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[imogen-lily.livejournal.com]

Title: 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.





After returning from the marketplace, Sean had waited by the entrance of the palace for Viggo, who had decided to stay longer and look around.

The marketplace had proven a great idea to meet new people. The people of Boeotia had been pleasant and very helpful when Sean and Karl had gotten lost among the many rows of shops.

He and Karl had navigated the marketplace on their own since Orlando seemed to be of no help. The young prince had been quiet the entire time, his only answers to Sean and Karl’s questions were monosyllabic. Sean wondered what had happened since Orlando was fine before he went into the bathhouse; there was no doubt the prince had been confronted by Viggo.

Sean could not understand what had been going on in Viggo’s head, and frankly, he was not not all that sure he wanted to, but he had a horrible feeling that this time, it was not as trite as previous times, and that could only be a bad thing in Sean’s opinion. His younger brother had been acting suspicious almost all day, glancing at Orlando often and he seemed upset. He ignored everyone around him, even Angelina, which Sean found odd.

Sean was worried that Viggo had gone against wishes and tried to seduce Orlando. That explanation would account for the way to the two men were acting.

Almost immediately after he and Karl had arrived at the bakery, Orlando joined back up with them, looking upset and he was even more quiet than usual around the brothers. He kept to himself and barely spoke a word, much to Sean’s dismay. Sean had tried to talk to him about what was wrong, but Orlando had simply brushed him off, as well as Karl, saying he was perfectly all right, which he blatantly did not look, but Sean was wary about pressing into things he essentially had very little business in. He did not know Orlando and at times, felt he barely knew his own brother, a fact which continually disconcerted him.

He was sure something had gone on between Orlando and Viggo, since he was sure the two had encountered each other in the bathhouse. That worried Sean; the bathhouse was private and if Viggo was still determined to attempt to seduce Orlando, the baths would have been a logical place for Viggo to attempt an indiscretion. The only thing that Sean knew for sure was, whatever had happened, neither Orlando nor Viggo were happy which did not bode well for the rest of their trip.

Viggo himself had joined up with them a short time later with Angelina, looking irritated. Of course, Sean was used to seeing his brother irritated, as was his brother’s normal expression when he did not get his way, but this time, something was different. While Viggo could get upset if he did not get what he wanted, but his brothers could usually cheer him up and he would be fine after a while. This time, nothing they could do or say seemed to make him any better.

He was usually in a good mood when he was around Angelina, but this time, even she did not seem to make his mood better and despite her attempts at conversation, Viggo’s replies were half-hearted and terse at best.

What really seemed off was how Viggo acted around Orlando. Sean and Karl noticed how Viggo kept glancing at Orlando, looking worried. They immediately thought it was strange, since every time they had seen the two together, Viggo would only look at Orlando lustfully, just as they thought he would.

Orlando seemed to be acting just as strange, from what Sean could tell. He did not know Orlando all that well, but the young prince seemed staying as far away from Viggo as possible. Every time Viggo moved closer to him, he moved away, eventually going to Angelina’s side and staying there. Sean did not miss Viggo’s disappointed look at that action, and he was even more convinced something had happened. He was certain Viggo had tried to seduce Orlando in the bathhouse.

Their day at the marketplace had continued like that, with Orlando barely talking and if he did, it was mainly to Angelina, and Viggo ignoring everyone. Sean had tried to get Viggo to talk to him, just as he did with Orlando, but his brother was also silent about it, saying he was fine. He next tried to ask Angelina, who insisted she had not even seen them in the bathhouse, only that she ran into Viggo on her way out.

When the group had left to return to the palace, Viggo had decided to stay behind after managing to convince Angelina he could find his way back without any problems. Angelina was worried he would never find his back and was reluctant to leave him behind, but eventually left him alone, making him promise if he got lost, he would find a local guard to escort him back. Viggo knew he would be fine, but he figured it was Angelina’s nature to worry about losing guests.

Viggo just wanted some time to spend alone, away from his brothers. He figured without anyone with him, he could walk the marketplace and relax, going through at his own pace.

Sean did not have to wait very long until Viggo stepped through the entrance, a look of irritation still adorning his face, which Sean was not surprised about. He did not think Viggo would have gotten better this soon, especially after how his younger brother was acting before. He could not remember when Viggo had not been upset or mad about something lately and he could not make himself feel any surprise at his brother’s expression.

