. Call me Bill.”

Bill then took Shane around the office to meet the men and women who made up the crew. There was Tamara, a rather muscular woman who looked more like an MMA fighter than a crew member; Josh, who was a middle-aged man who looked as if he’d been born to work with bricks and mortar; Ian, another young man who was still learning the ropes and most likely the one Shane would wind up working with directly; Cain was another young man who was rather large and foreboding but seemed to crack a smile onto his face when Shane was introduced. Then, finally, there was Terry, who sat as his desk, hard hat over his face and it even sounded like he was snoring. These were the ones that would form part of Shane’s crew. The rest were already at a site. This morning was merely introductions and learning how Bill operated.

As Shane walked back into Bill’s office, Bill closed the door and sat down behind his desk. The desk was covered in blue prints both rolled up and unfurled. The only indication of the top of the desk was a small corner where a cup of coffee sat, dark brown circles indicating its position.

“See, at Devon’s, we’re a team. We work as a team, we play as a team, we live as a team. Your resume was impressive and I believed in your the moment I saw you,” Bill said. “You seem like a nice young man who comes from a good family.”

Shane smiled bright, though groggily, at Bill. “Thanks, Bill! With that attitude, I think I’ve found a great place!”

Bill smiled and clasped his hands over his portly belly, “There was one thing that I wanted to ask you about, if you don’t mind.”

Shane shrugged happily, “Sure, no worries!”

“We’re always looking to expand and with your connections, Mr. Devon was hoping that you might be able to put in a few good words to help us build our business.”

Shane’s face took on a no-problem look, “Yeah, of course, mate! I’ll ring up my dad and see what he can do. He’s always out this way building. He could always use extra hands.”

Bill took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, “Good on ya. And, well..” Bill said as he lowered his voice, “Well, if you ever need anything done for ya, just let me know and we’ll get it sorted. And if you know anyone else that might need us, let them know. Y’know, friends of yours or even your significant other.”

Shane’s eyes widened when the mention of a significant other was brought up, “Right, no worries.”

The idea that someone would ask him for a favor to get anything from Nathaniel didn’t sit well with him, but he didn’t want to seem unwilling just in case that might go into keeping him around in spite of the fact he got the job before anyone knew he even knew Nathaniel. If they wanted him to put in a word with his dad, that was nothing because that benefitted the family. To put in a word with Nathaniel would feel like an imposition on Shane’s part.

Bill, for his part, seemed happy with Shane’s reply. He reached out his hand and gave Shane a firm handshake. “Great, excellent. Well, then, get up with Ian and follow him to the Mortimer project. Once there, we’ll get you started.”

***
Shane’s Apartment
Later that evening....

As Shane slid out of his boots and jeans and tossed his reflective vest on the coffee, he made his way to the balcony door and opened it to allow the breeze to flow through the screen door. He stretched out on the couch and took a deep breath. Unfortunately, it reminded him that the shirt was rather in need of a wash, so he peeled that off and tossed it roughly where they jeans and boots were sitting. He pulled up his legs one by one and removed his socks. The feeling of the cooling evening air coming in from the balcony made him feel happy again. He’d never been so tired in his life. Between getting 2 hours of sleep and then working a full day lifting bags of cement, there wasn’t a single portion of his body that wasn’t aching, throbbing, or both. He barely had enough strength to move when a knock came at the door.

He didn’t want to get up. The knocking came again. He groaned and sat up, then stood up and walked over to the door. He unlocked it and pulled it too, the chain the only thing keeping the door from opening fully. He peered out from behind the door at the person standing before him. It was the cable guy. After getting the credentials shown to him, Shane unchained the door and let the cable guy in.

“Won’t be a minute,” he said with a pearly-white grin while chewing gum. “I’ve already done the outside work.”

“Cheers, mate,” Shane said as he looked down at the floor. It was then he realized he was in his boxers and nothing else. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m gonna go get changed.”

“No worries,” the technician said.

“Wasn’t expecting you till later, mate,“ Shane said.
“Had a job cancel,” the techie said, “No worries. So, you have two TVs, the other one is in the bedroom?”

“Yeah,” Shane said.

“Right, once I get this beaut hooked up, I’ll head off that way,” the techie replied. As he chewed his gum more, he turned back towards Shane, “Silly question, but do you model?”

A curious look overtook Shane’s face, “Nah, mate.”

“You should,” the techie said. “I know a person looking for a model just like you. I can give you her card. I’m sure you heard of her. Julie Calvin.”

Shane raised an eyebrow. Julie Calvin was a well-known Sydney modeling agency and she could launch a career with one photoshoot. The idea never struck Shane before. Then the realistic side of his personality came back into control and he shook his head. “Mate, sounds too good to be true.”

The techie stood up and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet and took out a business card with raised lettering and solid card stock. “That’s her private number. I do some work for her when she needs a fill in. Between that and this and uni, I’ve barely anytime for myself. Tell her Brian sent ya.”

Shane looked over the card for a second while Brian held it out. Then he took the card timidly from Brian’s hand. “Thanks, mate.”

“You work out?” Brian asked.

“Nah, I’m a tradie. I work with cement.” Shane said.

“If you’re interested in Julie Calvin, as great as you look, might wanna invest in the gym. She’s always got work for blokes like you, but a bit more definition and you’d be amazing. I know I’d buy anything you were selling,” Brian said as he moved in closer to Shane.

Brian’s proximity was somewhat alarming, but never let it be said that Shane didn’t appreciate a jawline that could cut glass. “I looked like you last year,” Brian continued, “then I found a nice gym and, well, now I’m this.” He took Shane’s hand and pressed it up against his chest.

Shane at first didn’t want to feel, but he started to. Shane started to rub against the rock-hard chest and then down the torso to the stomach. Through the tight polo shirt, he could feel the fruits of Brian’s labor. “Yeah, uh, not bad, mate.”

Brian removed Shane’s hand from his person and smiled, “Right, now off to the bedroom to install the other box, mate.”

A flustered Shane followed. Brian went straight to work and in no time installed the box. He checked both boxes to make sure the signal was strong and then installed the wifi modem. As Brian worked on the modem, he looked up at Shane, “My numbers on that card, too. I’m a talent scout for Julie. That’s my mobile at the bottom. Give me a call if you ever wanna talk or maybe grab dinner.”

“Uh, mate, kinda seeing someone right now,” Shane said somewhat convincingly.

“Just my luck,” Brian said with a smile. Then it struck Brian right there. The name on the job order, the face, it all kind of clicked. “Oh, oh mate, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were him. I guess I just didn’t put it all together.”

“Him who,” Shane asked.

“The Emperor’s boyfriend. So sorry, mate. I’m so bloody stupid,” Brian said.

Shane smiled slightly, “Well, we’ve not been going out that long. The press got ahold of the news and, well, she’s definitely not right.”

“There you are,” Brian said with a slight smile, “all hooked up. Anyway, mate, if you give Julie a call and tell her I sent ya, she’ll take a look at ya. If she likes ya, you’ll get a gig. And if things don’t work out with you know who, you got my number.” Brian winked and then grabbed his tools and left.

[Chrinthanium]

Emperors were more often-than-not married. Of those who were married, the vast majority found love (or a politically advantageous marriage) prior to assuming the throne. In Chrinthani history, only 5 emperors were unmarried on their ascension. Of those, only 2 were over the age of 18 as well. Nathaniel was one of those final two. Perhaps in an earlier time when the Imperial court was center of political and social life, things like being unwed could easily be fixed. It happened to Emperor Alexander II. At 19 he took the throne, found love via a baroness at court, and produced 4 children in as many years. In the present, Nathaniel often found himself shuffled from place to place to put in appearances and give plaques and awards. Big flower show in Brisbane? He was there. Some charity reaching 100 years of age? Have a plaque! A new railway station in the middle of Western Chrinthania’s desert? Sure, Nathaniel, cut the ribbon and officially open the station. This was his life. It was interesting to meet so many people, but it put quite the damper on social interaction.

