Land of Broken Dreams ch 6
Jul. 4th, 2006 08:41 pm![[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 palace was unusually quiet the next day while the usual daily meeting was in session. Sean, Karl, Brad, Angelina, Colin, and Marton had locked themselves into the conference room, leaving most of the servants to their daily chores of cleaning, cooking, and tending to the horses.
Viggo had managed to get himself out of the meeting once more, even though he did feel slightly guilty about it, but he couldn‘t make himself interested in the talks. Brad had tried to persuade him to stay, explaining how important the meeting was, the current meeting being about drawing up points to put on the treaty, but he refused, not to the surprise of his brothers. They never pushed him to stay, but they often mentioned how it would be useful if he stayed, which he never did.
Viggo never really got bored while the others were in the meetings. He usually found his own form of entertainment in the palace by spending most of his time in the garden. He’d never really been fond them and they didn’t have one in Dione, so when Colin had showed them the garden on the tour, he found himself intrigued.
The three brothers were still in Boeotia for two weeks so they were actually ahead schedule for the treaties. Brad wanted to finish them faster so it left the brothers with a few days to simply relax before returning to Dione.
Orlando was grateful for everyone’s involvement in other affairs because he finally got a quiet moment to himself in the library. No one usually bothered him anyway except for an occasional servant, but he hadn’t even seen anyone in awhile, which suited him just fine.
The servants loved when Brad was away or in meetings because they could talk to Orlando, who they found very intriguing. A few had tried to talk to him when Brad was nearby and Brad had yelled at them for not doing their job. Orlando, however, seemed to enjoy their company and didn’t mind talking to them while they did their jobs.
Orlando had no problem not being included in the meetings. He liked to leave the diplomatic matters to Brad, who seemed to enjoy dealing with royalty and their country’s issues. Brad often told him briefly about what was said, just enough details to not bore Orlando.
He was still very worried about Viggo. Ever since the other man had seen the bruises on his back, he was terrified Viggo would find out what really happened, or worse, who had caused them. Viggo had tried more than once to get information out of him, but Orlando kept quiet, refusing to answer any of Viggo’s questions.
He was already worried Viggo would try to seduce him again, but now that Viggo knew about the bruises, he was even more worried how Viggo would use that information against him. He wasn’t sure if Viggo would ever tell anyone or use it to blackmail him, and that scared him, not knowing what would happen. No one before Viggo had found out about the bruises and he mentally berated himself for being so careless and letting someone see. He’d never had to worry about it before; his robes and other clothing covered his back and never gave anyone the chance to possibly see the bruises.
The previous night had proved to be a turning point for Orlando’s opinion of Viggo. He wasn’t sure what he had expected of Viggo, but it certainly wasn’t that the man wanted to be friends. He figured Viggo was very straight forward in Orlando’s bedroom, trying to seduce him, but now Orlando was more than confused than ever. Viggo had tried to seduce him and then suddenly wanted to be friends? Something wasn’t right for Orlando; he didn’t think it was a trick, but he couldn’t help but be reluctant to trust Viggo, which he so badly wanted to do.
He hadn’t seen much of the other two brothers around the palace. Sean was almost always in meetings with Brad. Karl was also in a lot of meetings, but he sat out on a few, desperate to relax for awhile. One of those such times Orlando had encountered him in the library, where they had talked for a long time. Karl told Orlando about Dione and his newly-found romance with Jake and Orlando told Karl about Palthia, which Karl found very interesting since he had never been there.
Orlando really didn’t think Karl was anything like his brothers. He almost seemed to be a mixture of Sean and Viggo. He had Sean’s diplomatic skills and interest in his country, but he also had a fun side that Orlando was sure had to have come from Viggo. He genuinely liked Karl and liked that unlike most of the other men he met, Karl hadn’t tried to seduce him. In fact, Karl seemed to have no interest in him, something which Orlando felt wonderfully liberating.
He pushed his thoughts aside, trying to concentrate on the book he held in his hands, although it was proving very difficult. His mind seemed to be swirling with various thoughts that he couldn’t get rid of.
He finally gave up and set the book on the table in front of him before he left the library, heading through the back of the palace to the gardens. He had just stepped out of the palace when he felt something soft rub against his leg. He looked down and smiled as he saw Angelina’s beloved black cat looking up at him from partially under his robes.
“Sahra, you’d better not let Colin catch you nearby. He’ll kill you,” Orlando murmured softly, leaning down to pick the cat up into his arms. He knew Colin hated the cat for constantly being underfoot. Unfortunately, the cat seemed to like to follow Colin, which further irritated him.
The cat sat happily in Orlando’s arms as he made his way to the garden, leaning it’s small head on Orlando’s chest.
Orlando grinned down at the cat, gently stroking it’s fur as he shifted and changing his hold so he wouldn’t drop the feline, gaining a deep purr from the creature.
“It’s a wonder why Colin and Brad don’t love you,” Orlando said, his voice sounding sad.
“Maybe they’re just too quick to judge.”
Orlando looked up, spotting Viggo standing under a large tree only a few feet, surprised to see him. He didn’t know how he had missed the older man when he first entered the garden, but his attention had been on the cat in his arms. He knew Viggo rarely attended any of the meetings, but it was more likely for Viggo to be in his room than out in the gardens. At least, whenever he had been in the gardens, Viggo wasn’t.
Orlando looked Viggo over and noticed how relaxed he looked as he leaned against the tree. For the first time he noticed the lustful look in Viggo’s gaze was gone. He wasn’t sure when that had happened, but he was sure something had changed after the previous night. There was now a mutual respect between them somehow. In fact, Viggo looked happy to see Orlando.
“No, it’s because Brad and Colin think she’s annoying. She never leaves them for a moment and it‘s rare to not see them yelling at her to get out of the room. They hate the fact that Angelina will never let her go,” Orlando retorted without missing a beat, raising an eyebrow in a challenging look.
