Land of Broken Dreams ch 4
Jun. 14th, 2006 01:21 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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vigorliTitle: The Land of Broken Dreams
Disclaimer: We do not know any of the actors or anything about their lifestyles or sexuality.It's purely fiction. No profit is made.
Authors: Missy - missmissy1288 & Imogen imogen_lily
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Viggo/Orlando(main); Brad/Orlando. Others appear later.
Summary: What would you do for love?
Warnings: attempted and actual rape; domestic abuse; mpreg; referances to miscarriage
Note: I'm not the main author of this story. I came up with the intial idea and various scenes and I have wrote some parts of this, but the vast majority of this is written by Missy as she's the main author so please send her the feedback. This is a sort of VigOrli version of "Troy" which will involve a large cast, although it doesn't exactly follow the movie.
Feedback: Please send it, every author likes to receive some.
The next day, Viggo had gathered with his brothers and Colin for a small meal before the man continued their tours outside the palace. Colin had reassured them the outside was just as impressive as the inside and as Brad had been absent most of the morning and the negotiations were put on hold, the brothers accepted.
The first stop of the tour were the gardens, where Colin let the brothers wander around as they liked, looking at all the points the garden had to offer. Viggo and Karl truly enjoyed the gardens, having not seen any in their own country, but Sean had always been too busy to ever enjoy the garden that used to exist in Dione. A new one was being built, but it would be awhile before it was to be ready. The people of Dione had waited a long time to get a proper garden to visit.
It was a fairly large walled-in area, sheltered in between two buildings of the palace, but still in the right area to catch much needed sunlight. Many diverse trees and flowers were scattered around and a large, fancy fountain with leaves engraved in the side was placed in the middle of the garden, similar to the one outside of the library, with several paths leading away from it. Benches were set up around a small pond near the wall to allow people to simply sit and relax. It was the only place in the palace open to the general public of Boeotia since it was the one and only garden.
“Beautiful,” Karl breathed, looking around. He couldn’t remember when he had ever seen a garden of that size. He looked over, seeing Viggo and Sean in similar states of awe.
“Not a lot of people come here anymore. I think the residents of the palace have become too busy, but the people of Boeotia like to come here a lot. Angelina tries to come out here to relax, but she can never relax, it seems. She‘s always worried about something. You‘d never catch Brad or Marton around here; they don‘t really like gardens, and insist they never have the time to relax. Orlando comes here often though, although he prefers the library or stable,” Colin said, shrugging slightly.
“It’s a shame then. It is truly beautiful here, so peaceful. We had our own gardens back home, but they didn’t compare to this,” Viggo said, his eyes drifting to the pond, where he watched the small fish chase each other.
“I don’t think they ever have,” Sean said, grinning, “We’re not one to keep up with gardens, unfortunately. I remember the large one we had when I was a child, but that one is long gone. Our father is making sure it will be rebuilt and hopefully it can be properly cared for. The palace is lacking because of it. There really isn’t a place to relax and try to not think about anything besides your own bedroom.”
Colin nodded, looking over the garden, “I fully agree. That was the reason we’ve had the servants keep up with the garden. Brad built the garden as he felt we shouldn’t be too stressed or we wouldn’t perform our job correctly. It was his idea to keep it when so many wanted to get rid of it, especially Marton. He‘s already too involved in his job to run the army and he believes other people shouldn‘t take breaks, that it…destracts them. He views gardens as a waste of time. He got a lot of people to agree with him, including Brad, but Orlando is the reason it‘s still here. I think Brad only kept it because Orlando loved it so much, Orlando can be very persuasive when he wants to, not to mention stubborn, but I think Brad just enjoys indulging him too much to really put up much of a fight.” He chuckled
Various birds flew in and among the trees, diving down to drink from the pond, just barely missing a pair of ivory swans that lived there. A loud squawking caused the brothers to look up and spotted several red and blue macaws perched on a branch overlooking a bench.
A dark animal scurried from the side of the garden and under a low bush and Viggo raised an eyebrow, turning to Colin, “What was that?”
Colin looked confused for a moment before the animal came out from under the bush and he grinned, “Angelina’s cat. The cat is a devilish little thing that gets under everyone’s foot. Her name escapes me for the moment, but believe me, we’ve always hoped she would run away one day, but she’s too faithful to Angelina, spends all her life following my cousin, no one else gets much of a look in, although for some reason the little critter seems to tolerate Orlando’s company as well, which is obviously a great honour,”
Sean laughed, his eyes following the black cat as it tried to attack a bird, “I’m surprised Angelina wouldn’t try to have a panther instead. She seems like the kind who would keep one or another large cat.”
Colin smirked, rolling his eyes in exasperation, “Oh, she tried believe me, She adores panthers and tigers but Brad wouldn’t allow any exotic animals in the palace. She usually gets her way, but this time, Brad put his foot down and only allowed the little cat, he’s not really an animal person, they make him sneeze.”
He led them through the garden and into an archway, leading them into a dimly lit building and out the other side, placing the small group behind the palace. They headed into a large building, passing by several servants, and the group found themselves in a stable.
The brothers had been used to seeing large stables since their own palace housed several, but since Boeotia was larger than Dione, the stable had to keep horses for even more horses. Just looking around, they guessed there were more than one hundred horses.
Each stall housed two horses and the stable seemed to go on forever. Only two servants worked to feed the horses, but other than that, the group was alone.
“Welcome to the stable. We keep our horses here while they’re not transporting people or involved in battle. Only thoroughbreds are kept here for the best of quality, but I’m sure you know all about that,” Colin said, gesturing the long row of horses. Besides Marton, he was the one who knew the most about the horses. He usually gave the outside tours because of that one reason.
Dione was well-known for its thoroughbreds, even if they didn’t have the amount of horses that Boeotia did. The horses were the best quality available and other countries often tried to trade various goods to Dione just to be able to acquire one of their horses to be bred. The brothers often rode and enjoyed horses so they found themselves intrigued in the stables.
“Of course,” Sean said simply, looking the horses over. He had to admit the horses were of good quality, but they couldn’t compare to Dione’s.
He walked further into the stable with Colin and Karl close behind, but Viggo had stayed behind, looking at a young gelding that had caught his attention. He knew a good horse when he saw one and most of the horses in the stable were off good quality.
Viggo watched the chestnut gelding with interest before an unknown sound reached his ears. He turned slowly and tilted his head, seeing a servant feeing a horse behind him, but he narrowed his eyes and saw someone else in a stall. He stepped closer and leaned on the railing, noticing Orlando grooming a tall, black stallion as he talked softly to it, seeming to soothe the large beast. He looked calm, an expression Viggo hadn’t seen on the young man before then; he was the total opposite of the high-strung man he had encountered the previous night.
“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Viggo asked, raising his voice just enough for Orlando to hear him, but not frighten the stallion. He really hadn’t planned to see Orlando, but he wasn’t going to question it. He was happy to see the man whether or not Orlando was happy to see him.
Orlando’s head shot up, his hand holding a brush stopping in mid-movement as he spotted Viggo, his eyes narrowing into a look of anger, “I thought I told you to leave me alone.”
The young man looked tired as he watched Viggo; he didn’t seem on edge like the night before. He wore a simple tunic quite unlike the one he wore for dinner the previous night. Despite the simplicy of Orlando clothes, Viggo enjoyed it, taking in the view of his long tanned legs and slim figure.
Viggo knew Orlando was angry by his tone, especially after what he had tried to pull the night before. He wasn’t sure what he expected of Orlando, but he hadn’t expected the young man to be as mad as he looked. He knew he had made a mistake the night before and he wanted to make things right. He felt guilty, but at the same time, he was angry his seduction hadn’t gone as planned.
“Contrary to what you might believe, it was just by chance that I happened to run into you here. Colin was giving a tour to my brothers and I and he happened to include the stable as one of the fine points of the palace. I’m guessing you feel the same way about the stable being a fine point of interest?” Viggo asked, leaning casually against a wooden post, smiling slightly.
“Yes, I do,” Orlando answered shortly, watching for any tricks Viggo might pull on him or try to seduce him again, “I come out here often. Riding had always been one of my hobbies.”