Then there was Shane. Someone who Nathaniel had only heard about for some time due to him being Ryan’s best friend. Nathaniel had never met many of his brother’s friends simply due to his schedule. When Nathaniel heard that one of Ryan’s friends had been disowned due to being gay, Nathaniel felt that he should meet this person and give him the benefit of his wisdom. The world was full of those stories and Nathaniel, being gay himself, had a special place in his heart for folks in Shane’s position. Then, light an unknown force, some sort of attraction his and the two began something that seemed to be going somewhere different than Nathaniel ever imagined.

And then he tripped over his job. In fact, the careful image that Nathaniel had crafted became the very thing that seemed to have caught Shane up in a vortex of disorder. Now Shane was stuck having to duck paparazzi. It wasn’t fair to Shane as far as Nathaniel was concerned. Shane hadn’t asked for any of that sort of intrusion on his private life. Sometimes, Nathaniel feared it would drive Shane away and that was an outcome that Nathaniel did not want. Nathaniel wasn’t stupid. He knew Shane genuinely cared. Nathaniel also cared about Shane. It’s why he gave Shane lots of advice about dealing with his new-found infamy. It’s why he tried at least once per day to talk to Shane over the phone. It’s why Nathaniel never suggested that Shane resign his new job or find an apartment that Nathaniel’s security service could protect. He knew Shane wanted his independence. And, if that meant Nathaniel had to revise how things were done, then by God things would be revised.

“Shane” Nathaniel said via video chat, “I have to ask you a question.”

“You should try just asking,” Shane said with a smile. “Just come out with it.”

“Is the invitation to visit your flat still good?” Nathaniel said.

Shane attempted to hide the bright smile that started beaming across his face to no avail, “Of course, Nate. But, what about all that security stuff?”

“I have spoken to Danforth and I have taken care of all that red tape,” Nathaniel said. “One guard outside your door, and a few scattered around the perimeter of the complex. And, I do have a confession, I said you made the best Lamington ever, so Danforth wants one for hush money.” Nathaniel chuckled after the last statement.

“Bloody oath!” Shane said. His wide eyes and nearly involuntary smile were quite apparent through the video chat.

“I have to get going,” Nathaniel said, “I have a meeting with the PM in a few minutes, what time should I arrive?”

Shane was about to answer, but then he remembered that Nathaniel was always early. Shane thought for a moment and then spoke, “About 7.”

“Right,” Nathaniel said. “See you then!.”

***

Shane’s apartment was never dirty, that was a fact. Firstly, he hadn’t been there long enough to make a mess. Secondly, he was a bit of a neat freak. Dirty clothes could sit on the floor temporarily, but too long on the floor and he would have to not only remove them from where they sat but also scrub the area around them just in case some of the dirty rubbed off. Dishes were done as they were dirtied while cooking, and then the dinner dishes themselves were done directly after the meal. He had a dishwasher, but it would never work as well as his own hands.

He was also used to his mother’s kitchen. There were two ovens in that kitchen, so cooking was much simpler. Two items could be baking at different temperatures at different times shortening the amount of time it took to cook a dinner. This kitchen came with one, as was standard. That meant timing everything. What needed to be done now and what could wait till later? What could be put in the oven together without causing issue? It gave Shane fits at first, but as everything started coming together, he realized he was impervious to the single-oven kitchen. In fact, he stood at the stove, Superman pose in full swing, and smiled as everything seemed to be timed to perfection.

The stern knock at the front door gave Shane enormous happiness. He quickly shifted himself into the living room and opened the door wearing his bright smile. Instead of Nathaniel, a conspicuous dressed man in a black suit, black tie, white shirt, and sunglasses stood at the door. In his raised hand was a badge from the Secret Service.

“Mr. Jennings,” the guard said, “His Imperial Majesty will be arriving in five minutes. With your permission, sir, I’d like to take a quick sweep. Do not be alarmed, it is normal protocol.”

Shane nodded and stood aside. The guard came in and did a quick look around. He didn’t open drawers and only asked Shane to open the closet and bedroom doors to ensure no one else was in the apartment. Having been satisfied that no one was in the apartment to do harm to Nathaniel, the man put his wrist up to his mouth and stated, “Clear.”

Just as Shane’s watched clicked to 6:30, the door opened and Nathaniel walked. Nathaniel gave the guard in the apartment a quick look and the guard stepped out closing the door behind him. Once Nathaniel saw Shane, he stopped. Shane wasn’t dressed in casual clothing. No, there were well-polished dress shoes and black slacks neatly creased, a purple dress shirt and a yellow tie. Even Shane’s hair seemed well suited to the occasion having it in a small ponytail rather than a man bun.

“You like?” Shane asked.

“That is probably not the correct term,” Nathaniel said with a wink and a half smile. He walked up to Shane and placed his hand under Shane’s chin. He tilted Shane’s head up slightly and then kissed him.

“Should dress like this more often,” Shane said as he winked back at Nathaniel.

Shane felt a lot like he did the first time he and Nathaniel kissed. It was warm, it was passionate, and most of all, it felt right. Maybe Nathaniel was just a good kisser. Maybe there was really something there between them. Shane couldn’t know the answer to those questions deep in his mind, but he knew there was something there. As the old song goes, if you wanna know it’s in his kiss.

“Nate, means a lot that you were able to come down here,” Shane said. “I know it’s not always easy for ya.” Shane escorted Nathaniel to the sofa.

“If something is worth the time, you find the time,” Nathaniel said, “And you are definitely worth the time.”

Shane put his arm around Nathaniel and said, “Smooth talker.”

As Nathaniel sat there feeling very content, he noticed the business card on the coffee table with Julie Calvin’s name. He turned his head towards Shane and smiled, “Are you going to be a model?”

A curious look came over Shane’s face. Nathaniel pointed at the business card. Shane chuckled. “Nah, Nate. The techie who installed the cable was trying to get me to sign up. Think it was just a big come-on. I’ll make you a model, but first you have to sleep with me kinda thing.”

“Really,” Nathaniel said. “Well, if you want to sleep with someone to become a model, you could just take me to bed. Julie and I are good friends. She helps design my mother’s outfits for formal occasions. She even put me in touch with a designer for my Coronation Robe.”

Shane lifted his head up, a sparkle in his brown eyes, and a smile, “Just know that I don’t root for work. So, if you wanna sleep with me, you’re gonna have to earn it. As far as Julie Calvin, no worries. I couldn’t do that. I am kinda shy.”

“All evidence to the contrary,” Nathaniel said. “You knew me for less than 24 hours and the pool happened.”

“Sometimes when it’s right, it’s right,” Shane said as he stood up. “Anyway, before I give you dessert, might as well have dinner first.”

***

He wrapped himself around Nathaniel like a gift bow. If he had held Nathaniel and closer, their atoms might have actually fused together. Nathaniel enjoy the feeling. It always just felt natural, like Shane was supposed to be there. He couldn’t explain why, it just was. In the near total darkness of the bedroom, and for the entirety of the evening prior, Nathaniel didn’t think about security or meetings or duty or even time. He didn’t care about anything else other than Shane and enjoying Shane’s company. If Nathaniel had to judge by Shane’s proximity, he would assume the feelings were the same.

Nathaniel just laid back awake as the red LED of the alarm clock clicked over to 5 in the morning. With very gentle and subtle movement he rubbed Shane’s back with his hand. As he did, he could feel Shane try to snuggle even closer than before. Then he felt the warmth of Shane’s lips against his neck.

“Morning,” Shane said half asleep and barely audible.