Viggo grinned, stepping away from the tree and closer to Orlando, “The cat is harmless.”
He reached a hand out and stroked the cat’s head, who purred softly and seemed to be enjoying the attention. He purposely let his fingers lightly touch Orlando’s arm, wanting to see a reaction, wanting to see that Orlando was finally opening up to him, but Orlando didn’t react to the small touch. It slightly worried him how Orlando didn’t seem glad or even mad that Viggo had touched him. It made him think Orlando was just too used to being touched.
“Try telling that to Brad and Colin,” Orlando said, stepping away and lowering the cat to the ground. The feline looked around at its new surroundings, but didn’t move far from Orlando’s side.
“I thought I’d find you out here or you would end up out here soon enough,” Viggo said, smiling slightly. He knew if he waited long enough in the garden Orlando would eventually make an appearance. He felt instantly happy whenever he was around Orlando.
“And I thought I would be alone out here,” Orlando replied, sitting on the bench nearby, “I never thought you would be out here. I never took you as one for gardens…or even quiet places for that matter. Don‘t take this the wrong way, but I don‘t really see you as a quiet person.”
Viggo shook his head, amused, before he claimed a seat beside Orlando, still making sure to keep his distance from the prince, although he didn’t think Orlando noticed, “I think everyone needs time to just have a quiet moment, especially people like us who are constantly surrounded by people, especially servants. It gets tiresome after a while.”
Orlando nodded in agreement, looking over at Viggo, his lower lip caught between his teeth, “Viggo, I need to ask you something. Forgive me if I’ve asked you this before, but I think I just need to understand. Why do you care about this, about…me?”
He had been hurt too many times in the past by too many people and now suddenly having Viggo care for him was something new. The courtiers usually treated him with the respect he deserved and the servants loved him, but it wasn’t the same as it was with his own family.
Brad’s family, Colin and Angelina, were wonderful and treated him like family. Colin was Orlando’s best friend in Boeotia and Angelina treated him like the little brother she never had. Marton, on the other hand, often treated Orlando very coldly and paid very little attention to him. When Marton did seem interested in Orlando, it was all purely lust, which disgusted Orlando.
Viggo sighed softly, a slightly sad expression on his face, “Because I think you need a friend, Orlando, especially after what I saw at the bathhouse.”
Orlando frowned, closing his eyes briefly, exasperated Viggo was still trying to get information out of him and angry that Viggo wouldn‘t give up, “I’ve told you before, and I’m not going to tell you anything about it. It’s none of your business and you never should have found out anyway.”
“But I did and now that I know, I want to try to help you, but I can’t help you until you tell me who did this,” Viggo said, exasperated.
Orlando turned away from Viggo, trying to control his anger once more. He knew Viggo was just trying to help, but his insistence was proving to be quite annoying. Of course, Orlando was sure Viggo was persistent in everything he did.
“Yesterday, I liked the fact that you said you would rather be my friend than try to seduce me again. I think I respected you more for that, but that also means you have to respect my wishes, which is to not talk about those bruises, or anything else regarding my life here,” Orlando said pointedly, gazing intently at Viggo.
Viggo groaned internally, knowing Orlando would probably be just as stubborn as before, but he had to try to get the information out of Orlando. He would never resort to anything but simply asking or persuading Orlando to give more information, but he was getting desperate. Viggo’s curiosity and worry were overwhelming and he needed to know who was hurting Orlando. He wasn’t even sure how long it had been going on, but he was certain it was going to go too far one day unless it was put to a stop.
He had already planned to further question Angelina and Colin for more information, but from what they had already told him, he knew he wasn’t going to get anything out of them. He wouldn’t dare tell Sean or Karl what he had seen, even though his brothers had already commented on Brad and Orlando’s marriage. They had told Viggo that for seeming like a perfect couple and being so much in love, Brad hardly mentioned Orlando and when his name was brought up in the meetings, he quickly changed the subject.
“I don’t think you realize how important this is. What if this…person decides to go too far and doesn’t simply just give you bruises the next time?” Viggo asked challengingly.
He had hardly ever seen any interaction between Orlando and Marton and Marton seemed to be ignoring everything except for the meetings. Viggo didn’t think it was Marton abusing Orlando, but his suspicions had been raising for Brad since his brothers had filled him in on the meetings.
Orlando’s face went blank and Viggo was sure it was his way of hiding his feelings.
“That is none of your concern,” Orlando snapped, pausing to regain his composure. “I don’t want to talk about this, Viggo, please. If you really want to be my friend, you’ll drop the subject and think on it no more.”
Viggo sighed as he watched Orlando all but stalk out of the garden, the cat held tight in his arms. He knew his presence was a source of discomfort to Orlando, but he had apologized for his actions and couldn’t imagine what else he could do to right things between them. Something about the prince-consort made Orlando so different to all the other beauties he had seen, and yet he couldn’t put his finger on it.
He had had plenty of lovers in the past and some he cared for deeply, but now, it seemed none of them compared to Orlando. Orlando had a compassion and intelligence that overshadowed anyone Viggo had ever been with. The young prince was a challenge and unpredictable and Viggo loved that. He loved knowing he couldn’t depend Orlando to respond in a certain way because the younger man would likely end up surprising him.
Unlike any other of his conquests, Orlando couldn’t simply be won over through seduction. The younger man had seen too many men trying to seduce him and had seen right through Viggo’s plan’s, much to Viggo’s dismay. Especially after seeing the bruises on Orlando’s back, Viggo never once thought of seducing Orlando again. The young prince deserved more than having to worry about someone seducing and he needed a friend more than ever, something which Viggo was more than willing to be. If he could help Orlando in any way and stop the abuse, he would happily do it.