Orlando eyed Viggo warily, knowing the man could try anything to seduce him once more. He had left the room and thought about Viggo all night, knowing he could never tell Brad or anyone else what had happened; it would ruin the negotiations and any peace the two countries currently had.
Viggo smiled, pushing his lust for Orlando into the back of his mind, not wanting to cause a scene while his brothers were so close, “That explains why you’ve obviously picked a challenge of a horse.”
Orlando felt nervous being so close to the man who had tried to seduce him the night before. Of course, looking at the older man, Viggo didn’t seem to be uncomfortable at all, which bothered Orlando. He should be feeling just as bad as I am, he thought.
Orlando looked over at the large animal, stroking its mane and felt a smile pulling at the edges of his lips, his anger for Viggo momentarily forgotten, “Zeus. He’s definitely not an easy horse to ride, but I’m well-trained. I was trained by my brother in Palthia and rode all the time. This horse never seen battle since I’ve raised him; I’ve made sure he was never ridden except by me and since I’ve never been in war, neither has he. He was my wedding present from Brad.”
Brad had learned of is husband’s love to ride almost as soon as they met and he made sure Orlando could still ride in Boeotia, so his first present to him was at their wedding. Along with a jeweled necklace, Orlando received a small, black foal which he could raise and ride. In return, Orlando had given him a fancy, jeweled sword made in Palthia, which the country was known for. Although Palthia was a small country, they were known for their superb weaponry.
“That explains why you must love him so much,” Viggo said, hiding his jealousy well.
He thought Orlando and Brad truly loved each other and that killed him inside. He knew he probably had no chance with Orlando, but he hadn’t lost hope yet. The couple seemed almost inseparable and he had never seen a couple like that before, especially a couple from an arranged marriage. People weren’t supposed to fall in love with arranged marriages. They were political, or convenient, sometimes they could develop into friendships but love…. Of course, his parents were a slight exception to this rule, but it shouldn’t be for Brad and Orlando. Why did Orlando have to love his husband, couldn’t Orlando be repulsed by him?
Orlando was still for a moment, a pensive expression on his face before he looked over at Viggo, smiling tightly, “Of course.”
He turned back to his horse and frowned slightly. He wondered what Viggo had going on in his mind. Viggo had tried to seduce him the night before and then suddenly he trying to carry on a civilized conversation. He couldn’t figure the older man out.
Viggo stared at the younger man oddly for a moment after noticing Orlando’s empty tone. Orlando didn’t seem to put any feelings into what he had said and it made Viggo pause. Viggo noticed how Orlando held his body rigid and he was instantly confused. He couldn’t figure out what Orlando had meant by it.
He glanced down the length of the stable and saw his brothers and Colin walking further away, not seeming to notice he was no longer with them. He smiled slightly, glad they hadn’t been paying attention to him; he knew his brothers wouldn’t be happy to see him with Orlando, whether he was just talking or otherwise.
He had been enjoying the tour and Colin was especially a great tour guide, but he was happy to have found Orlando. He had been wondering how to approach the young man after the night before, but it seemed he didn’t have to worry about it. He truly wanted to get to know Orlando after he realized the mistake he had made the night before.
“Could we talk privately for a few moments?” he asked, looking hopeful. He managed to keep his tone low to try to convince Orlando. He didn’t think Orlando would accept, but he had to try. He truly felt bad about what he tried the previous night.
Orlando stared at him incredulously for a few seconds before laughing bitterly, much to Viggo‘s disappointment, “You must either think I’m completely gullible, or you have absolutely no respect for me. After what you tried with me last night, you want to talk to me privately? The only reason you’re still breathing is because I decided not to tell Brad, because I can assure you, he would have personally beheaded you for your actions last night.”
He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t told Brad about the night before. He was too worried about what his husband would do to Viggo when he found out. As much as he detested Viggo at that moment, he couldn’t bring himself to possibly ruin the negotiations just for the simple fact of someone trying to seduce him.
Viggo sighed and forced himself not to make a sarcastic comment about how stubborn Orlando was, “Orlando…I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know that what I did was wrong. I had no right to try to seduce you, whether you were married or not. I just…the first time I saw you I felt I had to have you, no matter what the cost was.”
“I appreciate the apology since no other man has ever apologized for the way he acted, but that doesn’t mean I accept it,” Orlando said coldly, turning away. He didn’t think Viggo had even meant to apologize, but he did it to get closer to Orlando, which made the younger man angry to think about it. He still couldn’t help but think of Viggo as a spoilt prince who was used to getting anything and anyone he wanted.
“I didn’t expect you to, but I just needed to tell you that,” Viggo said softly, looking thoughtful.
Orlando had had more than his share of men who thought he would just jump into bed with them. It had seemed to start when he turned fifteen, right before he met Brad. Since he had married Brad, it seemed to get worse. People knew who he was and attempted to try to seduce him, but none had any luck. He was always faithful to Brad and his husband knew it. However, a lot of men stop their advances when they learn who Orlando is married to. Brad had made quite a reputation as a protective husband, for which Orlando was grateful.
“You think this is the first time I’ve had to go through this?” Orlando asked incredulously, shaking his head in disgust, “I’ve certainly had plenty of men try to seduce me, but they never get very far. I’ve had to fight off men who get too rough with me and thankfully, I’ve been able to handle it. The ones I couldn’t had to deal with Brad.”
Viggo’s eyes widened, realizing Orlando was probably used to the advances he got, although he was still mad every time if happened. He had done the same thing and suddenly, he was beginning to feel the first stinging of regret and shame for trying to seduce Orlando. He had never really stopped to consider the feelings of those he was seducing. So many people willingly fell into his bed, that when the more reluctant were involved Viggo was perhaps too zealous in his approach, like he was with Orlando.
Orlando dropped the brush on top of a wooden shelf at the back of the stall before he came around the side of the stallion to stand in front of Viggo, looking quite upset, “I don’t know what your little plan is involving me, but you’d better drop it quickly. If you think that by just apologizing to me will make everything better, you are sadly mistaken.
“Despite what you might assume, Viggo, I’m not stupid, I knew about you before you even arrived, your…reputation is known everywhere. I know how you’ll try to seduce anyone and get them into your bed and it usually works, but not with me. Even if I wasn’t married, I wouldn’t just jump into bed with someone I just met. I don’t love or trust easily. Regardless how you view love – if you believe it exists, I tae my wedding vows seriously, and will never break them. Perhaps you should try getting to know your bed-partners better or learn their name even.”
Viggo sighed, sending up a silent prayer as he tried to control his anger, “Orlando, I was just trying to apologize to you. I shouldn’t have pushed you so far last night. Take it as you will, but it is not a trick.”
Of course, he would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit he still wanted Orlando. The prince was still as desirable and beautiful as ever to him, but this time it was different, he had a feeling Orlando would see right through it. He had to give Orlando credit; he was not the stupid, useless prince he had originally thought of him. Orlando was smart and could easily see between the lines, which was ruining his plans, but he still admired the prince. He never thought it would be this hard to get the young prince into his bed, but he was beginning to think it wasn’t worth going after Orlando. As soon as he had arrived, he had had his eye on Angelina, but even if she would sleep with him right away, he still liked the challenge of getting to Orlando. He didn’t think he had ever pursued a person as long as he had Orlando, but this time, he was willing to try. There was something….different about Orlando. Something intriguing.
“Just let me decide that for myself,” Orlando retorted, ducking underneath the wooden railing and leaving the stable.
Viggo shook his head and quickly headed to find Colin and his brothers before they realized he had been missing too long. He had already been talking to Orlando for awhile and they probably wouldn‘t bee too happy to know he disappeared. He found them just outside the stable, walking up just in time to hear Sean ask about Colin escorting them to the marketplace.
Karl glanced at Viggo as he approached, looking worried and raising an eyebrow in question, but kept silent as Viggo gave him a pointed look. He had no idea where Viggo had disappeared to, but Viggo didn’t look too happy when he returned.
“Would you mind taking us into the marketplace we saw when we came off the ship? I think we would get lost if we went ourselves,” Sean said.