“Morning,” Nathaniel said quietly.

“You been up all night?” Shane asked as he released his grip on Nathaniel and rolled over on his side.

“Yeah, I have,” Nathaniel said. “Just watching you sleep. Watching your never-ending smile. Memorizing how you feel when you wrap yourself around me.”

Shane blushed slightly, “That’s really sweet. And only the least bit creepy.”

Nathaniel snatched a pillow from behind him and hit Shane with it. Shane started to laugh and then climbed on top of Nathaniel. Then he leaned down and gave Nathaniel a deep kiss. As he kissed him, he once more melted into Nathaniel’s arms, relaxing himself and stretching out on top of Nathaniel. Nathaniel then pushed his head away and smiled at him.

“If you keep this up, Ryan will have to deputize for me today.” Nathaniel said.

“Do you want me to ring him or will you?” Shane asked.

[Chrinthanium]

Bondi Beach

Unbridled joy exuded from Shane’s very person. When he walked, it was as if he was gliding across the floor. There was a special and distinct happiness to his voice and a smile on his face that was unstoppable. Even the weather seemed to share in his happiness as a bright sapphire umbrella spread across the sky while the Sun danced over him. It was an idea time to take a casual stroll along the beach.

With a pair of sandals on his feet and a pair of boardshorts his only decoration, he waltzed down the stairs and through the front door and down the few blocks to the beach access. The early Spring day with a slight cool breeze kept some of the crowd at bay. Those who were there spend their time stretched out before the sun as if a religious sect worshiping their god. Shane couldn’t control his mood anymore than the Sun could control its brightness as he walked along the shore’s edge, occasionally with the cold water lapping at his feet.

As he walked, he began to feel something strange. It was a feeling that something or someone was watching him. He turned and noticed a few people with cameras taking his picture from behind. He paid them little more notice than the quick turn of his head. The feeling didn’t end, though. He heard camera shutters from a distance and turned his head back towards where the town was and perched on the exterior of the parking lot outside of the Bondi Beach playground were more camera persons either taking his picture or following along with him as he walked.

A few of the people on the beach seemed to recognize him from the now-ubiquitous picture from his Instagram that was used on the news the other day. Most people seemed to just take pictures and leave him alone, which was unnerving but bearable. A few more seemed to point as he walked by. One particularly friendly person even asked for a picture with him. Shane wasn’t certain why, but he went along with it in spite of the nervous feeling it caused..

As he continued, the crowd seemed to gather more and more. He didn’t like the feeling. Hundreds of pairs of eyes now peering in his direction, people talking about him with whomever they were with, and the crescendo of digital camera shutters were beginning to melt away a happy mood and replace it with that of a caged animal being gawked at by tourists. It made him feel nervous, even unsafe.

“Alright, alright,” a cop said loudly, “disperse people, let the man walk.”

Shane nodded to the cop who nodded back as the crowd began to slowly dissipate and return to their neutral portion of the beach. The cop walked over to Shane.

“Don’t worry about those bunch of cunts, mate,” he said. “They act like no one famous ever walked on this beach. G’day to ya,” he said as he turned and walked away.

Shane decided to return home. At the entrance to the parking lot, the media was also there. The news that Nathaniel had spent the night sent them in droves. The fact that Nathaniel left didn’t seem to matter to them. The news wasn’t Nathaniel, but the one he was apparently involved with. They respected Shane’s ability to move freely. That was a law they weren’t going to violate. They did attempt to shove cameras into his face at proximities that were not comfortable for Shane. Several times he asked them politely to back off, but that just caused them to take more pictures, perhaps in the hopes of catching him acting angrily towards them. He took it in stride, remembering that Nathaniel had instructed him to cultivate a good relationship with the paparazzi, not because it was necessary, but because they would, in general, be more willing to back off when he asked and respect his privacy when he requested. When asked if he would stop for a few pictures, Shane obliged uncomfortably. He put on his best fake smile, and then the press, like the Red Sea, parted to either side of him once they filled their memory cards with enough images and he quickly went into his apartment building ensuring the main door was closed behind him.

***

Jennings Residence, Melbourne

Noah Jennings sat in a recliner, laptop open in his lap. He scrolled through social media just scanning the news feed for anything that caught his attention. It was the sudden appearance of a link with a picture of Shane that caused him to stop and click. The vision of his brother posing for pictures that are plastered on a gossip site was far more entertaining to him than he could have ever imagined. Pictures of Shane walking along the beach, of Shane standing in the parking lot of his apartment building. All around the pictures was the usual garbage news story about the potential seriousness of his relationship with the Emperor, was Shane the one to finally become the Imperial consort, did he have any hidden secrets that they could hope to uncover in the future. This all caused Noah to laugh quite loudly.

“What’s so funny,” Mick said as he walked into the living room.

“This,” Noah said as he showed his father the article.

Mick cracked open his tinnie of beer and took a long drink before he said anything, “This is gonna be a nightmare.”

“Dad,” Noah said, “it’s notta nightmare. In fact, we could be married into the Imperial family. Think what that’s gonna mean for the business!”

Mick has only just gotten accustomed to his son being gay. He knew at some point Shane might find someone, but he was hoping it wouldn’t have been this soon. There was also the added pressure of him dating such a public figure. Even in Melbourne, the paparazzi were busy trying to find out more about Shane’s family. They’d already fended off a few calls from people willing to pay for their stories about Shane. Mick had even put the family on alert that anyone offering stories--true or not--about Shane or other members of the family to one of these rags was going to be kicked out of the family.

“It’s not about the business,” Mick said. “The business is good, everything’s good. You know your brother. He wears his heart on his sleeve and I just hope that His Imperial Majesty doesn’t hurt my son. The last bloke the Emperor was with left him for another guy.”

“Because they were already fucking,” Noah added. “Shane’s not gonna cheat on anyone.”

Noah put the laptop on the coffee table and sat forward on the edge of the seat, “Now, you think when they marry I’ll get a title?”

Mick shook his head in disbelief at Noah, “Yeah, Your Imperial Asshat.”

Noah shook his head and then spoke, “Just think about it, alright? Shane’s the committed kinda bloke. He doesn’t quit anything unless there’s no hope. If this thing with him and the Emperor work out, we’re gonna be royalty. Maybe not with the fancy titles and all that, but we’ll be part of the family.”

“Yeah, but they’ll never have kids. Not like one of my grandkids will be in line for the throne.” Mick said.

Noah laughed loudly, “You’re really stuck in the past. One of your daughters, my sisters, could donate an egg. You could have a grandkid that’s the next Emperor.”

Mick cringed at the idea of any one of his daughters being a mother, or anything having to do with their eggs, but Mick realized Noah had a point. If this relationship between Shane and Nathaniel worked out, not only would it set up Shane for life, but it could mean bigger and better things for the business and the family. “You might be onto something, Noah.”

***

Nathaniel’s Private Apartment, Brightmore Palace

He thrashed around in bed trying to find a comfortable position. The pillows that had been so neatly placed at the head of the bed were scattered like leaves in a windstorm. Every time Nathaniel seemed to settle down into a comfortable position, he’d toss again. He couldn’t understand why. The bed itself was still pretty new, having been replaced just a few months ago. It was plush and comfortable. It even had extra soft sheets put on it just for an added touch of comfort. His notification tone sounded, which prompted him to retrieve the phone from the bedside table. It was a message from Shane.

Sleep well, Nate. Wish you were here.

Nathaniel smiled and started to type a reply when he decided it would be better to call Shane.

“Hey,” Shane said with a bright tone, “Hope you had a good day.”

“Boring. Meetings all afternoon. How about you?” Nathaniel said.