He had been completely lost of who was abusing Orlando. His first instinct told him it was Marton, but as he spent more time in Boeotia, he really didn’t think Marton was the cause. The man was instantly dislikable. He was coldly distant to Orlando, but there was really no motive behind it, besides which, Marton had too much to loose by hurting the Consort of Boeotia, as arrogant as Marton appeared, he didn't believe the man was foolish, and for him to harm Orlando so close to Brad's eyes, would simply be unbelievable. He couldn’t find a reason why Marton would hurt Orlando. Honestly, he couldn’t believe why anyone would hurt Orlando.
The other person that crossed his mind for hurting Orlando was his husband. Thinking back on the information Angelina and Colin had given him, the details and Brad and Orlando’s marriage didn’t add up.
Orlando had been married at fifteen and married within three weeks of meeting Brad. Viggo had been more than surprised when he learned that fact. He couldn’t believe it had been love at first sight, as Brad had put it.
It all seemed very unlikely, especially given Eric’s protective streak around Orlando. Viggo knew of it well, especially when he had tried to seduce Liv and Diane, and he knew it was even stronger with Orlando. He couldn’t imagine Eric letting Brad marry his younger brother so easily, and in three weeks no less.
Something was definitely wrong and Viggo wouldn’t be satisfied until he was able to find out what was happening. He decided to start looking immediately and left the garden, heading to the private study that Colin had pointed out during their tour. He knew he was sure to get some answers there.
~~~***~~~
Later that night, well after dinner had ended, Viggo finally decided to head up to his room for some well-needed sleep. He had spent much of the time after dinner talking to Colin, trying to get more details out of Colin about who was hurting Orlando, but Colin had refused to give any information. He had claimed to not know what Viggo was talking about, but Viggo knew he had to be lying, or at least omitting the truth. Colin’s natural openness did not make it easy for him to lie without someone picking up on it.
Viggo cornered Colin outside of the dining hall as they exited the dinner, eager to start his investigation.
“Colin, could I speak with you for a moment?” he asked, watching as Colin turned to face him.
Colin nodded, smiling slightly, “Of course. Is something wrong?”
Viggo shook his head, looking thoughtful, “No, nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to ask you something. I know you said you weren’t present for Brad and Orlando’s wedding, but I was just curious if you knew why it was an arranged marriage.”
Colin nodded, tilting his head slightly, “Well, I suppose it was considered an arranged marriage because Brad asked Orlando’s father for permission to marry Orlando. His father agreed and they were married.”
“So Orlando had no say in it?” Viggo asked.
“I’m not sure. I would suppose Orlando was consulted by his father, but I don’t know for sure,” Colin answered, looking confused. He was becoming curious why Viggo suddenly wanted information about Orlando and Brad.
“They just seem so…perfect. Haven’t they ever had problems?” Viggo asked, trying to fish for more details without being obvious.
“Of course they have, no couple no matter how loving are without their disputes, but they make up and get on with their lives. They’ve only had one major fight that I can think of. It was after Orlando lost the baby. He had finally recovered and I had just walked into the dining hall when Brad was yelling at Orlando, which I found a little off since he was so worried about Orlando during the whole ordeal,” Colin said distractedly, noticing Brad disappear down the hallway with Orlando.
Viggo looked at him strangely for a moment and looked over his shoulder and spotted the couple ascend the staircase before he turned back to Colin, “How did Orlando lose the baby?”
Colin paused for a moment, a slightly worried look on his face for a brief second before it disappeared, but didn’t go unnoticed by Viggo, “It was a riding accident. Brad had told him in the later stages of his pregnancy, he couldn’t teach in town unless Angelina, Marton, or I were present with him and that he couldn’t ride his horse. He became so protective of Orlando, that at times Orlando felt it stifling and got very annoyed with him, they used to argue about that in the last month of his pregnancy. Everyone was gone that week on a diplomatic visit, Brad hadn’t wanted to leave, but Orlando insisted and Brad only agreed after leaving Marton to look after him. We returned and Marton told us how Orlando had been frequently riding while Brad was away and then something happened and he fell off his horse. The baby was stillborn.”
Viggo felt his thoughts stop at that explanation. The excuse of falling off a horse had been overused when it came to Orlando getting hurt. The young prince had first used the same excuse to explain the bruises on his back and now Colin used it to explain the loss of Orlando’s baby. Orlando was a very accomplished rider and even heavily pregnant, it was still highly unlikely Orlando would fall off a horse. The explanation Colin had given him was already sending up warning flags.
“I guess a love like theirs in hard to find,” Viggo commented casually, glancing at Colin for a reaction.
A reaction he sure did get. Colin looked up suddenly, a puzzled look on his face as if what Viggo had said was completely foreign. Viggo was getting more information out of Colin than he thought it was.
“Yes, their love is very unique and definitely not one easily found. It’s very different from anything I’ve ever seen,” Colin replied, carefully choosing his words, not looking at Viggo.
Viggo raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean by that?”
Colin shook his head, a distracted appearance on his face, “Oh, nothing. If that’s all you needed to know then I’ll be heading out to the stable. Goodnight, Viggo.”
After deciding he would get no other information out of Colin and watching the man make a quick exit, he finally gave up and headed to his room. He was just about to step inside when a noise caught his attention. It came from the direction of Orlando and Br ad’s master bedroom. Curiosity got the best of him and he stepped closer, seeing the door was partially open, leaving only an inch or two to see inside.
Viggo moved to the door, ready to bolt if anyone should exit the room. He moved to the side and peered through the door, seeing Orlando and Brad facing each other in the center of the room.
Orlando was still wearing the same red silk robes he had worn at dinner, but Brad was only wearing a pair of lose pants, leaving his chest bare. They stood quite close together, Brad having a light hold around Orlando’s waist, but the younger man seemed to be standing quite still and rigid. Orlando looked very tired while Brad was smiling, almost tenderly at his husband. To Viggo, he thought Brad might have been comforting Orlando, who seemed somewhat distraught.
He watched carefully, trying to listen as Orlando said something quietly to Brad, something Viggo couldn’t hear.