Colin grinned, “I’m sure we can arrange a visit for you. I may not be able to as I was supposed to be in a meeting with Brad about ten minutes ago, but I will arrange someone to escort you around. I imagine Angelina or Orlando would be free to guide you around. We best go see if they can help us.” He grinned.
“We really do appreciate the thorough tours we’ve been getting, Colin,” Karl said as they ascended the large staircase leading to the palace.
Colin had the brothers wait at the entrance while he disappeared into a large room, not wanting them to possibly interrupt the meeting, where he found Brad, Angelina, and Marton sitting around a medium-sized table, who looked up as he entered. Brad and Angelina looked curious while Marton looked annoyed that they had been interrupted. He noticed Orlando was absent as usual, who was never present during any diplomatic meetings regarding their country. This deeply trouble Colin, Orlando was Prince Regent and deserved some say in how the country was run.
“Colin, I wondered when you were going to grace us with your lovely presence,” Brad said with mock sarcasm, “We were just discussing the points we should include on the peace treaty. I do hope you’ll be present for the rest.”
“I will, but would any of you be willing to take our guests to the marketplace? I was supposed to have been here ten minutes ago for the meeting, but we got a little side-tracked at the stables. I think they were most impressed with our horses which is no faint praise from Dione,” Colin said, giving a lopsided grin.
Brad smiled slightly at his cousin, amused, “Yes, you were. Marton is the only one who absolutely needs to be here so either you or Angelina are welcome to take them.”
Colin frowned slightly at Brad’s comment about Marton, knowing the man would be there whether or not Brad needed him. He often included himself in everything, much to Colin and Angelina’s annoyance. Marton himself barely looked up from the table, his eyes glued to the pieces of parchment in his hands. Colin often felt resentful of his cousin’s dependency on a man who was not his family. In Colin’s opinion Brad should rely on the council of his sister, husband and cousin who knew him best and a few learned and trusted advisors, of which Marton was certainly not one. At times Marton reminded Colin of a snake. Odious man.
“Shouldn’t Orlando be here? These treaties affect him as much as anyone else in the room,” Colin asked, an almost resigned note in his tone. He knew it would do little good, but it never stopped him from trying.
Brad glanced at Colin sharply at the mention of his husband, his eyes narrowing, “We have already discussed this Colin, you know he’d rather be in the library or the stables. He doesn’t feel comfortable at these meetings. There will be no more debate on the subject, now sit down, Marton has brought up several flaws in the third segment of this treaty,”
“I’ll go. I don’t mind,” Angelina replied, standing up.
Brad nodded, looking at her, “Colin or I can fill you in later on what you missed. See if Orlando would like to accompany you.”
Angelina glanced at Colin and Marton, sending an amused look to Colin before leaving the room, spotting the three brothers by the entrance to the palace, holding up a hand as she passed by them, indicating she would back in just a moment.
“I guess she’ll be taking us?” Karl asked hopefully, glancing to the hallway she had disappeared down, knowing the only place down that direction was the library.
The brothers had become quite friendly with both Colin and Angelina, who they saw the most. They loved Angelina’s bluntness with everyone and how she spoke her mind, not caring what others thought of her. She also worked well with Colin, despite his devilish personality and amusing sense of humor. She was always so serious except for when she was around Colin, when the two usually teased each other mercilessly.
“Either that or Colin got lost,” Viggo quipped, amused.
“All right, gentlemen, let’s go,” Angelina announced, stepping into the entry way with Orlando directly behind her, looking at Viggo defiantly.
Viggo mentally groaned at seeing the young prince but managed to hide his discomfort as Angelina looked over at him curiously. Of course, he didn’t feel as bad as he looked over at Orlando and saw him looking just as uncomfortable as he stayed by Angelina’s side, which she didn’t seem to notice.
Angelina exchanged a look with Sean at the looks Viggo and Orlando had been giving to each other. They both seemed confused at what had happened between the two princes. Sean made a mental note to approach Viggo about it later.
“They should have our horses ready to go. Do any of you have a preference on what size horse you get? I know we’ve had royalty here in the past that complained about the horses we gave them to use,” Angelina explained, looking mildly irritated at the pompous royalty she had to deal with in the past.
“As long as they’re ponies,” Sean joked.
Angelina smirked, “I’m certain you won’t find any of those in our stables. We only raise horses suitable for riding and war.”
They headed out to the stables, where five horses stood, saddled up and ready to ride. Karl wondered how the horses were there already, but he realized Angelina must have alerted a servant when she went to retrieve Orlando.
The brothers took three horses on the end while Angelina took a large, white mare, and Orlando made sure he would get to ride his black stallion.
It only took a short while to arrive at the marketplace and they left their horses tied to post, knowing they would be safe. The horses weren’t decorated with any signs that belonged to royalty or the palace. Even if there were any problems, a guard usually stood nearby to watch the area if anything happened.
Angelina had thought about bringing a guard with them, but decided against it. People would only recognize her and Orlando, not the three brothers, but she was certain they would be safe. They had only been threatened once while out in public since Orlando’s arrival in Boeotia, specifically her and Orlando, but Brad had taken care of the man easily.
The man had been foolish to approach Angelina and Orlando several years ago in the marketplace while Brad had wandered off with Colin. He had tried to get Orlando by himself, but Angelina was smart enough to not let the man get what he wanted. The man gotten rough with both Angelina and Orlando and ended up with a long cut on is face, thanks to Angelina‘s rings, but Brad had heard the commotion and returned in time to pull the man off his husband, who was more than a little shaken, and Angelina practically spitting with fury that anyone would dare attack them. Brad hadn’t done any bodily harm to the man, mainly thanks to Orlando intervening on his behalf, declaring blood should not be spilled on his account. Brad had reluctantly conceded he warned the man to stay away from Angelina and Orlando or the next time Brad wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, from the look in his eye, the man had known not to push his luck. None of them had ever seen the man again.
“Would you like to look around on your own or I can show you each shop, which could be quite awhile,” she said.
“We’ll be fine to look around by ourselves,” Sean said.
Angelina nodded and looked at Orlando, amused, “I’m going to go find something your husband insisted that I find for him since he‘s too lazy to find it himself. I swear, sometimes I think I’m his personal servant for the way he treats me.”
Orlando looked at her sharply, a hurt expression covering his face at what she had just said, “Angelina…”
Angelina sighed, biting her bottom lip as she wrapped around an arm around him and kissing his cheek. “I’m sorry, Orli, I didn’t mean it like that” she whispered, using his childhood pet-name, while making sure the brothers couldn’t hear her, as she gently but briefly ran her hand through Orlando’s curls. Fortunately they weren’t paying attention at all; they were too busy looking around the marketplace.
Orlando gave her a weak smile as she turned and left before he looked back to the brothers, not feeling too comfortable left with the three men, especially Viggo, but not really having a choice. It wasn’t that he disliked people, and he fully trusted Karl and Sean but he simply didn’t feel like navigating the marketplace by himself, which he hadn‘t since the incident several years ago, even if he knew where he was going now and he especially did not feel like giving a guided tour to Viggo of all people. He sometimes wondered how men so honorable like Sean and Karl tolerated their brother’s wayward antics, or even if they knew of their brother’s gross and improper behavior. He half hoped they didn’t. Walking around the market was a fairly peaceful event, people often recognized him and Angelina (how could they not?) and greeted them warmly, but left them alone and treated them like normal people, which had taken a fair bit of insisting on Orlando’s part, but it was something he enjoyed and had reminded him of Palthia. No royalty stood on ceremony there. To his home country, the King was no more special than a servant.
“Do you come here often?” Karl asked, looking at Orlando.
He and Sean had found the young prince to be a little quiet, but otherwise very polite and nice. They hadn’t talked much at all, but found Orlando to be intriguing. As soon as they got past the shock of his beauty, he was just another person who had feelings and thoughts of his own.
Orlando hadn’t spend much time with either Karl or Sean, but he found them to be very charming and knew they were probably well-loved in Dione. They treated him as an equal, unlike many men he had met.
Orlando shrugged, “Not as often as I’d like to, but we do come down here frequently. It’s a wonderful place to meet new people.”
“Any ideas where we could start?” Sean asked.