Viggo almost ran directly into Sean and he looked up, locking eyes with his brother, his eyes narrowing in confusion and some anger, “Sean? I thought you’d be busy with Brad discussing the negotiations.”

Recently, Sean and Brad had had some minor problems agreeing on a few of the more detailed points of the treaty and Viggo was surprised they were not trying to spend every available moment going over them. He had only joined in a few times, not having been interested in the diplomatic meetings, but Karl had filled him in on the main points of each meeting he missed.

“I will be later. I needed to talk to you about today,” Sean said, fixing Viggo with a pointed look.

“What? About today?” Viggo asked absently, his attention already wavering, which did not go unnoticed by Sean. Of course, Sean was not surprised; Viggo’s attention usually wavered, as it seemed, when Sean tried to talk to him about something serious.

Viggo’s mind was on Orlando and what he had seen earlier that day. Although the younger man had not told him anything, he knew it was not simply an accident; someone had hurt Orlando. He had no clue who it could’ve been, although he was highly suspecting Marton, who was the only one who did not seem close to Orlando.

From what little he had seen of Orlando with Colin, the two got along, a genuine friendship clearly existing between them, as for Angelina, she might not be quite as openly affectionate towards Orlando, but Viggo had seen the amusement and affection she held for her brother-in-law so he seriously doubted she was the culprit, and from what he knew of Orlando and Brad’s relationship, he could not imagine Brad not knowing what had happened to his husband, but if he did, there was no way he would let it continue.

Viggo became even more confused as he tried to figure out what had happened. He realized more than ever that he needed to make Orlando understand he was sorry for trying to seduce him and coming on so strongly. He did not think Orlando needed anything else to worry about.

“I know something went on between you and Orlando when you both went into the bathhouse. I might not have been there, but you would have to be a fool to miss it. You both were acting halfway normal before and you come back and he barely speaks and you look like you’re mad at everyone alive,” Sean said, looking at his brother for any sort of explanation. He thought Viggo was mad because Orlando turned him down, which seemed to be the only explanation.

Viggo stared at Sean, deciding which information to tell, although he was not about to tell anyone about the bruises on Orlando, “Yes, I did encounter Orlando in the bathhouse and we talked, but that was it.”

Sean scowled, shaking his head, “You just….talked. Do you expect me to believe that? I told you to stay away from him and you agreed…no, you swore to me you would not endanger the negotiations. How do you think Father would react to this? Do not you think you have disappointed him enough for one lifetime?”

“So you’d rather I be rude to him and ignore him completely? Just because I’m being pleasant and polite to him, doesn’t mean I plan on seducing him,” Viggo lied, locking eyes with Sean, trying to convince his older brother. His brother did not need to know that he had already tried to seduce Orlando.

Sean laughed bitterly, “You do not know the meaning of simply being nice to someone without seducing them.”

Viggo glared at his brother, “Nothing happened.”

“Something obviously happened, because Orlando did not look too happy when he joined up with Karl and me. What did you say to him?” Sean asked, a worried look on his face.

“I did not say anything to him. Whatever I did happen to say to him will remain between us, but it doesn’t concern you or anyone else,” Viggo said stubbornly, knowing not to let Orlando‘s secret get out.

Sean sighed, already losing his patience, “Viggo, you know I look after you because I love you and I’m trying to protect you. Without me, you would have been killed long ago from the stupid things you do. Nothing good will come of you pursuing Orlando. He is married to Brad, and whether you’d like to believe it or not, he is very faithful to Brad.”

“How do you know it isn’t simply some act they put on in front of guests? Besides from our parents, have you honestly known an arranged marriage to turn into love or anything other than respect and mild affection?” Viggo asked.

Sean opened his mouth to answer, but he found he had nothing to say. He knew Viggo was right about arranged marriages, but he could not be too sure about Brad and Orlando. They both seemed to love each other and he was not going to question it just because Viggo wanted to seduce Orlando.