“I’ve missed you this past week. With all the negotiations we barely have any time for each other, it seems,” Brad said softly, kissing the side of Orlando’s neck, nipping gently with his teeth.
“Brad,” Orlando gasped, resting his hands on Brad’s upper arms. He closed his eyes and shifted, but to Viggo, it looked as if he was trying to move away from Brad.
“You are so beautiful. It was so hard to not cancel those meetings just to be with you,” Brad said quietly, laying a tender kiss on Orlando’s lips.
Brad raised a hand, brushing the back of his fingers over Orlando‘s cheek before Orlando shook his head, looking up at Brad desperately, “I’m too tired tonight.”
Brad grabbed Orlando’s upper arm roughly and Viggo saw Orlando wince slightly from the pain,
“Be careful, Orlando, you have forgotten your place here. You have few duties that I ask of you, one of which is to obey and please me and yet you refuse this simple task. I do not think myself to be an ogre in the bedchamber or an inconsiderate lover, so why do you deny me?” the tone was one of almost wounded bewilderment.
Orlando felt his chest hitch, suddenly feeling guilty for denying his husband, but as a new wave of exhaustion rode over him, he tried to stand firm. “It is not you I am denying Brad, I simply am too tired tonight for us to be intimate. You promised to respect me in your wedding vows, so please respect my wishes. I will sleep with you tonight if you desire, but I do not wish to partake in any amorous activities”
“Our marriage vows, do not preach to me about them! Those promises you pledged in front of witnesses are still as binding today as they were when they were first spoken.”
“I know they are, but that doesn’t mean I’m required to sleep with you whenever you want to,” Orlando retorted.
“As my husband, you are required to give yourself to me. Do I need to remind you of the vows we spoke? Maybe you have forgotten them,” Brad snorted, a vague taunt detected in the tone.
“I haven’t forgotten anything, Brad, but doesn’t that also mean you respect me and love me? I haven’t seen either of those lately. Aren’t you required to do that as my husband?” Orlando asked, looking up at Brad defiantly.
Viggo noticed Orlando seemed to relax against Brad’s hold, giving up the fight. It was obvious they‘d had this arguement many times before and Orlando was tired of arguing about the same things.
“No, Brad, I do not sleep with you tonight, why can we not simply lay together without partaking in physical pleasure?”
“You are my husband – my property, I will do as I wish with you!” Brad snarled, his voice low.
Despite seeing the danger flicker in his husband’s eyes, Orlando pressed on, feeling for the first time in years, anger at Brad’s presumptions. “I am not one of your slaves you can simply order around and you want sleep with when you don’t want to find one of whores,” Orlando hissed.
“As my husband, you should obey me,” Brad growled.
“No, it doesn’t,” Orlando argued vehemently.
Viggo watched, horrified, as Brad hit Orlando, causing the younger man to stumble back slightly from the force of the hit. What worried Viggo the most was the fact that Orlando didn’t seem surprised by the abuse.
“It’s your duty as my husband. If you won’t please me, maybe I should find someone else for me to lay with, who won’t turn cold at the slightest hint of affection,” Brad threatened.
Orlando sighed softly, a sad look on his face, “I…I do not want you…warming anyone’s bed…I will do as you bid me.”
Orlando could not ignore or delude himself to Brad’s frequent infidelities when he refused to lay with Brad. It was not that he did not wish to please his husband, but he simply did not wish to partake in sexual activities every night and Brad did not seem to understand, or appreciate that. Tonight however was different. It seemed as if Brad was giving him a chance to stop a new affair before it started. It hurt him every time he learned of Brad sleeping with another person. With the threat, Orlando knew he had to agree to sleep with his husband. He was tired of feeling so upset after Brad slept with someone new.
He spoke so quietly Viggo could hardly hear him. Viggo saw Orlando finally looking up at Brad, a blank look on his face as he stared at his husband, who looked very pleased with himself.
“I knew you‘d get some sense into that pretty little head of yours,” Brad commented, wrapping his arms around Orlando‘s waist once more.
Brad grinned suddenly and pulled Orlando ever tighter against him, kissing him hard. Orlando seemed to melt against him, giving up any fight he had in his body, figuring the argument was over and just wanting everything to be over. He responded the kiss slowly, finally wrapping his arms around Brad’s neck to steady himself.
Brad’s hand lowered to the ties of Orlando’s robe, pulling on them and slipping his hand inside the robe, and opening the robe and slowly pulling it off barely revealing Orlando’s skin to Viggo, while reaching his other hand out and slamming the door closed, not once noticing Viggo hiding behind it.
Viggo stood completely still for a moment before he hurried away from the door, repulsed by what he had just seen. He couldn’t believe Brad would treat his own husband that way. He had had lovers who had refused to sleep with him, but he had never hit them or even threatened them for their affections.
He knew more than ever that Orlando needed a friend. He thought Orlando had it bad when he was abused, but to know it was Brad doing it, it was even worse.
His opinion of Orlando couldn’t have gotten any higher than at that moment. To see what the young prince had to go through and still be as strong as he was, he truly was an admirable person.
By that scene and by how Brad and Orlando acted, he was now certain it was Brad who had hurt Orlando. Orlando hadn’t seemed the least bit surprised when Brad hit him, something that deeply worried Viggo. Orlando clearly was used to the treatment he got from Brad. He couldn’t help wondering how long this treatment had gone on. Had Brad been abusive to his husband from their wedding night; the idea of Orlando endure such treatment year after year made him shudder. It was no wonder Orlando had been so disgusted with his own behavior. They were not the loving couple they portrayed for the public.
Viggo went into his room and even though he was tired, he didn’t think he would be able to sleep anytime soon. His mind was spinning with thoughts and of how worried he was about Orlando.