Shane wanted to tell him how he really felt, beyond just wanting to be next to Nathaniel. What Shane really wanted to say was how he hated posing for the paparazzi, how he wished people would just leave him alone, and how he wished that he didn’t feel like he needed a personal bodyguard just to go to the store or the beach. What Shane felt was that he wanted his boyfriend to be there to hold him and comfort him as he sat there feeling violated and naked in front of what was slowly becoming an unrelenting supply of people who think that Shane is some new show pony just because he found a nice guy to date who happened to also be an Emperor.

What he said was, “Just wishing you were here with me, Nate. That’s all.”

“Well,” Nathaniel said, “What if I arranged to have you brought here? They could be there in about 25-30 minutes.”

“I.... I’d like that, actually,” Shane said. “I just, you know, I just don’t like all this attention from people, Nate. And I don’t wanna be alone tonight because I keep thinking they’re outside my window trying to take snaps of me. I swear I heard someone on the balcony earlier.”

Nathaniel’s spine shivered as he heard the last statement, “Right, the car is on its way.”

[Chrinthanium]

Nathaniel's Private Apartment, Brightmore Palace

Morning always follows night. This is a fact of life. It never deviates, it just does. With the morning comes the morning news complete with print, digital, and televised versions blaring in homes and business, available on almost every street corner, and on every single mobile or internet-ready device. According to Chrinthani ratings, morning news was the single-most consumed media in the empire. More people started their day with the news of the world than ended their day with it. This meant the biggest stories were always on the morning news and the most regarded newscasters were also on in the mornings.

For Nathaniel, the morning news was a way to keep tabs on things and see the general state of the nation. Beyond his daily briefings through his purple box and the as-it-happened details relayed to him throughout the day, the morning news gave him a glimpse into just what was the pulse of the nation. On this morning, as Shane continued to sleep in bed, the pulse of the nation was pushing higher towards a fever pitch.

Over the last week and change, Shane had gone from a person very few people knew, let alone cared about, to a national sensation. His pictures from the day before were everywhere. Speculation about how far the relationship with Nathaniel has progressed was discussed by everyone from the main newscasters who debated its effect on Nathaniel’s popularity to the culture and variety reporters who talked about the potential of the fashion style of an Imperial wedding. The news was flattering about Shane, there was no mistaking this. What bothered Nathaniel was the fact that it bothered Shane.

As Shane turned slightly in bed, Nathaniel sat in a chair in the bedroom jotting ideas down on a piece of paper. With each sentence written, he studied it carefully nodding his head and mouthing the words without sound. Sometimes he would lift his head, his eyes looking up and around as if he was pulling the very words from the air. Once in awhile, he’d even smile as an idea would come and he’d feverishly write it down. Sometimes just shortly after he’d written it down, he’d scribble part or all of it out. He shook his leg as he thought and seemed oblivious to the fact that not only had Shane woke up, but Wilcox had been waiting on the doorway with breakfast.

“Nate,” Shane said as he rubbed his eyes, “Geoffrey’s at the door.”

Nathaniel snapped out of it, his eyelids going up and down a few times as he regained focus on the room around him. He turned and nodded at Wilcox who sat the tray down.

“Will there be anything else, Sir,” Wilcox said.

“No, Coxy, as always, thank you,” Nathaniel said.

Shane smiled at Wilcox, whom he always called Geoffrey because Shane could never bring himself to call anyone by their surname. He found it somewhat impersonal. “Thanks, Geoffrey.”

“Your Welcome, Your Majesty and Mr. Jennings,” Wilcox bowed gracefully and walked away.

Shane climbed out of bed, still in his underwear only, and walked behind Nathaniel. He smiled at the back of Nathaniel’s head as he put his hands on Nathaniel’s shoulders and leaned down to kiss him on the back of the next. He then put his mouth by Nathaniel’s ear and quietly said, “Morning, stud.”

Nathaniel turned and gave Shane a kiss on the lips. “You could have slept as long as you wanted.”

Shane shrugged as he slid into the chair beside Nathaniel. “Guess this is as late as I needed. Besides, I gotta work in a bit. So, whatcha writing?”

Nathaniel said, “Well, I was jotting down ideas about the annual Christmas message.”

Shane started to laugh, “It’s only the end of October.”

“And only seven weeks until I have to give it,” Nathaniel said. “I put my ideas down, I turn them over to the speech writer who works them into a speech, then I get it back and resubmit it with my own ideas and touches and we work it out until it is perfect. That process takes a couple weeks. Then I have to rehearse it until I have it almost memorized. Then we go through a final draft if something big happens between the time it is written and the time it is delivered.”

“When do you write your Chrinthania Day speech?” Shane joked.

“Start planning that just before Christmas. I am always a few holidays ahead of schedule,” Nathaniel replied.

Danforth knocked at the entrance to the bedroom in spite of the fact the door was open. Shane slid further towards the table while Nathaniel waved Danforth in. He stepped into the room slightly and bowed towards Nathaniel and nodded at Shane.

“Your Majesty, they’re camped out at every gate,” Danforth said.

“Who is camped out?” Nathaniel said.

“The press. It’s just hitting the news right now.” Danforth pointed at the television which showed a live look at the palace gates as reporters hoped to get any image of Shane leaving the palace.

Shane turned towards Nathaniel and shook his head, “But I thought you said the car wasn’t registered to the palace.”

“It isn’t,” Danforth replied. “Had to be the driver.”
Shane said, “I’m like a prisoner in here, ain’t I?”

Nathaniel stood up and walked behind Shane and put his hands on both of Shane’s shoulders and started to rub them slightly. “Danforth, I want that driver terminated immediately. Also, make sure the press are following the rules regarding Imperial persons and unfettered movement. Also, get the PM here at his earliest convenience. We are going to have to talk about some things.”

“Nate,” Shane said. “How am I gonna get to work?”

“Leave that to me,” Danforth said. “We have a way.”

About thirty minutes later, the gate at the service entrance to the palace opened up. The throng of reporters looked interested to see movement at the palace, but when they saw a simply work van pulling out with no one of any importance in the driver or passenger seats, they simply ignored it as it pulled out into the morning traffic. Shane sat in the back on a make-shift seat and started laughing as he could see the press being left far behind him. While he felt relief that he'd gotten through the barrage of people, deep down he was still rather uncomfortable with all the media attention. He didn't know why he was so important to them, in spite of his blossoming relationship with the emperor. He assumed that Nathaniel should be more interesting to the press. No matter now, one vehicle change and then he'd be off to his apartment to hop into his truck and head to work.

[Chrinthanium]

Sydney CBD, Saturday 10/29

Nathaniel stepped out of the SUV with a bright smile on his face and a wave for those who were around. He stood there for a moment letting the press take their pictures and awaited his guest to exit the vehicle. When Shane finally appeared, himself in a tuxedo like Nathaniel, the sound of shutters clicking and the explosions of flashes gained in their momentum. It wasn't until Nathaniel took Shane by the hand that the clamoring paparazzi and news media alike began to really increase their fervent pursuit. In spite of the guard's protection, the media pressed closer as those further from the front of the line attempted to get what could only be thought to be the pièce de résistance of imagines. One of the guards attempted to gently nudge a few of the intruding press members back, but in the brief second he turned to address one invasion, another broke to his left. This time, he couldn't turn fast enough. The cameras were pressed in closer, Nathaniel shifted himself slightly to use himself as an almost shield for Shane. One member running in attempted to slow down and grab a quick photograph, but he tripped over something or someone and fell forward. The camera he was holding was thrust forward and nailed Nathaniel with its zoom lens right in the bridge of the nose. After a brief second of uncertainty, Nathaniel waved off his guards, grabbed the camera, slammed it into the cameraman's hands.