“Whether they love each other or not is not a concern of yours. I know for a fact you have tried to seduce married men and women before and I left you alone to fight your own battles. This time, it’s different. Orlando is married to the emperor of Boeotia, not just another common man. This could have dire consequences if you pursue Orlando. It could bring war to our country for your stupidity and believe me, I am not about to clean up your latest disaster, Boeotia would destroy us within a month if they chose to invade. Why don’t you ever think of anyone but yourself? How can you be so selfish?” Sean said harshly.

“You have never trusted me, Sean. As long as I can remember, you have always lectured me and made me feel stupid. You do not always have to watch out for me. In case you haven’t figured it out, I am grown now and able to make my own decisions,” Viggo’s rose to a yell as he stared back defiantly at Sean.

“Maybe if you acted like you were grown instead of a spoilt little child then I would not have to watch after you and lecture you!” Sean replied, an incredulous look on his face. He could not believe Viggo could be this dense.

“Sean, just drop it, please,” Viggo said, an almost begging tone appearing in his voice that Sean seldom heard, attempting to walk away, but Sean grabbed his arm roughly, bringing him back to his original position, shocking Viggo. Sean had never grabbed him like that before, even if they were arguing.

“Viggo, I want you to pay very close attention and listen to every word I say,” Sean growled, not caring if he already lost his temper, “Leave Orlando alone. I know you’re used to getting anyone you want, but Orlando isn’t anyone and he will not be another one of your conquests. Get it into your thick skull that he is very happily married and let’s not forget that Brad would kill you if you even touched his husband.

“I do not know how you think you can simply ruin the negotiations and peace treaty, but if I can help it, you won’t be doing that. It means too much to our country and our father for me to let you seduce the infamous ‘Bloom of Boeotia’, who, as you can see, is just like you and me. He is not a legend; he is a person with feelings and thoughts and deserves respect just like everyone else. I swear to you, if you do one more rash thing, upset or insult Orlando – or Brad in any way, then I will personally escort you home, where you can explain to Father why I had to abandon these peace treaties. So think very carefully, Viggo, before you make your next move.”

Viggo stared at Sean incredulously, finally shaking his head as he pulled his arm out of Sean’s grasp, “You have no right to say that when you have no idea what Orlando and I said to each other and you have no idea what really happened. You always judge me, Sean, whether or not I actually do what you think I did. You say to have respect for Orlando because he’s a person, well so am I! Maybe you should start respecting me.”

Sean sighed, feeling his anger deflating, but not his irritation, “Viggo, you know I respect you, but you have to understand that you cannot get everything you want and that includes Orlando.”

“What do you understand about anything? You were always the ‘perfect son’ to Mother and Father. You did everything right and I was jealous of that,” Viggo admitted, looking disgusted, “You could never do anything wrong in their eyes. I have always felt like an outsider in this family, even more so after Karl was born; then you were the oldest and he was the youngest and I was the middle child.”

“Viggo, you know our parents love us all equally, why on earth would you even think such a thing? Believe me, Karl being born had nothing to do with you bring continually spoilt, do you think our parents having Keira made any differance to their treatment of Karl? In fact, I think that’s were it started. Mother and Father were worried you’d feel left out when he was born, so they began to spoil you and it never stopped,” Sean explained, shaking his head. He wished his parents had not started the trend that followed Viggo into his adult years.

Viggo shook his head, frustrated, “I am not spoilt, Sean. I do not get everything I want and you know it. As for your little speech on me staying away from Orlando, I can honestly say I’ve spent a small amount of time with him and whether you approve or not, I have gotten stronger feelings for him.”