Now that he knew who Orlando’s abuser was, he wasn’t sure if he could help Orlando. Brad was the emperor of Boeotia and he would have a hard time confronting Brad, even if he did. It was not a simple task to walk up to Brad and tell him to stop abusing his husband, he might well deny such actions or have him escorted from Boeotia under armed guard. Furthermore, he had no proof Brad was actually responsible for the bruising and scars, and could not risk attempting to expose Brad as Orlando’s abuser until he had some solid evidence. Viggo wasn’t sure if he should chance risking Orlando’s trust to tell someone. He wanted desperately to tell someone who could help Orlando better than he could, but he had made a promise to Orlando and he planned to keep it.
He laid down on the large bed, bringing his arms behind his head as he staring at the ceiling, his eyes slowly closing, his thoughts not leaving him alone for even a second.
He should have known by what Colin had told him that something was wrong. Colin had obviously been hiding something from him and he should’ve been paying better attention and figured it out.
He couldn’t have disagreed with Brad’s belief more. He believed a marriage meant equal rights, both partners compromised to get what they wanted. He didn’t think it was a partner’s duty to please the other and sex certainly wasn’t a marital duty under any circumstances. It was nothing short of rape, forcing sex on your partner, in his opinion.
From what he had seen of the bruises, he wasn’t sure what had caused them. He hadn’t gotten a good look at them, but from what he did see. There had been several healed scars, which meant it had been going on for awhile, which made him sick to think about.
He couldn’t help but feel angry at the scene he had witnessed. He was beyond furious at Brad for hurting Orlando and his heart truly went out to Orlando. He often wondered how Orlando could submit to someone who abused him, but after seeing it had been Brad, he could understand. Strangely it seemed as if Orlando wasn’t afraid of his husband, but he didn’t blame Orlando for staying. It meant too much to their country that they stay together.
The scene he had witnessed in the spare bedroom kept replaying over and over again in his mind. He kept seeing Brad hit Orlando and the expressionless look on Orlando’s face. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, tried to think about anything else, but it didn’t working.
When he opened his eyes the next time, it was fully dark outside. He looked around, wondering when he had fallen asleep when he had been so certain he wouldn’t have been able to. He turned over in the bed to face the balcony, trying to get back to sleep, but this time, it didn’t seem possible.
He sighed and got out of the bed, preparing to change his clothes before he realized he hadn’t even changed for bed. Realizing that sleep simply was not going to come for a while, he sighed, pulling himself off the bed and attempted to brush the creases out of his clothes as he slipped on his sandals, determined to try to keep his mind occupied somehow.
He made his way out of his room and down to the first floor of the palace. The palace seemed deserted with everyone, including the servants, in bed asleep. He wanted to go to the garden, but he didn’t think it would be as beautiful in the darkness as it would during the day.
He went to the library instead, but as soon as he rounded the corner and stepped inside, he knew he had made the right decision.
He spotted Orlando sitting on the edge of the fountain, his face turned away from Viggo. He wasn’t too surprised he had missed the younger man when he first walked in, his mind had been elsewhere. He didn’t think he would see the prince in the library so late, long after everyone had gone to their rooms. He figured the younger man would still be in the master bedroom with Brad.
Orlando seemed to stay perfectly still, his face upturned to watch the moon. One of his hands was dipped into the fountain, swirling the water absentmindedly.
Viggo approached slowly, finding Orlando absolutely breathtaking in the dim moonlight. For one overwhelming moment, Viggo wished nothing more than to carry the prince back to his own bed with promises of untold pleasure in a bid to make him forget the earlier treatment he had inadvertently witnessed, but he restrained himself. A part of him warned Viggo that if he was to act on such rash impulses now, it would do more damage that even his crass and rather thoughtless attempts at seduction had.
When he was only within a few feet of Orlando, the young prince turned to face him and Viggo was shocked to see the tears on Orlando’s cheeks. It made Viggo wonder just how badly Brad had hurt Orlando for the young man to be this upset.
“Viggo?” Orlando asked softly, surprised. He didn’t think anyone would be out of their rooms so late. Even worse, he hated the fact that Viggo saw him while he was crying. No one had ever seemed to find him in this state, except Colin, but he had simply brought Orlando to the gardens and sat with him until he calmed down.
Viggo’s eyes slipped to Orlando’s neck, where he saw a faint bruise, probably still in the process of forming, which looked to have been in the shape of a fingertip, “Why do you do this to yourself, Orlando? Why do you put up with his abuse?”
Orlando’s eyes widened as he wiped at his roughly to get rid of the tears, still not willing to admit Viggo was right, while mentally berating himself for letting Viggo catch him so unguarded in his emotions. “How do you--”
“I know it’s Brad that has been doing this to you,” Viggo said, noticing Orlando didn’t bother to deny it, which he accepted with a grim expression, “Why do you go through this and then put up an act in public, surely you don’t think you should deserve such treatment?”
Orlando was shocked Viggo had managed to figure out who had been causing the bruises. His eyes widened slightly at Viggo’s all too true words. He couldn’t bring himself to deny something Viggo so obviously knew.
“Do you honestly think we would act like anything other than a loving couple in public? Life is not so simple for us, we’re supposed to be ruling this country, we set the county’s standards. If people cannot look to us for examples of behavior, at least in public, where are they supposed to look? The people wouldn’t want to know that we have more problems than they do. Royalty has privilege but that is not without duties and specific obligations. My duty is to my husband and I will not disgrace it. In many respects I am fortunate, no one can have every aspect of their life perfect,” Orlando said forlornly, looking away from Viggo.
Viggo shook his head, taking Orlando’s chin firmly in his hand and moving the younger man’s face so their eyes met, “Listen to me. This cannot be allowed to continue. He’s your husband and he should love you, not abuse you. I can never imagine being in his place. I don’t understand how someone could hurt you.”