"Get your camera and get the fuck away from me, mate," Nathaniel said with a growl as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I mean, what kind of fuckwit are you? You just break through the security line and decide to rush me? I mean, seriously, mate. What kind of fucking idiot are you?" Nathaniel pointed at one of his security detail and then pointed at the man he was just complaining to. Security came and helped the man to his feet and started to escorted him back to the press area.

"Nate," Shane said in Nathaniel's ear, "calm down. Not need to get upset."

"Why?" Nathaniel said. "They know the rules. Not to mention, I am going to have a fucking bruise there tomorrow because some fucking cunt thinks the rules do not apply to him."

What transpired was a media feeding frenzy as the man whose camera assaulted Nathaniel was now the bigger news story than Nathaniel or his smarting nose or the fact he was attending a charity function in an official capacity with his boyfriend at his side. Even with cameras rolling and microphones picking up Nathaniel's slight temper tantrum, the couple were not the main story in the media's eyes. Finally, Shane though, they're worried about someone else as Nathaniel clasped Shane's hand in his and smiled back at the remaining media and walked with Shane into the venue. Of course, the media were quick to report on Nathaniel's statements.

As the charity event continued, news outlets across the empire began to report on Nathaniel's unfortunate meeting with the cameraman. Most of the outlets attributed the incident to an overzealous cameraman, but an audio of Nathaniel's statements to the cameraman in question was also published, along with video. The average person reading the news was shocked to hear their emperor utter the f-bomb multiple times towards someone. They were used to a calm, well-mannered young man who was always smiles and waves. Comment sections flooded with people both defending Nathaniel and decrying his off-the-cuff statement to the cameraman who simply slipped and fell. It was the kind of media attention that Nathaniel was not used to nor was he wanting.

The next morning, Nathaniel woke up and immediately went to the mirror. Across his nose was indeed a bruise as he assumed would be. A quick camera shot from his phone and a post to his official Instagram account came after he got ready to face the chilly morning. He didn't accuse anyone or say anything else other than to wish everyone a good morning. The morning news cycle was continuously going on about the cameraman and the incident with Nathaniel. The video replay of his admonishment of the cameraman caused him to wince some. It was not a good moment for him, but under the circumstances, most of the social media they could track seemed generally pro-Nathaniel.

[Chrinthanium]

Nathaniel’s Private Apartment, Brightmore Palace

Nathaniel felt naked in spite of not being so. He’d become used to Shane curling up around him. It felt natural. Just as natural as it felt the first time he saw Shane to be drawn to him. It was just as natural as it was when he held Shane when he cried. There were no words to explain it that Nathaniel could come up with outside of tired and cliched saying. What he did know what that Shane seemed genuine. He never felt like Shane saw him as an Emperor or as someone who lived a charmed life. Nathaniel truly felt that Shane saw the person beneath all the titles and duties. And that is the reason Nathaniel didn’t want just a friends-with-benefits relation with Shane anymore. It is why Nathaniel had him hand-in-hand at the charity gala the night before. Nathaniel felt that Shane simply belonged at his side. Now as Nathaniel readied himself to fall asleep, he felt lonely.

The Emperor depended on a lot of people to accomplish his duties. He could never do it as a one-man operation. He had all sorts of staff members in the household and in an office capacity as well as drivers, guards, planners, designers, and even a hairdresser for special occasions in spite of the fact he rarely ever changed his hair style. The chefs in the kitchen prepared everything from the state dinners to his own personal dinner. The housekeepers cleaned his sheets, pillowcases, vacuumed the floor, dusted, and kept the place tidy. Everyone had a job and their jobs were to keep Nathaniel and, beyond the man, the Crown looking good. Beyond everyone in his employ, Nathaniel also depended on other members of his family to stand in for him when he couldn’t be somewhere or do something. And each of those family members had a staff looking after them to keep them moving along like a well-oiled machine.

The fact is, Nathaniel didn’t depend on Shane. He needed Shane. Nathaniel never before needed another person. He wanted people, he liked people, and he depended on people, but he never needed someone. He would often push away from the flurry of people keeping him moving and find private moments to relax and think to himself in solitude. He would plan personal time in his schedule to be left alone to just unwind his mind sometimes. Now, none of that was enough. Being alone wasn’t enough. He needed Shane there. When Shane was there, everything felt like it would be great. When Shane was around, he felt as if things were complete.

Nathaniel wasn’t upset, he was just unprepared. He wasn’t sure how he found himself in this position, nor was he sure what he did to gain such affection from another person, but he was certain that he knew what he was feeling. How he could have let someone blow past the very-well-crafted exterior to find the simple man beneath it all. How could he even not realize someone was doing it until it was too late? Then he realized he didn’t have to let Shane do any of that. He didn’t even have to invite Shane to do that. Like a key that opened only one lock, Nathaniel realized Shane had gotten past all the defenses and was now firmly in his life and Nathaniel liked it.

He turned to the bedside table and grabbed the phone.

“Your Majesty, how can I help you?” the operator said.

“I need a car. Tell them I am going to Shane’s apartment. Have it ready in 10 minutes,” Nathaniel said.

“Yes, Sir,” the operator said as Nathaniel hung up the phone.

He slid out of bed, tore off his tank top and opened one of the drawers nearby and pulled out a simple, white t shirt. Then he slid out of his pajama pants and put on a pair of jeans and slid into a pair of sneakers and ran from his private apartment through the palace and towards where the car would be waiting. Once there, he nearly leaped through the door to get into the car and was instantly whisked away towards Shane’s apartment.

The gray sedan sped through the Eastern Suburbs bookended by two black SUVs with their red and blue lights flashing and being flanked by motorcycle police whose job it was to block cross streets. Red lights were nothing for this fast-moving motorcade. Nathaniel’s motorcade went to silent mode once it entered Bondi Beach and the motorcycle cops found a quiet place to wait for Nathaniel’s eventual return. The black SUVs even turned off their emergency lights as they neared Shane’s apartment building.

Once stopped, Nathaniel raced out of the sedan and pushed the call button for Shane’s apartment. As he waited for Shane to respond, it began to downpour. The slight chill in the air coupled with the falling torrent of water made Nathaniel second guess his wardrobe choice.

“Yeah,” Shane said groggily through the intercom.

“It is me,” Nathaniel said.

There was no response. There was only the sound of someone coming to the door before him and opening it up.

“What are you doing?” Shane asked as he saw Nathaniel, shirt now transparent, standing in the rain looking less Imperial than ever before and more like the average twenty-something at the beach.

Nathaniel didn’t say anything, just grabbed Shane by the shoulders and pulled him in tight and kissed him as he wrapped his arms around Shane. The rain cascaded down Shane and Nathaniel’s interlocked faces as he felt Shane go somewhat limp in his arms. Then Nathaniel pulled back as Shane just stood there looking at him with a confused smile.

“I have to tell you something,” Nathaniel said. “I.... I am in love with you.”

Shane’s smiled melted into a bright and large smile, “I’m in love with you too, Nate. I have been since I first met you.”

Nathaniel stood there smiling and looking at Shane.

“Do you want to come in or stand there in the rain?” Shane asked.

“I would rather stand out here in the rain and be with you than be dry and alone in my bed. Come back with me.” Nathaniel said.

“Sure, Nate,” Shane said, “come in for a few and let me dry you off and then we’ll go.”

[Chrinthanium]

Nathaniel's Bedroom, Brightmore Palace

“That’s what you get for standing in the rain like a drongo,” Shane said as he handed Nathaniel another tissue.

Nathaniel, for his part, didn’t believe it was a cold. At least, not a cold acquired from standing out in the cold rain for 15 minutes. He did realize as he sat up in his bed, sweat beading on his brow, there were several people around him in the last two weeks who did get sick. There were also people who didn’t remember Nathaniel’s number one rule when they got sick: don’t come around him. He probably shook someone’s hand and they had probably just sneezed into it not minutes before and infected him with what he felt was a mutated cold. No, a plague. Yes, a plague.