He stomped off before Sean could come up with an intelligent reply, leaving Sean to stare after him. Sean felt his mouth hanging open at Viggo’s confession, that he had developed feelings for Orlando. He did not believe it was true; from what he had seen of the two men, they had not spent any time together. He figured Viggo had just said that to get him mad. At least, Sean hoped so.

~~~***~~~

Shortly after Viggo’s confrontation with Sean, he was still mad, but he had calmed slightly as he walked through the palace. He had not mentioned the fight to anyone, but the way they were yelling at each other, he would not be surprised if everyone in the palace had heard them.

He was upset with his brother, at what he had said, but his mind was still on Orlando, as always. He was still in shock at seeing the bruises covering the young prince’s back and he could not believe anyone would dare to hurt the prince and that Brad would know anything about it.

It was obvious someone had hurt Orlando for a reason, but he could not figure out why. Sure, Orlando had been stubborn and standoffish with him, but he had good reason to be. To everyone else, Orlando was sweet and nice, willing to help with anything. Viggo shook his head, not being able to come up with a reason or a person who could’ve done it.

He knew Orlando would never tell him what had happened or who had hurt him; so far, he and Orlando had not his it off that well. Viggo was worried that Orlando would never tell anyone and the abuse would continue. He did not know Orlando that well and knew the younger man would never confide in him.

He thought about telling Sean or Karl what had happened so they could talk to Orlando, but he did not want to betray what little trust Orlando had in him not to tell. He knew as little as he knew Orlando, Karl and Sean knew him even less.

Viggo’s protective streak really came out when it came to Orlando, something he had never felt for any of his previous bedmates. The very thought that someone hurt someone as sweet and innocent as Orlando made him very protective of the younger man. He could not explain why Orlando had made him feel the way he did, but it was making Viggo nervous. He had never felt anything like it before. He did not think it was love, but he was not against the idea that he might eventually be in love with the young prince.

Viggo rounded a corner in the palace and nearly ran into Marton, who simply looked at Viggo, annoyed, before walking off down the hallway. Viggo watched him for a moment before shrugging and stepping out of the palace and into the stable, spotting Colin, exactly where he thought the man was.

Colin did not seem to notice him right away as he gave orders to two servants, who nodded quickly and hurried away to carry out the man’s orders. Colin turned and spotted Viggo, grinning and gesturing him over.

The two had become good friends during the brothers’ stay in Boeotia. Viggo had found that Colin had a great personality and the man seemed to be friends with everyone, except for Marton, who Viggo thought Colin despised. Colin never seemed to be too happy to see Marton, although he did not ignore him like Angelina usually did.

“Looking to go into the marketplace again?” Colin asked, waving a hand at the same horse Viggo had rode earlier that day.

Viggo shook his head, “No, not again. I needed to talk to you. I’m curious about a few things.”

Colin nodded, “I’ll answer anything if I can. What did you want to know?”

Viggo hesitated for a few moments, unsure of how to word what he really wanted to know, “How did Orlando and Brad get together?” He paused, seeing Colin’s odd look, “I mean, I’ve never seen an arranged marriage where the two people are actually in love. They just surprised me when I met them.”

Colin smiled slightly, “Well, I obviously do not know all the details because I was not with them and I’m not either of them, but I can tell you what I know.

“About ten years ago, Brad, Angelina, and Marton went on a visit to Palthia and while there, Brad spotted Orlando in the temple, I believe. He was, of course, very taken with Orlando’s beauty and immediately asked his father, Ian, for permission to wed Orlando. His father refused at first, believing Orlando was too young for the responsibilities of marriage and not wanting to lose his youngest child just yet, but Brad was extremely persistent, and he kept wooing Orlando, who finally accepted, and his father, after seeing the two together, allowed it. They were married shortly after that and Brad brought Orlando back home with him.”

Viggo’s eyes narrowed; he knew Colin was either lying or leaving out certain details, he could not figure out which one. To Viggo, it seemed the story was too generalized, even if Colin had not been there to witness it. Something did not sit well with Viggo. Colin still retained his easy manner, grinning at Viggo as he relayed the story to him but this time it seemed almost forced. What was the man hiding, and more to the point why did he feel it important to do so?

“I just can’t imagine how a couple could fall in love so easily, they must have barely known each other. It seems impossible,” Viggo said, fishing for information.