Orlando searched Viggo’s face, looking for any signs of tricks, but he couldn’t see anything but sincerity there, “Viggo, I just…can’t explain anything right now. You cannot be a knight to me, protecting me from my husband. There is a lot about our marriage which you cannot understand. Promise me you will not bring this up again. Pretend this episode between us never happened, and I assure you, you will have my gratitude. ”
“I do not think it is possible to forget or ignore what I have seen…but I will not press you. If you cannot talk about your treatment at your…husband’s hands, I will have to respect that. You do not have to explain anything to me, I will not press you for details,” Viggo said softly, taking Orlando’s hand, stroking his thumb over the soft skin of the back of Orlando‘s skin. “Come on, I think you need to get some sleep.”
He knew he was taking a risk by taking the next action with Orlando, but he knew the younger man was exhausted. He needed to relax and not have to worry about Brad or anything else for just one night.
Orlando nodded and slid off the fountain seat, not even noticing when Viggo never let go of his hand as they made their way up the stairs, but he did notice when the older man turned to step Viggo’s room, taking Orlando with him.
“Wait, what are you doing?” Orlando asked, shocked, pulling his hand back from Viggo’s grasp. He couldn’t believe Viggo would deliberately bring him into Viggo’s room, just down the hall from Brad. His only thought was that Viggo would try to seduce him once more now that they were alone in Viggo’s room. He had actually been planning to head back to his own private room, having no intention of returning to Brad.
“You need to get some sleep and I don’t think either of us wants you to go back in that bedroom right now. I know you have a private bedroom, but I really don’t think you want to be alone right now. Am I right?” Viggo asked, looking intently at Orlando. He wasn’t surprised Orlando seemed nervous to be in his room. He knew Orlando was still hesitant to trust him, but he was going to prove himself.
Orlando nodded slowly, knowing Viggo was right and there was little point in denying such, at times, he longed for companionship more than what he had at present. He really didn’t want to be alone anymore. Even when he was with Brad, he still felt like he was alone. Emotionally, the two hadn’t been close for years, why had their marriage which had started off so promisingly had be reduced to this?
Orlando was more than surprised that Viggo seemed to know just what he needed. Of course, it seemed Viggo had been right about everything lately. Why did everything about Viggo have to be so confusing and contradictory. If he was going to be an uncouth seducer why could he not stay in that role. Why did he have to care?
“I don’t, but I don’t know if I can do this. I don‘t know if I can trust you,” he said reluctantly.
Viggo led Orlando to the bed, lightly pushing the younger man into a sitting position, “Orlando, I give you my solemn promise that I won’t try anything, you have my word as a prince and a gentleman. You need to get some rest and for once to not have to worry about something.”
Orlando hesitated, still wondering if he should bolt while he had the chance, but something held him back. He knew that he did trust Viggo, if even a little. Knowing that he could just give up his thoughts and worries for one night was just too tempting to turn down.
“All right, I’ll stay,” he finally said, smiling slightly at Viggo, “Thank you.”
He leaned back on the bed and moved over, looking at Viggo, expecting Viggo to join him on the bed, who shook his head, “Not yet, but I’ll go to sleep soon enough, now you must rest Orlando.”
Orlando kept silent, nodding. He knew he would be fine in Viggo’s room now; Viggo was being the perfect gentleman. He smiled slightly before closing his eyes. It was only a few moments before he was asleep under Viggo’s watchful eye, who was sitting on a chair across the room at the desk.
He would probably join Orlando later on, but he was too preoccupied with thoughts of what he had seen. Orlando had been so distraught about the encounter he had with Brad and Viggo knew the only way to calm him down was to get him to get sleep. He just hoped he could smooth things over in the morning.
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 palace was unusually quiet the next day while the usual daily meeting was in session. Sean, Karl, Brad, Angelina, Colin, and Marton had locked themselves into the conference room, leaving most of the servants to their daily chores of cleaning, cooking, and tending to the horses.
Viggo had managed to get himself out of the meeting once more, even though he did feel slightly guilty about it, but he couldn‘t make himself interested in the talks. Brad had tried to persuade him to stay, explaining how important the meeting was, the current meeting being about drawing up points to put on the treaty, but he refused, not to the surprise of his brothers. They never pushed him to stay, but they often mentioned how it would be useful if he stayed, which he never did.
Viggo never really got bored while the others were in the meetings. He usually found his own form of entertainment in the palace by spending most of his time in the garden. He’d never really been fond them and they didn’t have one in Dione, so when Colin had showed them the garden on the tour, he found himself intrigued.
The three brothers were still in Boeotia for two weeks so they were actually ahead schedule for the treaties. Brad wanted to finish them faster so it left the brothers with a few days to simply relax before returning to Dione.
Orlando was grateful for everyone’s involvement in other affairs because he finally got a quiet moment to himself in the library. No one usually bothered him anyway except for an occasional servant, but he hadn’t even seen anyone in awhile, which suited him just fine.
The servants loved when Brad was away or in meetings because they could talk to Orlando, who they found very intriguing. A few had tried to talk to him when Brad was nearby and Brad had yelled at them for not doing their job. Orlando, however, seemed to enjoy their company and didn’t mind talking to them while they did their jobs.
Orlando had no problem not being included in the meetings. He liked to leave the diplomatic matters to Brad, who seemed to enjoy dealing with royalty and their country’s issues. Brad often told him briefly about what was said, just enough details to not bore Orlando.
He was still very worried about Viggo. Ever since the other man had seen the bruises on his back, he was terrified Viggo would find out what really happened, or worse, who had caused them. Viggo had tried more than once to get information out of him, but Orlando kept quiet, refusing to answer any of Viggo’s questions.
He was already worried Viggo would try to seduce him again, but now that Viggo knew about the bruises, he was even more worried how Viggo would use that information against him. He wasn’t sure if Viggo would ever tell anyone or use it to blackmail him, and that scared him, not knowing what would happen. No one before Viggo had found out about the bruises and he mentally berated himself for being so careless and letting someone see. He’d never had to worry about it before; his robes and other clothing covered his back and never gave anyone the chance to possibly see the bruises.