“Do not forget the hand sanitizer. I do not want you to get this,” Nathaniel said with a stuffy nose.

“Believe me, mate, I don’t want it,” Shane said as he backed away playfully.

Nathaniel frowned slightly as Shane backed away. Shane smiled, then leaned in and placed a small, gentle kiss upon Nathaniel’s brow.

“Bloody hell, you’re running hot,” Shane said. “I’m gonna fetch the doctor.” He looked around for a moment, then turned back to Nathaniel, “How do I fetch the doctor?”

Nathaniel barely raised his hand and pointed at a telephone on the bedside table. “Press 00, tell them you need the doctor in my.....” At that point Nathaniel trailed off as his eyes began to close.

Shane grabbed the phone and pressed 00. “Yes, hello? No, it’s Shane. Shane Jennings. Yes, that one. His Majesty needs a doctor quickly. He’s burning up and I think he’s fainted. Yes, his bedroom. What? I dunno, mate. His forehead’s pretty damn hot. Right.”

“Nate,” Shane said as he climbed into the king-sized bed and crawled up next to Nathaniel. “Nate, the doc is on his way.”

Nathaniel nodded once or twice in a very limp manner and then slumped again.

At that moment, Shane could hear someone walking into the private apartment. The footsteps came closer. More than one person from what Shane could hear. Then the bedroom door opened and a man in a fine suit with a stethoscope around his neck came walking in. Behind him were two nurses, one male, one female, both moving a cart along that had a heart monitor on it and other equipment that may be necessary.

“How long as His Majesty been like this,” the doctor asked as he removed his stethoscope.

“Woke up like that. Was fine last night,” Shane said.

“Any vomiting, slurred speech?” The doctor asked.

“No. Then again, he’s had no brekkie yet.” Shane said.

The doctor put the stethoscope in his ears while the male nurse grabbed the electronic thermometer from the cart and placed it in Nathaniel’s mouth. The female nurse hooked up a blood pressure machine on Nathaniel’s right arm and the doctor put the stethoscope over Nathaniel’s heart. After a few moments, all the equipment returned from when it came except the thermometer. The doctor took it from Nathaniel’s mouth and read the number.

“Nurse, send down to the pharmacy, have them send up some TamiFlu. Mr. Jennings, make sure His Majesty gets plenty of rest and drinks plenty of fluids. And make sure he takes his flu treatment. And, Mr. Jennings, have you had your flu shot?”

“No worries,” Shane said. “I get one every year.”

“If only you could convince His Majesty to do the same,” the doctor said as the nurses began to wheel the cart out of the room. “I’ll contact Mr. Davis and Capt. Danforth. They’ll take care of his schedule until he’s feeling better. Mr. Jennings, are you going to stay with His Majesty?”

“Uh,” Shane said as he looked at the clock.

“We will have a nurse check on his vitals hourly. I will be in to check on him periodically. If you do stay, and if you need a note, I’ll be happy to oblige. I can have it faxed or emailed to your superior.” the doctor said.

“I’ll stay with this guy,” Shane said as he smiled at Nathaniel. “I mean, His Majesty.”

“So, where can I send the note,” the doctor said.

“Fax or email. I’ll give you the info,” Shane said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a business card and handed to the doctor. The doctor took the card, turned to Nathaniel, bowed, stepped backward three steps, then left.

Shane climbed into the bed next to Nathaniel and took him by the hand. He pulled Nathaniel’s hand to his mouth and kissed it. Nathaniel turned slightly and tried to smile. Then he started pointing off towards the side of the bed. He tried to say something, but he stopped. His chest started to heave slightly. Shane jumped out of the bed and grabbed the small trash can and handed it to Nathaniel. Nathaniel put his head into the basket and then proceeded to vomit.

***

She stood over the the bed and looked at Nathaniel. He took her hand and gently ran her fingers through his brown hair. She smiled at him resting so peacefully, but then sighed when he looked beside him. Her eyebrow raised and she stopped combing her son’s hair with her hand. She walked to a comfortable chair near the bed and rested her handbag on the floor beside it. She peeled off her wrap and put it over the back of her seat and then sat down with dignity and grace. With ladylike poise, she crossed her legs as a lady should and ensured her skirt was hanging freely in its proper location.

Shane shifted and woke up, his eyes blinking to bring focus to them. He first gave Nathaniel a very tight hug, then sat up and rubbed his eyes. As things came into focus, he noticed a lady sitting in a chair reading a magazine. Once his eyes finally focused, he notice just who was sitting in the room, he stood up and bowed.

“We meet again, Mr Jennings.,” Andrea said as she put the magazine down. “I see you’ve been taking care of my boy.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Shane said as he rose from his bow.

“Let me take a good look at you, Mr. Jennings,” Andrea said as she stood up and walked deliberately towards him. “His Majesty is very good at picking out attractive young men like yourself to date. It seems that he has a penchant for them. You do realize that, Mr. Jennings? You must have having been so familiar to my son Ryan for all these years.”

Shane was frozen to the spot as Andrea walked right up to him and stood within arms-reach of him. She looked him up and down, Shane’s eyes following her movements.

“I bet you have already started to plan how glamorous your new life will be with my son, the Emperor; state dinners and fancy cars, expensive presents and extravagant trips, maybe even a lot of fame for yourself. But, you see, Mr. Jennings, what you cannot see and what you cannot understand is that you are but a simple commoner, Mr. Jennings, who works in the sun doing all that manual labor. Who would not know style and grace if it hit you in the face with a shovel.”

“Ma’am,” Shane said as an angry scowl came over his face, “I really object to your entire statement....”

“You object?” Andrea said, her face almost shifting into rage. “Who are you to object? This is not a court and I am not a judge. A judge offers opinions. I am stating facts. Were you not the one who got my Ryan in trouble at university for a little stunt involving alcohol and underage high school children? Were you not the same Shane Jennings who punched my Ryan like a common street criminal because of a stupid argument?”

Shane’s anger brewed stronger as Andrea stopped circling him and stopped directly in front of him.

“So, Mr. Jennings, why would my son ever find anything about you to love when he is everything you are not and you come from a world of which he has no understanding or knowledge and his world is a world in which you can never be accepted.” Andrea said. “You think just because my son Ryan found you a suitable friend that you would or could ever be a suitable partner for my Nathaniel? I perish the thought, Mr. Jennings.”

Shane’s breathing was heavy, he was shaking, and his palms were sweaty. He opened his mouth a few times to speak, but nothing came out. He could hear his own pulse through his ears as the heat from the boiling blood flooded his body. He’d heard that the Dowager Empress could be tough, but the idea of her being a total cunt never crossed his mind until this encounter.

“I see you cannot even defend yourself, Mr. Jennings. I’m going to go back to my old room and have a lie down. Send someone to get me when my son awakens, Mr. Jennings.” Andrea went back to the chair, grabbed her things, and left.

Once she left, Shane took a very deep breath and started shaking his head. He walked over to the side of the bed beside Nathaniel and leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. Then he walked over to the chair formerly occupied by Andrea and leaned back and tried to get some more sleep without feeling like he was disturbing Nathaniel.

***

Richmond House, Sydney

If there was one thing Ryan hated more than deputizing for Nathaniel, it was when his mother came for a visit. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his mother, but she was who she was and, in Ryan’s mind, that was enough to fear the visit. She had flown in to see Nathaniel after hearing he’d taken ill. Once she was sure Nathaniel wasn’t near death (as she always believed he was when he was sick), she had invited herself over to see Ryan and Peter.