Colin looked at Viggo curiously, wondering what the man was up to, “I suppose it does, but with the two of them, anything is possible. Brad and Orlando have never been anything short of exceptional so it should figure that their love and marriage follows the same path. Their story still surprises people, as they do seem rather opposites, but the two of them are very much in love, they are very lucky in that regard. Love seems hard to find in most relationships.”

Viggo thought about it for a moment before he gave a forced smile, “Thank you, Colin. That’s all I needed to know.”

The details were not adding up. There was something wrong with the way everyone kept talking about Brad and Orlando’s marriage. Viggo had known something was wrong when he found out Orlando had a separate bedroom and when he talked to Angelina about their marriage. Colin’s brief story had simply left more questioned unanswered.

He turned on his heel and left the stable, leaving behind a very confused Colin.

Viggo re-entered the palace and noticed it was mostly empty, meaning the servants were off doing their jobs and, as Viggo hoped, Sean and Karl were in with Brad so they would not be around to lecture him, especially Sean, although if they were, Colin was going to be late to a meeting again.

Once again, Viggo was invited to the meeting, but he turned it down. He knew Brad was going to get annoyed and finally stop asking him to join, but he hoped it ended like that. He hated diplomatic meetings.

He passed by the conference room that Brad usually used and saw the door closed, meaning they were having a meeting. Perfect, he thought, heading to the library. He turned the corner, and just as he thought, he saw Orlando sitting on the edge of the fountain in the closed off patio, a book in his hands.

The young man looked perfectly relaxed as he concentrated on reading. Viggo figured it was his way of relaxing and get away from the world. It was perfect because the only other people Viggo had seen in the library were Angelina and Brad, but they fought and left immediately.

Viggo found it odd that Orlando was never in the meetings with Brad and everyone else. He was, after all, the prince-consort and regent of Boeotia and should have the right to be in the meetings, but like Viggo, he was always found elsewhere while the meeting was in session. Viggo thought he would want to be involved in major decisions that affected his country. Maybe he simply wasn't interested since Boeotia was not his birth country or like Viggo he simply found negotiations boring and tiresome.

He walked up slowly, making just enough noise to not frighten the young man. He was pretty sure Orlando would not be happy to see him, if the last time they encountered each other was any clue. The two had not seen each other since the marketplace and had not spoken, so Viggo was a little worried this encounter would be a disaster.

Orlando looked up suddenly, his eyes seeking out Viggo at the entrance of the library. He still was not sure what to make of the older man. The man was very confusing, going from trying to seduce him to suddenly being worried about him. He was still very cautious of Viggo in case he tried anything. Viggo had seemed to be concerned with how Orlando had gotten hurt, but he had seemed to change so rapidly from the man he encountered in his bedroom the night the brothers had arrived.

He watched Viggo carefully, slipping off the tall fountain and landed on his feet as Viggo came slightly closer, “I thought I told you to leave me alone.”

Viggo felt a smile tug at his lips at the sight of the young man, “I know, but I just can’t leave you alone, not after what happened in the bathhouse.”

Orlando closed his eyes for a moment, sighing sadly, “Viggo, I just want to be alone, why can’t you seem to understand that? I need to be alone right now and I do not want to keep worrying that you will try to get me into bed again.”

Viggo walked up to him, leaning back against the fountain, his eyes not leaving Orlando’s, “I’m worried about you and what I saw at the bathhouse today. Orlando, who gave you those bruises? Who has been hurting you? Who are you trying to protect?” he could not seem to help firing off the questions, knowing that this might be his only chance to shed some light on what was truly going on.

Orlando shook his head, looking mad, “I told you before, it is none of your business. I am well taken care of here. No one hurt me. It was just a simple accident when I--”

“Don’t you dare say when you fell off a horse,” Viggo all but growled, “You forget that I’ve seen you ride, you’re a highly accomplished rider. You have even told me you have been riding almost your whole life. I could understand if you just started riding, but you haven’t. When you have ridden that long you do not have accidents… Orlando, you’re better than anyone I’ve ever seen. You did not fall off a horse and even if you did, those injuries could not have been caused by that. I’ve gotten more than enough injuries from falling off a horse and none of them ever looked like that.”

Orlando was speechless, his eyes wide at what Viggo had just said. He was not expecting Viggo to be that outspoken about it or for what he said to be true. He was not quite sure how to respond to that. Viggo had caught him in a lie and he knew no matter what he replied with, Viggo would not believe a thing he said.