“Anywhere you’d like to. It’s pretty large and it depends on what you’re looking for. If you search enough, there is a shop or stall for just about anything you could need. I would highly recommend the bakery a few feet down the road, which sells the most divine pastries you have ever tasted. And also the little bookshop beside it,” Orlando replied, noticing Angelina had disappeared into a small building which accommodated a large bathhouse. His brow furrowed, wondering what she could get for Brad in the bathhouse.
Sean nodded, “Were you planning to join us or did you have somewhere else to be?”
Orlando looked at him for a moment, deciding, “I think I am going to go join Angelina in the bathhouse to relax. You are welcome to join me or continue to explore the marketplace. If you get lost, just look for the bathhouse or ask for directions for here.”
He walked off into the building, leaving the three brothers to look after him.
The brothers could see the bathhouse was the largest building in the marketplace and was the most colorful, probably making it easier to find. The other buildings were small and fairly bland in the coloring, while the bathhouse looked to be two stories with bright splashes of golds and blues. It looked fairly similar to the one in they had in Dione, only theirs’ was only one story and spread out over a larger area.
“I don’t know what the two of you want to do, but I think I’ll go exploring,” Sean said.
“I think I might like to join Orlando. I miss getting pampered,” Viggo said.
Sean glanced at Viggo, giving him a cautionary look, but his younger brother ignored him, already knowing Sean thought he was going to try to seduce Orlando. Sorry Sean, I already tried and it didn’t work, Viggo thought, but of course he never would have said that to Sean.
Karl laughed, ignoring Viggo’s glare, “I bet you do. You can’t always get anything you ask for, although I know you try.” He paused, looking over at Sean. “I think I’ll join you. That bakery Orlando mentioned sounded wonderful. I for one want to sample these amazing pastries,”
Viggo waited until his two brothers had left down the row of shops before he turned and headed into the bathhouse, immediately seeing the two sections designated for men and women. He noticed it wasn’t very crowded like the one back home, but there were still a few people roaming around. He personally loved the baths, but this time, he just wanted to find Orlando. After what he found out Orlando thought of him in the morning, he wanted to change Orlando’s opinion of him.
He made his way through the archway clearing labeled for the men and walked in, not seeing anyone in the main bath, which he found a little odd. He wasn’t sure if the baths weren’t as popular as the one in Dione or if it was a time when most people worked. He headed down a hallway, where he found a layout similar to the one back home. There was a sauna, hot and cold pools, and a small library for people to read.
He checked in the library first to find Orlando, as that’s where Angelina said he often liked to be, but the man wasn’t there. The only man present in the library was an older looking man with graying hair and a long scar down his neck. The man offered him a smile, which Viggo returned before he continued down the hallway.
Since he couldn’t seem to find Orlando on the first floor, he took the stairs and upon arriving on the second floor, he realized there was another sauna and library, probably for the times the bathhouse would get a lot of visitors.
He turned and stepped into a room he knew was designed for massages and saw a servant step out, not looking up as he passed by. Viggo stared at him in confusion before turning and spotting Orlando sitting on one of the massage tables, reaching back to secure the last piece of his tunic closed. Orlando didn’t seem to notice him at all as he sat upon the table, staring straight ahead. Viggo didn’t think Orlando just had a massage; not too much time had passed by since the prince had left the brothers in the marketplace.
Orlando wasn’t fast enough to keep Viggo’s prying eyes from landing on his bare back, which shocked Viggo more than anything he had probably ever seen. Several large bruises covered Orlando‘s back and upper arms, both old and new, and some looked pretty bad, Viggo realized, along with a few faint scars that looked as if they had already healed. There was no possible way, Viggo thought, that they could have been caused by an accident, like falling off a horse. He’d gotten enough of those when he was younger and they didn’t look anything like what covered Orlando’s back. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing; something had to be wrong, Orlando was a prince, a royal consort. Who would dare hurt him? Viggo felt awkward at what he had just witnesses. He would lay bets that never few people had seen those bruises. It was a strange fact that, as ugly and worrying as the bruises and faint scars were, they did not seem to mar Orlando’s beauty in any way, they showed just how strong a person Orlando was to have lived through this treatment. Viggo found himself swiftly drawing some revised and more respected opinions towards the Bloom of Boeotia.
“Orlando?” Viggo called softly.
Orlando turned sharply, locking eyes with Viggo and Viggo could tell he scared Orlando.
“What are you doing here?” Orlando finally asked nervously, standing up. He looked confused and scared, Viggo noticed, and when he stepped a bit closer, Orlando’s eyes widened as he tensed.
“I might ask you the same,” Viggo said, looking suspicious, finally sighing, not really wanting to get involved with small talk, “Orlando, how did you get all those bruises on your back?”
Orlando’s eyes widened in horror as he pulled his tunic around him tighter, as if that could somehow conceal the marks Viggo had seen on his body. He felt himself flame with embarrassment and mentally chastised himself for letting Viggo see he’d upset him.
Viggo didn’t understand what had changed between them, but he honestly cared for Orlando and what happened to him. He was angry with whoever had hurt the young prince, partly with himself for not figuring it out sooner, although he wasn’t sure he could have.
“I really don’t think that’s any of your concern,” Orlando said roughly, attempting to exit the room, but Viggo had a strong hold on his upper arm, halting his movements. Orlando struggled against him, already getting mad, but Viggo was too strong for him.
Orlando was scared what Viggo would do and more importantly, who he would tell. The only other person who had seen the bruises was the servant in the bathhouse, who had seemed worried and didn’t say a word about them, but Orlando had known the man for years and knew he wouldn’t say a word, he never did.
He was more than a little confused. Viggo had sounded almost sympathetic as he had talked to Orlando, but what little he knew of Viggo, sympathetic wasn’t even in his vocabulary. He had seemed honestly worried about the younger man and Orlando couldn’t figure out why. How did a man like Viggo go from unsubtle seduction attempts to caring about a prince he barely new. Viggo didn’t strike him as the type to burden himself with other’s feelings. Perhaps he thought trying to play the ‘sensitive’ card would ingratiate himself with Orlando.
“I don’t really care if it is or not. Someone obviously hurt you for there to be those kinds of bruises on you. It wasn’t an accident, tell me what happened, you can’t hide something like this,” Viggo said, looking over Orlando unconsciously for any further injuries, concerned he had other injuries.
“Viggo, please, just leave me alone. Forget what you saw,” Orlando said, his eyes pleading with Viggo to let him go, but when Viggo didn’t, his struggles increased. Tears filled his eyes, but he refused to show his weakness in front of Viggo.
“How can I? Someone obviously hurt you and whether or not we know each other that well, it’s still something I can help you with in whatever way I‘m able to,” Viggo said, “Does Brad know about what happened?”
Orlando stiffened and looked away, “He does not know – and never will. Just forget what you saw and leave. Leave Boeotia and go home. No good will come of you staying. Forget about ever seeing me and go back to your beauties in Dione. You cause nothing but trouble here. Just let me be.”
Viggo sighed and let go of Orlando’s arm, watching as the young prince hurried out the room, looking very upset.
Viggo couldn’t figure out what had just happened. He knew someone had dared to hurt Orlando, possibly Colin or Marton. He was confused why someone would hurt Orlando and angry that Orlando wouldn’t tell him who. The protective feelings he was having for Orlando surprised him; he was just supposed to sleep with the prince and leave, but he was developing feelings instead.
As he thought about it, the younger man had reacted oddly when he mentioned Brad. He knew Orlando was probably too proud to tell his husband, which worried him even more. He wondered if that meant marriage between the two of them. He was more than curious what that meant, but he was more worried for Orlando. He couldn’t believe someone would dare to hurt the prince, possibly right behind Brad’s back. With the way Orlando was acting, it seemed the man was trying to protect whoever did this to him. Viggo thought it may be someone close to Brad; that was the reason Orlando wouldn’t tell his husband.
There was more to Orlando and his marriage than he realized and he was willing to get to the bottom of it before he sailed back to Dione. Something didn’t feel right between Brad and Orlando and now that he knew someone was hurting Orlando and Brad didn’t know, he was even more confused. He still wanted Orlando, but he realized the younger man needed a friend and not someone who would try to get him into bed. Maybe he could be a friend to Orlando, rather than a seducer.