Ryan was busy standing in for Nathaniel at two functions: a knighting ceremony and an award ceremony for a police officer. This left Peter the sole person at home when the burgundy sedan pulled up to the front door of the stately home. With staff on either side of the small entry, and Peter standing by the door, Andrea stepped out and smiled at Peter. She held out her right hand and pointed it down, allowing Peter the ability to kiss her hand.

“Peter, so glad to see you again, my darling,” Andrea said as he kissed her hand.

“Yeah, long time no see, I can tell ya. Shall we?” Peter said as he escorted his mother into the house.

The entryway shifted seamlessly into a hallway which ended at a set of large stairs that split to the left and the right. Peter took her into the first door on the right, which was what was used as the living room. It was elegantly decorated in matching blues and yellows and gave a near springtime feel to the room. His mother sat down on the settee and was instantly given a hot cup of tea by one of the staff. She nodded at the staff member and then turned her attention back to Peter who sat down on a chair next to the settee.

“So, how have you and your brother been?” Andrea asked as she dropped two lumps into her tea.

“Great,” Peter said as he accepted a glass of water from the staff member.

“I saw Nathaniel today. Have you visited him while he’s sick?” Andrea asked stirring her tea.

“Nah,” Peter said, “Shane’s got’em pretty well taken care of. I haven’t had a chance. Been filling in for Nate today mostly. Just got home a little bit ago.”

She raised an eyebrow at Peter when he mentioned Shane’s name, “Yes, well, that will probably end like all the rest. Such a shame.”

“Give it a rest,” Peter said. “No bloke’s ever been good enough for Nate, have they? I reckon you won’t be happy unless he dies alone.”

“What a horrible thing to say to your mother,” Andrea said as she put her teacup down on the saucer. “I only want your brother to be happy.”

Peter wanted to explode and talk about all the times his mother meddled trying to do everything but let people be happy. He wanted to yell and rant and rave about all the times she mistook what she wanted everyone to do for happiness for everyone. Instead, he took a sip of water, took a deep breath, and decided that it was not the right time for that conversation. However, it wouldn’t be long before that conversation would need to be had.

[Chrinthanium]

Nathaniel's bedroom seemed to be a combination bedroom and sitting room by the size of it. The centerpiece of the whole room was Nathaniel's California King bed, which had ample room for him and a few friends. There was no canopy or bedposts, it was rather pedestrian in its look with the exception of a large, dark wood headboard that was a gentle arch from either side meeting at the center. The bed had many pillows of varying size, all of which were at Nathaniel's level of plush and fluffy. Beside the bed were two bedside tables, one on either side; each one with a lamp. Nathaniel slept on the left side of the bed and it was there his mobile was sitting and charging. There was also a slimline telephone in light gray that was used by Nathaniel to call for various people as needed. There was a tray which sat folded against the wall, used when Nathaniel was served breakfast each morning at 7:30. It folded open and would sit over Nathaniel's legs as he sat in an upright position. The room also contained a full-sized dresser, its color matching that of the headboard. It had 6 large drawers, three to each side. On top were various things Nathaniel used daily including deodorant and cologne. Mounted on the wall above was a large flat screen. Trailing below it was a white metal funnel for all the wires as to keep it looking neat at all times, the funnel matching the wall color. To Nathaniel's right was the door to his private bathroom, which most people would never know was larger than many people's living rooms. There was a separate room for the toilet with its vanity and the shower. The shower itself had glass walls which extended from the floor up to 2 meters with just a small gap between its top and the ceiling, enough to let the steam out. Next to the door to the private bathroom was a small area containing two chairs and a small table where Nathaniel often sat to read the morning papers before he performed his morning routine. Today's papers were sitting unfolded waiting for Nathaniel to read already. Another door to Nathaniel's left opened into a large walk-in closet where the entirety of Nathaniel's suites, ties, and shoes lived. At last count, there were 57 suits in total, many of which would seem to be almost identical colors, but Nathaniel knew the difference between them. There were 49 pairs of dress shoes. There were four tuxedos. There were enough ties that Nathaniel could wear a different one every day for a year and never repeat a pattern. It even had an automatic light which light up when Nathaniel entered and a full-length wall mirror so Nathaniel would ensure he was looking good before heading into his day.

Shane burst through the bedroom door, hands full. One hand had a large plastic bag weighing heavily with containers, the other had a bowl and a spoon. He plopped the bowl on the bedside table next to Nathaniel and then carefully put the spoon in it. The slight clank was enough to cause Nathaniel to crack his eyes open. Shane then sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled the two containers out of the bag. The largest contained was full of soup, so hot that the steam could be seen condensing on the inside of the container just above the water line. The other container was full of crackers. From the bag he also pulled out a ladle. After opening the soup container, he grabbed the ladle and filled the bowl about halfway with chicken soup. As he did, Nathaniel shifted to an upright sitting position in bed. Once finished with the ladling, Shane put the ladle in the soup contained and then turned towards Nathaniel and smiled. He leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. With his free hand he took the tray from the wall and unfolded it for Nathaniel to use.

"What is all this," Nathaniel asked groggily.

"Homemade chicken soup. Made with my loving hands. The food taster loved it, so I told him I'd give him the recipe." Shane said as he stroked Nathaniel's hair. "You're still clammy, Nate. Don't feel as hot as earlier."

"Because when I am not sleeping I have a nurse here feeding me medicine. I feel as though there are enough pills in me that I should rattle when I walk," Nathaniel said.

Shane grabbed the spoon and took a spoonful of soup and moved it towards Nathaniel's mouth, "Open wide."

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and followed the instruction as given. The soup was still a bit too warm, but it tasted so good. So much better than the stuff the palace canteen came up with last time he was sick. In fact, Nathaniel was certain at this point he was given a tin of soup by the kitchen. "Christ, Shane, that is amazing," Nathaniel said as he chewed.

Shane took another spoonful, though as he did a noodle somehow slid onto his thumb. Shane went to shift back, but Nathaniel shook his head no. Nathaniel took the spoon from Shane's hand and put it back in the bowl and grabbed Shane's thumb, pulled it to his mouth, then put Shane's thumb in his mouth to slurp the noodle off of it. Then, much to Shane's excitement, Nathaniel proceeded to mimic another activity.

"Someone's feeling better," Shane said with a bright smile.

"Bit sore, yeah," Nathaniel said, "definitely not ready to go out into the world. Still, I am feeling much better." Nathaniel picked up the tray and put it on the floor, then he leaned in and started to kiss Shane. In spite of the fact he was only on day two of the flu, the 1-2 punch of rest and medicine was doing the trick. What started as a simple kiss turned into a heavy make-out session as Shane pushed Nathaniel back onto the bed and then laid on top of Nathaniel. Shane started to move from Nathaniel's lips to his neck, then down to Nathaniel's bare chest. Shane's lips began to explore further down Nathaniel's torso, moving towards the navel as Shane's hands continued to explore where his lips once visited.

It was then Andrea cleared her throat.

"Christ," Shane said as he leaped nearly a meter in the air.

"I do wish you would knock, Mother," Nathaniel said as he put his hand over his heart.

"I see you are feeling better, Nathaniel," Andrea said with a disapproving look on her face. "Through the capable hands of Mr. Jennings, I see."

"Not 100% yet, but I am getting better," Nathaniel said. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Just to see my son while he is ill, as any mother would," Andrea said as she flashed a bright smile. "I was worried when the doctor called me and told me you were ill, so I flew in to watch over you, but I see you already have a nursemaid."

Nathaniel shook his head as Shane slid off the bed and picked up the tray. He put the tray back over Nathaniel's legs. "I am surrounded by people who are taking care of me. And you are always welcome to visit anytime. I told you that already."

"I am just trying to give you your space as you asked me to do when you were dating that good-for-nothing earlier this year," Andrea said. "Another commoner you raised up who wound up breaking your heart and in such a public manner."