“Just leave it alone, it is not your concern. Drop the subject, I do not want to talk about this anymore,” Orlando said weakly, his voice barely audible over the trickle of the water in the fountain behind him.

“Do you want this to continue, Orlando? Do you enjoy being in pain and being miserable that you won’t tell anyone who is doing this to you? It will continue until you tell someone,” Viggo said matter-of-factly, keeping his face neutral against the anger he wanted desperately to show. He could not remember when he had been this anger than what he was feeling for the person who had hurt Orlando.

“Of course I do not enjoy it,” Orlando hissed, “Do you honestly think if I told someone it would get him to stop? No one would believe it, even I did.”

Viggo paused, looking at Orlando expectantly, noticing the younger man looking panicked at the possibility that Viggo would figure it out, “He? Well, now we know it was not Angelina.” He sighed, not any closer than when he started. “What makes you think no one would believe you? Just one look at your back would tell them otherwise.”

Orlando bit his bottom, looking down and away from Viggo, “Stop, Viggo, please. Just…stop. I can’t talk about this.”

“Then we won’t,” Viggo said simply, seeing he was upsetting Orlando even more. He crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head thoughtfully. “So tell me, what do you do for fun around here?”

Viggo had wanted to keep questioning Orlando, to find out what really happened, but he could see how upset it was making Orlando. He figured he could go for a neutral subject to try to calm Orlando.

Orlando’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he bit his bottom lip, even more confused about Viggo’s change of personality, “Well, I either go to the gardens, stay here in the library, or go out to the stables with Zeus.”

“You mean you do not tease and terrorize Colin or Angelina mercilessly? I would pay to see their reactions to a practical joke,” Viggo said with mock surprise.

From what he had seen of Orlando with both Colin and Angelina, he young prince seemed close and at ease with both of them, Colin more so than Angelina. Just as he had thought earlier, Colin was everyone’s friend and while Angelina was affable, Viggo knew there were still times when she kept to herself.

He did not think the suggestion was all that impressive, but he found it to be a personal achievement when he got a small smile out of Orlando; the first one he had gotten out of the younger man. He had briefly seen Orlando smile around Brad at their welcoming dinner and several times with Colin and Angelina, but it was the first time Orlando had smiled at him.

“I do not think Angelina would appreciate it too much and I know Colin would just try to get me back,” Orlando said softly, still smiling slightly.

“Tell me about your family back in Palthia. I know you mentioned a brother,” Viggo said.

Orlando nodded and Viggo saw his eyes light up at the mention of his family, “You mean Eric, he’s the one I miss more than anyone. We were always so close, he looked out for me and made sure I was always all right, no matter what I did. Of course, he was always the protective one of the family, I think being the eldest was not always easy for him, it made him feel responsible for looking after me and our sisters. He once defended my sisters from the advances…” Orlando trailed off, looking at Viggo oddly. “It was you, wasn’t it? You were the one who tried to get my sisters into your bed. I thought I recognized you when you arrived.”

Viggo nodded slowly, sighing in defeat and watching for any sign that Orlando was mad, “It was me and your older brother did not like that too much.”

Orlando shrugged, “Eric…was not overly fond of you, he thought you were a selfish princeling, but Liv and Diane did not seem to mind too much from what I recall, Eric accused you of ‘bewitching’ them or some nonsense. Of course, that was so long ago and they did not think I would know what it meant because I was too young. I never thought at the time I would end up in their position, although I greatly doubt the outcome would have been the same”

“I’m sorry. I realize now that I was wrong to try to seduce you at all, even less the first night I met you,” Viggo said softly.

“Viggo, I do not understand why you’re doing this. You try to seduce me last night and then suddenly you‘re acting like a civilized human being, what am I supposed to make of that?” Orlando said helplessly, looking almost lost for the barest of seconds, before he regained his composure.

“Because I realized I was wrong. You are a married man, I should have respected that and it was wrong of me to try to get you into bed. I wish you would accept I was not jesting when I apologized to you, but right now, you need a friend and not someone who will try to get you into bed,” Viggo said truthfully. He just hoped Orlando could see that he was telling the truth and not trying to trick him again.

“I can’t just suddenly trust you. It seems I have a hard time trusting anyone lately,” Orlando said bitterly, his eyes narrowing on Viggo.

Viggo nodded, understanding, “I know you can’t, but I do not know what else I can say to get you to trust me. I can’t begin to imagine how many have wronged you and what you must have went through. I do want to gain your trust and seducing you was the wrong way to go.”