Disclaimer: We do not know any of the actors or anything about their lifestyles or sexuality.It's purely fiction. No profit is made.
Authors: Missy - missmissy1288 & Imogen imogen_lily
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Viggo/Orlando(main); Brad/Orlando. Others appear later.
Summary: What would you do for love?
Warnings: attempted and actual rape; domestic abuse; mpreg; referances to miscarriage
Note: I'm not the main author of this story. I came up with the intial idea and various scenes and I have wrote some parts of this, but the vast majority of this is written by Missy as she's the main author so please send her the feedback. This is a sort of VigOrli version of "Troy" which will involve a large cast, although it doesn't exactly follow the movie.
Feedback: Please send it, every author likes to receive some.
The next day, Viggo had gathered with his brothers and Colin for a small meal before the man continued their tours outside the palace. Colin had reassured them the outside was just as impressive as the inside and as Brad had been absent most of the morning and the negotiations were put on hold, the brothers accepted.
The first stop of the tour were the gardens, where Colin let the brothers wander around as they liked, looking at all the points the garden had to offer. Viggo and Karl truly enjoyed the gardens, having not seen any in their own country, but Sean had always been too busy to ever enjoy the garden that used to exist in Dione. A new one was being built, but it would be awhile before it was to be ready. The people of Dione had waited a long time to get a proper garden to visit.
It was a fairly large walled-in area, sheltered in between two buildings of the palace, but still in the right area to catch much needed sunlight. Many diverse trees and flowers were scattered around and a large, fancy fountain with leaves engraved in the side was placed in the middle of the garden, similar to the one outside of the library, with several paths leading away from it. Benches were set up around a small pond near the wall to allow people to simply sit and relax. It was the only place in the palace open to the general public of Boeotia since it was the one and only garden.
“Beautiful,” Karl breathed, looking around. He couldn’t remember when he had ever seen a garden of that size. He looked over, seeing Viggo and Sean in similar states of awe.
“Not a lot of people come here anymore. I think the residents of the palace have become too busy, but the people of Boeotia like to come here a lot. Angelina tries to come out here to relax, but she can never relax, it seems. She‘s always worried about something. You‘d never catch Brad or Marton around here; they don‘t really like gardens, and insist they never have the time to relax. Orlando comes here often though, although he prefers the library or stable,” Colin said, shrugging slightly.
“It’s a shame then. It is truly beautiful here, so peaceful. We had our own gardens back home, but they didn’t compare to this,” Viggo said, his eyes drifting to the pond, where he watched the small fish chase each other.
“I don’t think they ever have,” Sean said, grinning, “We’re not one to keep up with gardens, unfortunately. I remember the large one we had when I was a child, but that one is long gone. Our father is making sure it will be rebuilt and hopefully it can be properly cared for. The palace is lacking because of it. There really isn’t a place to relax and try to not think about anything besides your own bedroom.”
Colin nodded, looking over the garden, “I fully agree. That was the reason we’ve had the servants keep up with the garden. Brad built the garden as he felt we shouldn’t be too stressed or we wouldn’t perform our job correctly. It was his idea to keep it when so many wanted to get rid of it, especially Marton. He‘s already too involved in his job to run the army and he believes other people shouldn‘t take breaks, that it…destracts them. He views gardens as a waste of time. He got a lot of people to agree with him, including Brad, but Orlando is the reason it‘s still here. I think Brad only kept it because Orlando loved it so much, Orlando can be very persuasive when he wants to, not to mention stubborn, but I think Brad just enjoys indulging him too much to really put up much of a fight.” He chuckled
Various birds flew in and among the trees, diving down to drink from the pond, just barely missing a pair of ivory swans that lived there. A loud squawking caused the brothers to look up and spotted several red and blue macaws perched on a branch overlooking a bench.
A dark animal scurried from the side of the garden and under a low bush and Viggo raised an eyebrow, turning to Colin, “What was that?”
Colin looked confused for a moment before the animal came out from under the bush and he grinned, “Angelina’s cat. The cat is a devilish little thing that gets under everyone’s foot. Her name escapes me for the moment, but believe me, we’ve always hoped she would run away one day, but she’s too faithful to Angelina, spends all her life following my cousin, no one else gets much of a look in, although for some reason the little critter seems to tolerate Orlando’s company as well, which is obviously a great honour,”
Sean laughed, his eyes following the black cat as it tried to attack a bird, “I’m surprised Angelina wouldn’t try to have a panther instead. She seems like the kind who would keep one or another large cat.”
Colin smirked, rolling his eyes in exasperation, “Oh, she tried believe me, She adores panthers and tigers but Brad wouldn’t allow any exotic animals in the palace. She usually gets her way, but this time, Brad put his foot down and only allowed the little cat, he’s not really an animal person, they make him sneeze.”
He led them through the garden and into an archway, leading them into a dimly lit building and out the other side, placing the small group behind the palace. They headed into a large building, passing by several servants, and the group found themselves in a stable.
The brothers had been used to seeing large stables since their own palace housed several, but since Boeotia was larger than Dione, the stable had to keep horses for even more horses. Just looking around, they guessed there were more than one hundred horses.
Each stall housed two horses and the stable seemed to go on forever. Only two servants worked to feed the horses, but other than that, the group was alone.
“Welcome to the stable. We keep our horses here while they’re not transporting people or involved in battle. Only thoroughbreds are kept here for the best of quality, but I’m sure you know all about that,” Colin said, gesturing the long row of horses. Besides Marton, he was the one who knew the most about the horses. He usually gave the outside tours because of that one reason.
Dione was well-known for its thoroughbreds, even if they didn’t have the amount of horses that Boeotia did. The horses were the best quality available and other countries often tried to trade various goods to Dione just to be able to acquire one of their horses to be bred. The brothers often rode and enjoyed horses so they found themselves intrigued in the stables.
“Of course,” Sean said simply, looking the horses over. He had to admit the horses were of good quality, but they couldn’t compare to Dione’s.
He walked further into the stable with Colin and Karl close behind, but Viggo had stayed behind, looking at a young gelding that had caught his attention. He knew a good horse when he saw one and most of the horses in the stable were off good quality.
Viggo watched the chestnut gelding with interest before an unknown sound reached his ears. He turned slowly and tilted his head, seeing a servant feeing a horse behind him, but he narrowed his eyes and saw someone else in a stall. He stepped closer and leaned on the railing, noticing Orlando grooming a tall, black stallion as he talked softly to it, seeming to soothe the large beast. He looked calm, an expression Viggo hadn’t seen on the young man before then; he was the total opposite of the high-strung man he had encountered the previous night.
“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Viggo asked, raising his voice just enough for Orlando to hear him, but not frighten the stallion. He really hadn’t planned to see Orlando, but he wasn’t going to question it. He was happy to see the man whether or not Orlando was happy to see him.
Orlando’s head shot up, his hand holding a brush stopping in mid-movement as he spotted Viggo, his eyes narrowing into a look of anger, “I thought I told you to leave me alone.”
The young man looked tired as he watched Viggo; he didn’t seem on edge like the night before. He wore a simple tunic quite unlike the one he wore for dinner the previous night. Despite the simplicy of Orlando clothes, Viggo enjoyed it, taking in the view of his long tanned legs and slim figure.
Viggo knew Orlando was angry by his tone, especially after what he had tried to pull the night before. He wasn’t sure what he expected of Orlando, but he hadn’t expected the young man to be as mad as he looked. He knew he had made a mistake the night before and he wanted to make things right. He felt guilty, but at the same time, he was angry his seduction hadn’t gone as planned.
“Contrary to what you might believe, it was just by chance that I happened to run into you here. Colin was giving a tour to my brothers and I and he happened to include the stable as one of the fine points of the palace. I’m guessing you feel the same way about the stable being a fine point of interest?” Viggo asked, leaning casually against a wooden post, smiling slightly.
“Yes, I do,” Orlando answered shortly, watching for any tricks Viggo might pull on him or try to seduce him again, “I come out here often. Riding had always been one of my hobbies.”