The previous night had proved to be a turning point for Orlando’s opinion of Viggo. He wasn’t sure what he had expected of Viggo, but it certainly wasn’t that the man wanted to be friends. He figured Viggo was very straight forward in Orlando’s bedroom, trying to seduce him, but now Orlando was more than confused than ever. Viggo had tried to seduce him and then suddenly wanted to be friends? Something wasn’t right for Orlando; he didn’t think it was a trick, but he couldn’t help but be reluctant to trust Viggo, which he so badly wanted to do.
He hadn’t seen much of the other two brothers around the palace. Sean was almost always in meetings with Brad. Karl was also in a lot of meetings, but he sat out on a few, desperate to relax for awhile. One of those such times Orlando had encountered him in the library, where they had talked for a long time. Karl told Orlando about Dione and his newly-found romance with Jake and Orlando told Karl about Palthia, which Karl found very interesting since he had never been there.
Orlando really didn’t think Karl was anything like his brothers. He almost seemed to be a mixture of Sean and Viggo. He had Sean’s diplomatic skills and interest in his country, but he also had a fun side that Orlando was sure had to have come from Viggo. He genuinely liked Karl and liked that unlike most of the other men he met, Karl hadn’t tried to seduce him. In fact, Karl seemed to have no interest in him, something which Orlando felt wonderfully liberating.
He pushed his thoughts aside, trying to concentrate on the book he held in his hands, although it was proving very difficult. His mind seemed to be swirling with various thoughts that he couldn’t get rid of.
He finally gave up and set the book on the table in front of him before he left the library, heading through the back of the palace to the gardens. He had just stepped out of the palace when he felt something soft rub against his leg. He looked down and smiled as he saw Angelina’s beloved black cat looking up at him from partially under his robes.
“Sahra, you’d better not let Colin catch you nearby. He’ll kill you,” Orlando murmured softly, leaning down to pick the cat up into his arms. He knew Colin hated the cat for constantly being underfoot. Unfortunately, the cat seemed to like to follow Colin, which further irritated him.
The cat sat happily in Orlando’s arms as he made his way to the garden, leaning it’s small head on Orlando’s chest.
Orlando grinned down at the cat, gently stroking it’s fur as he shifted and changing his hold so he wouldn’t drop the feline, gaining a deep purr from the creature.
“It’s a wonder why Colin and Brad don’t love you,” Orlando said, his voice sounding sad.
“Maybe they’re just too quick to judge.”
Orlando looked up, spotting Viggo standing under a large tree only a few feet, surprised to see him. He didn’t know how he had missed the older man when he first entered the garden, but his attention had been on the cat in his arms. He knew Viggo rarely attended any of the meetings, but it was more likely for Viggo to be in his room than out in the gardens. At least, whenever he had been in the gardens, Viggo wasn’t.
Orlando looked Viggo over and noticed how relaxed he looked as he leaned against the tree. For the first time he noticed the lustful look in Viggo’s gaze was gone. He wasn’t sure when that had happened, but he was sure something had changed after the previous night. There was now a mutual respect between them somehow. In fact, Viggo looked happy to see Orlando.
“No, it’s because Brad and Colin think she’s annoying. She never leaves them for a moment and it‘s rare to not see them yelling at her to get out of the room. They hate the fact that Angelina will never let her go,” Orlando retorted without missing a beat, raising an eyebrow in a challenging look.
Viggo grinned, stepping away from the tree and closer to Orlando, “The cat is harmless.”
He reached a hand out and stroked the cat’s head, who purred softly and seemed to be enjoying the attention. He purposely let his fingers lightly touch Orlando’s arm, wanting to see a reaction, wanting to see that Orlando was finally opening up to him, but Orlando didn’t react to the small touch. It slightly worried him how Orlando didn’t seem glad or even mad that Viggo had touched him. It made him think Orlando was just too used to being touched.
“Try telling that to Brad and Colin,” Orlando said, stepping away and lowering the cat to the ground. The feline looked around at its new surroundings, but didn’t move far from Orlando’s side.
“I thought I’d find you out here or you would end up out here soon enough,” Viggo said, smiling slightly. He knew if he waited long enough in the garden Orlando would eventually make an appearance. He felt instantly happy whenever he was around Orlando.
“And I thought I would be alone out here,” Orlando replied, sitting on the bench nearby, “I never thought you would be out here. I never took you as one for gardens…or even quiet places for that matter. Don‘t take this the wrong way, but I don‘t really see you as a quiet person.”
Viggo shook his head, amused, before he claimed a seat beside Orlando, still making sure to keep his distance from the prince, although he didn’t think Orlando noticed, “I think everyone needs time to just have a quiet moment, especially people like us who are constantly surrounded by people, especially servants. It gets tiresome after a while.”
Orlando nodded in agreement, looking over at Viggo, his lower lip caught between his teeth, “Viggo, I need to ask you something. Forgive me if I’ve asked you this before, but I think I just need to understand. Why do you care about this, about…me?”
He had been hurt too many times in the past by too many people and now suddenly having Viggo care for him was something new. The courtiers usually treated him with the respect he deserved and the servants loved him, but it wasn’t the same as it was with his own family.
Brad’s family, Colin and Angelina, were wonderful and treated him like family. Colin was Orlando’s best friend in Boeotia and Angelina treated him like the little brother she never had. Marton, on the other hand, often treated Orlando very coldly and paid very little attention to him. When Marton did seem interested in Orlando, it was all purely lust, which disgusted Orlando.
Viggo sighed softly, a slightly sad expression on his face, “Because I think you need a friend, Orlando, especially after what I saw at the bathhouse.”
Orlando frowned, closing his eyes briefly, exasperated Viggo was still trying to get information out of him and angry that Viggo wouldn‘t give up, “I’ve told you before, and I’m not going to tell you anything about it. It’s none of your business and you never should have found out anyway.”