Shane opened his mouth to say something, but Nathaniel grabbed Shane by the arm to tell him to say nothing, "Mother, this is Shane, not Zach."

"Zach, Bryan, Mark, Chad, Steve... so many names to keep track of, my son. So many times your heart was broken. I hope that I do not have to add the name Shane to that list. I hope Mr. Jennings understands that a mother worries about her son. I hope he understands that a mother gets tired of seeing her son's heartaches. I would not look kindly upon Mr. Jennings if he followed the track of previous suitors."

Shane stood still as Nathaniel tightened his grip on Shane's arm. He could feel the words in his mouth wanting to fly out explaining that he wasn't any of those other guys. He wanted to tell her to get stuffed. He wanted to tell her to go away. He wanted to tell her a lot of things, but Nathaniel's vice-like grip was the sure-fire sign that he needed to wait. Perhaps wait for the right moment for Nathaniel to finally do what Shane believed he needed to do and that was tell off his mother.

[Chrinthanium]

The past several days had seen the ever-present Chrinthani monarch unseen by public eyes. It was an unusual moment for the Chrinthani. He was always in the news whether he was breaking ground for a new railway station or he was giving out medals or knighthoods or even just putting in visits to various communities. When he was absent for any extended period of time, it sometimes made people wonder. A healthy monarch was a symbol of a healthy nation. When he went down with the flu, and his voice and his image was absent from the screen, people were genuinely worried. It mattered not that the ubiquitous media of Chrinthania had reported on his condition. It only mattered he wasn't smiling and waving and always showing the world that smirk of confidence that was his trademark and was the most widely-accepted representation of Chrinthania as a whole. With Nathaniel finally feeling like the worst was over, it was a natural response for him to put in a public appearance. It was nothing more than a balcony appearance for the cameras where he could step out and wave. Following the appearance, he simply withdrew back into his bedroom to continue is convalescence.

While Nathaniel waved and smiled at the press and the people who were gathered, Shane sat in Nathaniel's private apartment. He'd been a diligent boyfriend the past several days. There was more than homemade chicken noodle soup. Shane also helped Nathaniel keep his medication schedule, he got everything Nathaniel needed and wanted while his strength was gone, and he even kept him company during the moments he was awake. All of this had not gone unnoticed by Nathaniel or Andrea. It was visible to all members of staff. While Nathaniel was sick, he was never more than a few meters away from him.

"I guess with you all better, I'll head back to Bondi," Shane said as he rubbed Nathaniel's shoulders. "Kinda liked being with you all this time."

"So much better than having to deal solely with the nurses and the doctor," Nathaniel said. "And my mother."

Shane sighed, "Yeah." He didn't want to get into a detailed explanation of the conversation between him and Andrea a few days earlier. He just wanted to put it out of his head. Hopefully, with Nathaniel feeling better, Andrea would return home.

"I cannot thank you enough," Nathaniel said as Shane continued to rub his shoulders.

"No worries," Shane said with a laugh. "It's was I do."

Nathaniel shifted and turned so he was facing Shane, "Well, here is something I would like to do to thank you. How about we head to California together. A little vacation. Just you and me in Los Angeles for a few days."

Shane's face exploded with a smile, "Are you serious? Aww, yeah! I'd bloody love to go, Nate."

"How about in two weeks, then?" Nathaniel said.

The smile drained from Shane's face, "Oh, well, I'm actually gonna be in America visiting my grandmother in Philadelphia in a couple weeks."

"Your grandmother is in Philadelphia?" Nathaniel said with a raised eyebrow.

"My uncle Jack lives there, she lives with him," Shane said. "She invites the whole family every year to visit, but we're usually pretty busy. I told her I'd get up there this year, though."

"Well, how about you visit your grandmother and then meet me in Los Angeles afterwards," Nathaniel said.

Shane leaned into Nathaniel, "Well," he said as he pushed Nathaniel down towards the bed, "Why don't you come with me and then we hit LA? I tell her everything, so she already wants to meet ya."

"To Philadelphia?" Nathaniel said wracking his brain trying to figure out if there was anything there he'd even want to see.

"Yeah, it'll only be two days." Shane said. "You always said you've never gone to America, so now's your chance."

"Sure," Nathaniel said, "maybe we can hit New York before we leave."

[Chrinthanium]

Nathaniel's Bedroom, Brightmore Palace

The sweat dripped from his brow as he pulled his lips away from Nathaniel’s. As he wrapped his arm around him, he could still feel his chest heaving. He couldn’t stop kissing Nathaniel’s neck as a smile as wide as a crocodile’s spread across his face. Then Shane finally shifted his head and rested it upon Nathaniel’s chest as he began to snuggle up as tightly as he possibly could. Nathaniel kissed Shane on the head as he tried to calm down his breathing. He broke out into goose pimples when Nathaniel began to stroke his hair. From resting his ear on Nathaniel’s chest, he could almost hear Nathaniel’s heart beat. It seemed to cause him to relax more, almost as if it was a soft and gentle beat lulling him into sleep.

“What are ya thinkin’ right now,” Shane asked quietly.

Nathaniel paused a moment. He wasn’t really thinking of anything in particular. In fact, he was quite enjoying just living in a perfect moment where thoughts weren’t necessary. A moment where there was only the feeling of contentment and peace and joy and the feeling of someone he cared deeply about being next to him, covering him like a security blanket.

“I am thinking about how happy I am right now,” Nathaniel said. “Thinking about how I never expected this the first time I meet you.”

“What did you think the first time you met me?” Shane asked.

“Well, I cannot lie to you. I thought you were hot,” Nathaniel said. His response cause Shane to laugh, “Then you invited me into the pool in the rain and then you kissed me and that was when I was hooked. Then I remember being such a drongo and telling you to keep it friendly and all that. That is not what I want at all.”

“What do you want, then?” Shane asked.

“You,” Nathaniel replied. "That is all I want. You."

Shane's eyes started to sparkle in the faint light filtering into the moon from the curtain-obscured moon. He even raised his finger to his eye and wiped away a small tear. Shane had been in a few relationships. A few felt like they might head somewhere, others not so much. No matter how hard he tried, they wanted him for something. Mostly, a trophy. The cute boy on their side when they entered the club. The guy with a nice chest at the beach to sunbathe next to. That's what they saw in Shane. To hear Nathaniel say the only thing he wanted was himself, that sent a warm tingle down his spine. The words pierced his brain and landed straight in his hear. It made Shane feel that he could very much not only be in love with Nathaniel, but that Nathaniel could be the soul mate he'd been hoping for. And then Nathaniel indicated he didn't want to keep it merely friendly. That sent a lot of thoughts through Shane's mind.

"What about you?" Nathaniel asked.

"I want you to be proud of me and to love me," Shane said.

The idea of Nathaniel not being proud of Shane had never crossed his mind. The comment rattled around in Nathaniel's head for a few seconds and caused Nathaniel to wonder.

"Why would I not be proud of you?" Nathaniel queried.

Shane looked down and took a deep breath, "Well, I mean, I'm just a commoner and you're, well, you."

Nathaniel's head tilted slightly and he frowned slightly. He raised an eyebrow and then started to shake his head, "What brought this on?"

"Your mother told me that I couldn't ever be accepted into your world," Shane said. "And that I couldn't understand your world."

"Did she?" Nathaniel said, "She has no room to talk. When she married my father she was only the heiress of a railway tycoon from Western Chrinthania who had come over from Italy years ago. She was just a regular person, now she wants to be a tall poppy. Trust me, Shane. She does not speak for me. I am in love with you and that is all that matters. If people were not to accept you, then they can kiss my ass, the fuckwits."

Shane laughed, "I love you too, Nate."

"Maybe," Nathaniel said, "maybe we should move things to the next level."