Orlando eyed Viggo warily, knowing the man could try anything to seduce him once more. He had left the room and thought about Viggo all night, knowing he could never tell Brad or anyone else what had happened; it would ruin the negotiations and any peace the two countries currently had.
Viggo smiled, pushing his lust for Orlando into the back of his mind, not wanting to cause a scene while his brothers were so close, “That explains why you’ve obviously picked a challenge of a horse.”
Orlando felt nervous being so close to the man who had tried to seduce him the night before. Of course, looking at the older man, Viggo didn’t seem to be uncomfortable at all, which bothered Orlando. He should be feeling just as bad as I am, he thought.
Orlando looked over at the large animal, stroking its mane and felt a smile pulling at the edges of his lips, his anger for Viggo momentarily forgotten, “Zeus. He’s definitely not an easy horse to ride, but I’m well-trained. I was trained by my brother in Palthia and rode all the time. This horse never seen battle since I’ve raised him; I’ve made sure he was never ridden except by me and since I’ve never been in war, neither has he. He was my wedding present from Brad.”
Brad had learned of is husband’s love to ride almost as soon as they met and he made sure Orlando could still ride in Boeotia, so his first present to him was at their wedding. Along with a jeweled necklace, Orlando received a small, black foal which he could raise and ride. In return, Orlando had given him a fancy, jeweled sword made in Palthia, which the country was known for. Although Palthia was a small country, they were known for their superb weaponry.
“That explains why you must love him so much,” Viggo said, hiding his jealousy well.
He thought Orlando and Brad truly loved each other and that killed him inside. He knew he probably had no chance with Orlando, but he hadn’t lost hope yet. The couple seemed almost inseparable and he had never seen a couple like that before, especially a couple from an arranged marriage. People weren’t supposed to fall in love with arranged marriages. They were political, or convenient, sometimes they could develop into friendships but love…. Of course, his parents were a slight exception to this rule, but it shouldn’t be for Brad and Orlando. Why did Orlando have to love his husband, couldn’t Orlando be repulsed by him?
Orlando was still for a moment, a pensive expression on his face before he looked over at Viggo, smiling tightly, “Of course.”
He turned back to his horse and frowned slightly. He wondered what Viggo had going on in his mind. Viggo had tried to seduce him the night before and then suddenly he trying to carry on a civilized conversation. He couldn’t figure the older man out.
Viggo stared at the younger man oddly for a moment after noticing Orlando’s empty tone. Orlando didn’t seem to put any feelings into what he had said and it made Viggo pause. Viggo noticed how Orlando held his body rigid and he was instantly confused. He couldn’t figure out what Orlando had meant by it.
He glanced down the length of the stable and saw his brothers and Colin walking further away, not seeming to notice he was no longer with them. He smiled slightly, glad they hadn’t been paying attention to him; he knew his brothers wouldn’t be happy to see him with Orlando, whether he was just talking or otherwise.
He had been enjoying the tour and Colin was especially a great tour guide, but he was happy to have found Orlando. He had been wondering how to approach the young man after the night before, but it seemed he didn’t have to worry about it. He truly wanted to get to know Orlando after he realized the mistake he had made the night before.
“Could we talk privately for a few moments?” he asked, looking hopeful. He managed to keep his tone low to try to convince Orlando. He didn’t think Orlando would accept, but he had to try. He truly felt bad about what he tried the previous night.
Orlando stared at him incredulously for a few seconds before laughing bitterly, much to Viggo‘s disappointment, “You must either think I’m completely gullible, or you have absolutely no respect for me. After what you tried with me last night, you want to talk to me privately? The only reason you’re still breathing is because I decided not to tell Brad, because I can assure you, he would have personally beheaded you for your actions last night.”
He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t told Brad about the night before. He was too worried about what his husband would do to Viggo when he found out. As much as he detested Viggo at that moment, he couldn’t bring himself to possibly ruin the negotiations just for the simple fact of someone trying to seduce him.
Viggo sighed and forced himself not to make a sarcastic comment about how stubborn Orlando was, “Orlando…I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know that what I did was wrong. I had no right to try to seduce you, whether you were married or not. I just…the first time I saw you I felt I had to have you, no matter what the cost was.”
“I appreciate the apology since no other man has ever apologized for the way he acted, but that doesn’t mean I accept it,” Orlando said coldly, turning away. He didn’t think Viggo had even meant to apologize, but he did it to get closer to Orlando, which made the younger man angry to think about it. He still couldn’t help but think of Viggo as a spoilt prince who was used to getting anything and anyone he wanted.
“I didn’t expect you to, but I just needed to tell you that,” Viggo said softly, looking thoughtful.
Orlando had had more than his share of men who thought he would just jump into bed with them. It had seemed to start when he turned fifteen, right before he met Brad. Since he had married Brad, it seemed to get worse. People knew who he was and attempted to try to seduce him, but none had any luck. He was always faithful to Brad and his husband knew it. However, a lot of men stop their advances when they learn who Orlando is married to. Brad had made quite a reputation as a protective husband, for which Orlando was grateful.
“You think this is the first time I’ve had to go through this?” Orlando asked incredulously, shaking his head in disgust, “I’ve certainly had plenty of men try to seduce me, but they never get very far. I’ve had to fight off men who get too rough with me and thankfully, I’ve been able to handle it. The ones I couldn’t had to deal with Brad.”
Viggo’s eyes widened, realizing Orlando was probably used to the advances he got, although he was still mad every time if happened. He had done the same thing and suddenly, he was beginning to feel the first stinging of regret and shame for trying to seduce Orlando. He had never really stopped to consider the feelings of those he was seducing. So many people willingly fell into his bed, that when the more reluctant were involved Viggo was perhaps too zealous in his approach, like he was with Orlando.
Orlando dropped the brush on top of a wooden shelf at the back of the stall before he came around the side of the stallion to stand in front of Viggo, looking quite upset, “I don’t know what your little plan is involving me, but you’d better drop it quickly. If you think that by just apologizing to me will make everything better, you are sadly mistaken.
“Despite what you might assume, Viggo, I’m not stupid, I knew about you before you even arrived, your…reputation is known everywhere. I know how you’ll try to seduce anyone and get them into your bed and it usually works, but not with me. Even if I wasn’t married, I wouldn’t just jump into bed with someone I just met. I don’t love or trust easily. Regardless how you view love – if you believe it exists, I tae my wedding vows seriously, and will never break them. Perhaps you should try getting to know your bed-partners better or learn their name even.”
Viggo sighed, sending up a silent prayer as he tried to control his anger, “Orlando, I was just trying to apologize to you. I shouldn’t have pushed you so far last night. Take it as you will, but it is not a trick.”
Of course, he would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit he still wanted Orlando. The prince was still as desirable and beautiful as ever to him, but this time it was different, he had a feeling Orlando would see right through it. He had to give Orlando credit; he was not the stupid, useless prince he had originally thought of him. Orlando was smart and could easily see between the lines, which was ruining his plans, but he still admired the prince. He never thought it would be this hard to get the young prince into his bed, but he was beginning to think it wasn’t worth going after Orlando. As soon as he had arrived, he had had his eye on Angelina, but even if she would sleep with him right away, he still liked the challenge of getting to Orlando. He didn’t think he had ever pursued a person as long as he had Orlando, but this time, he was willing to try. There was something….different about Orlando. Something intriguing.
“Just let me decide that for myself,” Orlando retorted, ducking underneath the wooden railing and leaving the stable.
Viggo shook his head and quickly headed to find Colin and his brothers before they realized he had been missing too long. He had already been talking to Orlando for awhile and they probably wouldn‘t bee too happy to know he disappeared. He found them just outside the stable, walking up just in time to hear Sean ask about Colin escorting them to the marketplace.
Karl glanced at Viggo as he approached, looking worried and raising an eyebrow in question, but kept silent as Viggo gave him a pointed look. He had no idea where Viggo had disappeared to, but Viggo didn’t look too happy when he returned.
“Would you mind taking us into the marketplace we saw when we came off the ship? I think we would get lost if we went ourselves,” Sean said.
Colin grinned, “I’m sure we can arrange a visit for you. I may not be able to as I was supposed to be in a meeting with Brad about ten minutes ago, but I will arrange someone to escort you around. I imagine Angelina or Orlando would be free to guide you around. We best go see if they can help us.” He grinned.