Orlando took in what Viggo was saying, feeling touched. He did not think Viggo was lying to him this time, the words he spoke had been truthful and both Viggo and Orlando knew it. He’d been lied to enough to know when someone was lying, and Viggo looked to be serious.

Orlando wanted so badly to trust Viggo, to have someone he could just talk to and not worry about them betraying him. He wanted to tell Viggo all about what had caused those bruises, but he was still slightly wary of Viggo.

A friend sounded nice to Orlando. It had been so long since he had someone he could confide in and just do normal things with, like what he had with Eric. He did not feel like he had to hide anything with Eric. Brad, Angelina, and Colin were always too busy for him to do anything with and he did not want anything to do with Marton if he could help it.

To him, Marton had always seemed a little odd. He did not talk much and when he did, it was usually directed to Brad. Orlando had often noticed the lustful looks he got from Marton since his marriage to Brad and had tried to ignore them, but they always made him uncomfortable and annoyed. He had tried to tell Brad and Brad promised to speak with Marton, but it had not done any good.

Angelina had acted in some of the same ways when Brad had first brought Orlando back to Boeotia with him. She was very quiet and even cold to Orlando in the beginning before she got to know him. When she finally did get to know him and realized he was not simply one of Brad’s ‘phases’, she treated him as a little brother, much to his obvious relief.

Colin, however, had seemed to be the exact opposite of Marton and Angelina. He welcomed Orlando to Boeotia warmly and showed him around, making sure he was comfortable there. Colin was Orlando’s first and closest friend in Boeotia and their relationship strengthened as the years went by, Colin seeing how much Orlando missed his family from Palthia.

That was the reason he missed his family so much, especially his brother, Eric. Even as the heir to the throne of Palthia, Eric had always been his best friend, his confidant and always had time for Orlando.

Eric had recently turned ten years old when Orlando was born and being the oldest, Eric often looked after his younger brother while his parents were busy running Palthia. They were very close, even though they were the farthest apart in ages.

Their bond had only strengthened after their mother, Saffron, had died from unknown complications. Eric comforted all of his siblings, but Orlando took it the hardest of all of them being very close to his mother and them being very similar in temperament. He often worried Eric perhaps feeling an irrational guilt he after all, had had a mother for much longer than Orlando, not that he would ever begrudge Eric from having known their mother while Orlando merely had fuzzy memories towards a beautiful woman with gentle hands.

Orlando had always been well-loved among his family, being the youngest of the family. His main playmate as a child had been his cousin, Billy, whose own parents were killed when he was very young in a hunting accident, Billy’s father, Liam having been Saffron’s older brother, and his mother, Rose, being Saffron’s closest friend. Ian and Saffron had immediately taken him in and him and Orlando had become fast friends.

Orlando’s two sisters, Liv and Diane, had tried as best as they could to protect Orlando from the world, but they did not possess the fierce protective streak that Eric did. Diane often made sure she spent time with Orlando, teaching him to read and write. Liv, as loving as she was, was often involved with her childhood sweetheart, Joaquin, although Orlando had not minded because Joaquin had turned out to be a natural story-teller, and Orlando had often sat enthralled by Joaquin’s tales, and it seemed he had no objection to the youngest prince of Palthia hanging on his every word. He’d heard Liv and Joaquin had finally been married only a few years prior and produced Orlando’s first niece and nephew, Sophie and Milo, both of whom Orlando was longing to see.

Eric always protected him and indulged him in any new hobby or pastime Orlando had taken an interest in. Orlando missed the time when his life was about fun and family, unlike now, when Brad and everyone else were so involved in diplomatic affairs and visiting royalty.

Orlando had not seen his family in over five years and he missed them dearly. His father had always insisted that his children never become too busy and forget what was important in life. Ian knew the importance of family and had passed that belief on to his children.

Orlando never got the chance to meet Brad’s parents. Brad never talked about his mother, only his father, who had died three years before Brad married Orlando. He often wished he and Brad had children to fulfill his want of a bigger family, but that simply did not appear to be happening any time soon. He loved knowing he had a large family, but with only Brad, Angelina, and Colin nearby, it was not even near large. At times he would give anything to just be with his family again, to reveal in their love and comfort. Brad, Angelina and Colin tried but it simply was not the same.

Orlando looked over at Viggo, his face softening, for the first time since the brothers had arrived, which Viggo found very pleasing, “I think I’d like that, thank you, Viggo.”