“We really do appreciate the thorough tours we’ve been getting, Colin,” Karl said as they ascended the large staircase leading to the palace.
Colin had the brothers wait at the entrance while he disappeared into a large room, not wanting them to possibly interrupt the meeting, where he found Brad, Angelina, and Marton sitting around a medium-sized table, who looked up as he entered. Brad and Angelina looked curious while Marton looked annoyed that they had been interrupted. He noticed Orlando was absent as usual, who was never present during any diplomatic meetings regarding their country. This deeply trouble Colin, Orlando was Prince Regent and deserved some say in how the country was run.
“Colin, I wondered when you were going to grace us with your lovely presence,” Brad said with mock sarcasm, “We were just discussing the points we should include on the peace treaty. I do hope you’ll be present for the rest.”
“I will, but would any of you be willing to take our guests to the marketplace? I was supposed to have been here ten minutes ago for the meeting, but we got a little side-tracked at the stables. I think they were most impressed with our horses which is no faint praise from Dione,” Colin said, giving a lopsided grin.
Brad smiled slightly at his cousin, amused, “Yes, you were. Marton is the only one who absolutely needs to be here so either you or Angelina are welcome to take them.”
Colin frowned slightly at Brad’s comment about Marton, knowing the man would be there whether or not Brad needed him. He often included himself in everything, much to Colin and Angelina’s annoyance. Marton himself barely looked up from the table, his eyes glued to the pieces of parchment in his hands. Colin often felt resentful of his cousin’s dependency on a man who was not his family. In Colin’s opinion Brad should rely on the council of his sister, husband and cousin who knew him best and a few learned and trusted advisors, of which Marton was certainly not one. At times Marton reminded Colin of a snake. Odious man.
“Shouldn’t Orlando be here? These treaties affect him as much as anyone else in the room,” Colin asked, an almost resigned note in his tone. He knew it would do little good, but it never stopped him from trying.
Brad glanced at Colin sharply at the mention of his husband, his eyes narrowing, “We have already discussed this Colin, you know he’d rather be in the library or the stables. He doesn’t feel comfortable at these meetings. There will be no more debate on the subject, now sit down, Marton has brought up several flaws in the third segment of this treaty,”
“I’ll go. I don’t mind,” Angelina replied, standing up.
Brad nodded, looking at her, “Colin or I can fill you in later on what you missed. See if Orlando would like to accompany you.”
Angelina glanced at Colin and Marton, sending an amused look to Colin before leaving the room, spotting the three brothers by the entrance to the palace, holding up a hand as she passed by them, indicating she would back in just a moment.
“I guess she’ll be taking us?” Karl asked hopefully, glancing to the hallway she had disappeared down, knowing the only place down that direction was the library.
The brothers had become quite friendly with both Colin and Angelina, who they saw the most. They loved Angelina’s bluntness with everyone and how she spoke her mind, not caring what others thought of her. She also worked well with Colin, despite his devilish personality and amusing sense of humor. She was always so serious except for when she was around Colin, when the two usually teased each other mercilessly.
“Either that or Colin got lost,” Viggo quipped, amused.
“All right, gentlemen, let’s go,” Angelina announced, stepping into the entry way with Orlando directly behind her, looking at Viggo defiantly.
Viggo mentally groaned at seeing the young prince but managed to hide his discomfort as Angelina looked over at him curiously. Of course, he didn’t feel as bad as he looked over at Orlando and saw him looking just as uncomfortable as he stayed by Angelina’s side, which she didn’t seem to notice.
Angelina exchanged a look with Sean at the looks Viggo and Orlando had been giving to each other. They both seemed confused at what had happened between the two princes. Sean made a mental note to approach Viggo about it later.
“They should have our horses ready to go. Do any of you have a preference on what size horse you get? I know we’ve had royalty here in the past that complained about the horses we gave them to use,” Angelina explained, looking mildly irritated at the pompous royalty she had to deal with in the past.
“As long as they’re ponies,” Sean joked.
Angelina smirked, “I’m certain you won’t find any of those in our stables. We only raise horses suitable for riding and war.”
They headed out to the stables, where five horses stood, saddled up and ready to ride. Karl wondered how the horses were there already, but he realized Angelina must have alerted a servant when she went to retrieve Orlando.
The brothers took three horses on the end while Angelina took a large, white mare, and Orlando made sure he would get to ride his black stallion.
It only took a short while to arrive at the marketplace and they left their horses tied to post, knowing they would be safe. The horses weren’t decorated with any signs that belonged to royalty or the palace. Even if there were any problems, a guard usually stood nearby to watch the area if anything happened.
Angelina had thought about bringing a guard with them, but decided against it. People would only recognize her and Orlando, not the three brothers, but she was certain they would be safe. They had only been threatened once while out in public since Orlando’s arrival in Boeotia, specifically her and Orlando, but Brad had taken care of the man easily.
The man had been foolish to approach Angelina and Orlando several years ago in the marketplace while Brad had wandered off with Colin. He had tried to get Orlando by himself, but Angelina was smart enough to not let the man get what he wanted. The man gotten rough with both Angelina and Orlando and ended up with a long cut on is face, thanks to Angelina‘s rings, but Brad had heard the commotion and returned in time to pull the man off his husband, who was more than a little shaken, and Angelina practically spitting with fury that anyone would dare attack them. Brad hadn’t done any bodily harm to the man, mainly thanks to Orlando intervening on his behalf, declaring blood should not be spilled on his account. Brad had reluctantly conceded he warned the man to stay away from Angelina and Orlando or the next time Brad wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, from the look in his eye, the man had known not to push his luck. None of them had ever seen the man again.
“Would you like to look around on your own or I can show you each shop, which could be quite awhile,” she said.
“We’ll be fine to look around by ourselves,” Sean said.
Angelina nodded and looked at Orlando, amused, “I’m going to go find something your husband insisted that I find for him since he‘s too lazy to find it himself. I swear, sometimes I think I’m his personal servant for the way he treats me.”
Orlando looked at her sharply, a hurt expression covering his face at what she had just said, “Angelina…”
Angelina sighed, biting her bottom lip as she wrapped around an arm around him and kissing his cheek. “I’m sorry, Orli, I didn’t mean it like that” she whispered, using his childhood pet-name, while making sure the brothers couldn’t hear her, as she gently but briefly ran her hand through Orlando’s curls. Fortunately they weren’t paying attention at all; they were too busy looking around the marketplace.
Orlando gave her a weak smile as she turned and left before he looked back to the brothers, not feeling too comfortable left with the three men, especially Viggo, but not really having a choice. It wasn’t that he disliked people, and he fully trusted Karl and Sean but he simply didn’t feel like navigating the marketplace by himself, which he hadn‘t since the incident several years ago, even if he knew where he was going now and he especially did not feel like giving a guided tour to Viggo of all people. He sometimes wondered how men so honorable like Sean and Karl tolerated their brother’s wayward antics, or even if they knew of their brother’s gross and improper behavior. He half hoped they didn’t. Walking around the market was a fairly peaceful event, people often recognized him and Angelina (how could they not?) and greeted them warmly, but left them alone and treated them like normal people, which had taken a fair bit of insisting on Orlando’s part, but it was something he enjoyed and had reminded him of Palthia. No royalty stood on ceremony there. To his home country, the King was no more special than a servant.
“Do you come here often?” Karl asked, looking at Orlando.
He and Sean had found the young prince to be a little quiet, but otherwise very polite and nice. They hadn’t talked much at all, but found Orlando to be intriguing. As soon as they got past the shock of his beauty, he was just another person who had feelings and thoughts of his own.
Orlando hadn’t spend much time with either Karl or Sean, but he found them to be very charming and knew they were probably well-loved in Dione. They treated him as an equal, unlike many men he had met.
Orlando shrugged, “Not as often as I’d like to, but we do come down here frequently. It’s a wonderful place to meet new people.”
“Any ideas where we could start?” Sean asked.
“Anywhere you’d like to. It’s pretty large and it depends on what you’re looking for. If you search enough, there is a shop or stall for just about anything you could need. I would highly recommend the bakery a few feet down the road, which sells the most divine pastries you have ever tasted. And also the little bookshop beside it,” Orlando replied, noticing Angelina had disappeared into a small building which accommodated a large bathhouse. His brow furrowed, wondering what she could get for Brad in the bathhouse.
Sean nodded, “Were you planning to join us or did you have somewhere else to be?”
Orlando looked at him for a moment, deciding, “I think I am going to go join Angelina in the bathhouse to relax. You are welcome to join me or continue to explore the marketplace. If you get lost, just look for the bathhouse or ask for directions for here.”
He walked off into the building, leaving the three brothers to look after him.
The brothers could see the bathhouse was the largest building in the marketplace and was the most colorful, probably making it easier to find. The other buildings were small and fairly bland in the coloring, while the bathhouse looked to be two stories with bright splashes of golds and blues. It looked fairly similar to the one in they had in Dione, only theirs’ was only one story and spread out over a larger area.
“I don’t know what the two of you want to do, but I think I’ll go exploring,” Sean said.
“I think I might like to join Orlando. I miss getting pampered,” Viggo said.
Sean glanced at Viggo, giving him a cautionary look, but his younger brother ignored him, already knowing Sean thought he was going to try to seduce Orlando. Sorry Sean, I already tried and it didn’t work, Viggo thought, but of course he never would have said that to Sean.
Karl laughed, ignoring Viggo’s glare, “I bet you do. You can’t always get anything you ask for, although I know you try.” He paused, looking over at Sean. “I think I’ll join you. That bakery Orlando mentioned sounded wonderful. I for one want to sample these amazing pastries,”
Viggo waited until his two brothers had left down the row of shops before he turned and headed into the bathhouse, immediately seeing the two sections designated for men and women. He noticed it wasn’t very crowded like the one back home, but there were still a few people roaming around. He personally loved the baths, but this time, he just wanted to find Orlando. After what he found out Orlando thought of him in the morning, he wanted to change Orlando’s opinion of him.
He made his way through the archway clearing labeled for the men and walked in, not seeing anyone in the main bath, which he found a little odd. He wasn’t sure if the baths weren’t as popular as the one in Dione or if it was a time when most people worked. He headed down a hallway, where he found a layout similar to the one back home. There was a sauna, hot and cold pools, and a small library for people to read.
He checked in the library first to find Orlando, as that’s where Angelina said he often liked to be, but the man wasn’t there. The only man present in the library was an older looking man with graying hair and a long scar down his neck. The man offered him a smile, which Viggo returned before he continued down the hallway.
Since he couldn’t seem to find Orlando on the first floor, he took the stairs and upon arriving on the second floor, he realized there was another sauna and library, probably for the times the bathhouse would get a lot of visitors.
He turned and stepped into a room he knew was designed for massages and saw a servant step out, not looking up as he passed by. Viggo stared at him in confusion before turning and spotting Orlando sitting on one of the massage tables, reaching back to secure the last piece of his tunic closed. Orlando didn’t seem to notice him at all as he sat upon the table, staring straight ahead. Viggo didn’t think Orlando just had a massage; not too much time had passed by since the prince had left the brothers in the marketplace.
Orlando wasn’t fast enough to keep Viggo’s prying eyes from landing on his bare back, which shocked Viggo more than anything he had probably ever seen. Several large bruises covered Orlando‘s back and upper arms, both old and new, and some looked pretty bad, Viggo realized, along with a few faint scars that looked as if they had already healed. There was no possible way, Viggo thought, that they could have been caused by an accident, like falling off a horse. He’d gotten enough of those when he was younger and they didn’t look anything like what covered Orlando’s back. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing; something had to be wrong, Orlando was a prince, a royal consort. Who would dare hurt him? Viggo felt awkward at what he had just witnesses. He would lay bets that never few people had seen those bruises. It was a strange fact that, as ugly and worrying as the bruises and faint scars were, they did not seem to mar Orlando’s beauty in any way, they showed just how strong a person Orlando was to have lived through this treatment. Viggo found himself swiftly drawing some revised and more respected opinions towards the Bloom of Boeotia.
“Orlando?” Viggo called softly.
Orlando turned sharply, locking eyes with Viggo and Viggo could tell he scared Orlando.
“What are you doing here?” Orlando finally asked nervously, standing up. He looked confused and scared, Viggo noticed, and when he stepped a bit closer, Orlando’s eyes widened as he tensed.
“I might ask you the same,” Viggo said, looking suspicious, finally sighing, not really wanting to get involved with small talk, “Orlando, how did you get all those bruises on your back?”
Orlando’s eyes widened in horror as he pulled his tunic around him tighter, as if that could somehow conceal the marks Viggo had seen on his body. He felt himself flame with embarrassment and mentally chastised himself for letting Viggo see he’d upset him.
Viggo didn’t understand what had changed between them, but he honestly cared for Orlando and what happened to him. He was angry with whoever had hurt the young prince, partly with himself for not figuring it out sooner, although he wasn’t sure he could have.
“I really don’t think that’s any of your concern,” Orlando said roughly, attempting to exit the room, but Viggo had a strong hold on his upper arm, halting his movements. Orlando struggled against him, already getting mad, but Viggo was too strong for him.
Orlando was scared what Viggo would do and more importantly, who he would tell. The only other person who had seen the bruises was the servant in the bathhouse, who had seemed worried and didn’t say a word about them, but Orlando had known the man for years and knew he wouldn’t say a word, he never did.
He was more than a little confused. Viggo had sounded almost sympathetic as he had talked to Orlando, but what little he knew of Viggo, sympathetic wasn’t even in his vocabulary. He had seemed honestly worried about the younger man and Orlando couldn’t figure out why. How did a man like Viggo go from unsubtle seduction attempts to caring about a prince he barely new. Viggo didn’t strike him as the type to burden himself with other’s feelings. Perhaps he thought trying to play the ‘sensitive’ card would ingratiate himself with Orlando.
“I don’t really care if it is or not. Someone obviously hurt you for there to be those kinds of bruises on you. It wasn’t an accident, tell me what happened, you can’t hide something like this,” Viggo said, looking over Orlando unconsciously for any further injuries, concerned he had other injuries.
“Viggo, please, just leave me alone. Forget what you saw,” Orlando said, his eyes pleading with Viggo to let him go, but when Viggo didn’t, his struggles increased. Tears filled his eyes, but he refused to show his weakness in front of Viggo.
“How can I? Someone obviously hurt you and whether or not we know each other that well, it’s still something I can help you with in whatever way I‘m able to,” Viggo said, “Does Brad know about what happened?”
Orlando stiffened and looked away, “He does not know – and never will. Just forget what you saw and leave. Leave Boeotia and go home. No good will come of you staying. Forget about ever seeing me and go back to your beauties in Dione. You cause nothing but trouble here. Just let me be.”
Viggo sighed and let go of Orlando’s arm, watching as the young prince hurried out the room, looking very upset.
Viggo couldn’t figure out what had just happened. He knew someone had dared to hurt Orlando, possibly Colin or Marton. He was confused why someone would hurt Orlando and angry that Orlando wouldn’t tell him who. The protective feelings he was having for Orlando surprised him; he was just supposed to sleep with the prince and leave, but he was developing feelings instead.
As he thought about it, the younger man had reacted oddly when he mentioned Brad. He knew Orlando was probably too proud to tell his husband, which worried him even more. He wondered if that meant marriage between the two of them. He was more than curious what that meant, but he was more worried for Orlando. He couldn’t believe someone would dare to hurt the prince, possibly right behind Brad’s back. With the way Orlando was acting, it seemed the man was trying to protect whoever did this to him. Viggo thought it may be someone close to Brad; that was the reason Orlando wouldn’t tell his husband.
There was more to Orlando and his marriage than he realized and he was willing to get to the bottom of it before he sailed back to Dione. Something didn’t feel right between Brad and Orlando and now that he knew someone was hurting Orlando and Brad didn’t know, he was even more confused. He still wanted Orlando, but he realized the younger man needed a friend and not someone who would try to get him into bed. Maybe he could be a friend to Orlando, rather than a seducer.
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