“But I did and now that I know, I want to try to help you, but I can’t help you until you tell me who did this,” Viggo said, exasperated.
Orlando turned away from Viggo, trying to control his anger once more. He knew Viggo was just trying to help, but his insistence was proving to be quite annoying. Of course, Orlando was sure Viggo was persistent in everything he did.
“Yesterday, I liked the fact that you said you would rather be my friend than try to seduce me again. I think I respected you more for that, but that also means you have to respect my wishes, which is to not talk about those bruises, or anything else regarding my life here,” Orlando said pointedly, gazing intently at Viggo.
Viggo groaned internally, knowing Orlando would probably be just as stubborn as before, but he had to try to get the information out of Orlando. He would never resort to anything but simply asking or persuading Orlando to give more information, but he was getting desperate. Viggo’s curiosity and worry were overwhelming and he needed to know who was hurting Orlando. He wasn’t even sure how long it had been going on, but he was certain it was going to go too far one day unless it was put to a stop.
He had already planned to further question Angelina and Colin for more information, but from what they had already told him, he knew he wasn’t going to get anything out of them. He wouldn’t dare tell Sean or Karl what he had seen, even though his brothers had already commented on Brad and Orlando’s marriage. They had told Viggo that for seeming like a perfect couple and being so much in love, Brad hardly mentioned Orlando and when his name was brought up in the meetings, he quickly changed the subject.
“I don’t think you realize how important this is. What if this…person decides to go too far and doesn’t simply just give you bruises the next time?” Viggo asked challengingly.
He had hardly ever seen any interaction between Orlando and Marton and Marton seemed to be ignoring everything except for the meetings. Viggo didn’t think it was Marton abusing Orlando, but his suspicions had been raising for Brad since his brothers had filled him in on the meetings.
Orlando’s face went blank and Viggo was sure it was his way of hiding his feelings.
“That is none of your concern,” Orlando snapped, pausing to regain his composure. “I don’t want to talk about this, Viggo, please. If you really want to be my friend, you’ll drop the subject and think on it no more.”
Viggo sighed as he watched Orlando all but stalk out of the garden, the cat held tight in his arms. He knew his presence was a source of discomfort to Orlando, but he had apologized for his actions and couldn’t imagine what else he could do to right things between them. Something about the prince-consort made Orlando so different to all the other beauties he had seen, and yet he couldn’t put his finger on it.
He had had plenty of lovers in the past and some he cared for deeply, but now, it seemed none of them compared to Orlando. Orlando had a compassion and intelligence that overshadowed anyone Viggo had ever been with. The young prince was a challenge and unpredictable and Viggo loved that. He loved knowing he couldn’t depend Orlando to respond in a certain way because the younger man would likely end up surprising him.
Unlike any other of his conquests, Orlando couldn’t simply be won over through seduction. The younger man had seen too many men trying to seduce him and had seen right through Viggo’s plan’s, much to Viggo’s dismay. Especially after seeing the bruises on Orlando’s back, Viggo never once thought of seducing Orlando again. The young prince deserved more than having to worry about someone seducing and he needed a friend more than ever, something which Viggo was more than willing to be. If he could help Orlando in any way and stop the abuse, he would happily do it.
He had been completely lost of who was abusing Orlando. His first instinct told him it was Marton, but as he spent more time in Boeotia, he really didn’t think Marton was the cause. The man was instantly dislikable. He was coldly distant to Orlando, but there was really no motive behind it, besides which, Marton had too much to loose by hurting the Consort of Boeotia, as arrogant as Marton appeared, he didn't believe the man was foolish, and for him to harm Orlando so close to Brad's eyes, would simply be unbelievable. He couldn’t find a reason why Marton would hurt Orlando. Honestly, he couldn’t believe why anyone would hurt Orlando.
The other person that crossed his mind for hurting Orlando was his husband. Thinking back on the information Angelina and Colin had given him, the details and Brad and Orlando’s marriage didn’t add up.
Orlando had been married at fifteen and married within three weeks of meeting Brad. Viggo had been more than surprised when he learned that fact. He couldn’t believe it had been love at first sight, as Brad had put it.
It all seemed very unlikely, especially given Eric’s protective streak around Orlando. Viggo knew of it well, especially when he had tried to seduce Liv and Diane, and he knew it was even stronger with Orlando. He couldn’t imagine Eric letting Brad marry his younger brother so easily, and in three weeks no less.
Something was definitely wrong and Viggo wouldn’t be satisfied until he was able to find out what was happening. He decided to start looking immediately and left the garden, heading to the private study that Colin had pointed out during their tour. He knew he was sure to get some answers there.
~~~***~~~
Later that night, well after dinner had ended, Viggo finally decided to head up to his room for some well-needed sleep. He had spent much of the time after dinner talking to Colin, trying to get more details out of Colin about who was hurting Orlando, but Colin had refused to give any information. He had claimed to not know what Viggo was talking about, but Viggo knew he had to be lying, or at least omitting the truth. Colin’s natural openness did not make it easy for him to lie without someone picking up on it.
Viggo cornered Colin outside of the dining hall as they exited the dinner, eager to start his investigation.
“Colin, could I speak with you for a moment?” he asked, watching as Colin turned to face him.
Colin nodded, smiling slightly, “Of course. Is something wrong?”
Viggo shook his head, looking thoughtful, “No, nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to ask you something. I know you said you weren’t present for Brad and Orlando’s wedding, but I was just curious if you knew why it was an arranged marriage.”
Colin nodded, tilting his head slightly, “Well, I suppose it was considered an arranged marriage because Brad asked Orlando’s father for permission to marry Orlando. His father agreed and they were married.”
“So Orlando had no say in it?” Viggo asked.
“I’m not sure. I would suppose Orlando was consulted by his father, but I don’t know for sure,” Colin answered, looking confused. He was becoming curious why Viggo suddenly wanted information about Orlando and Brad.
“They just seem so…perfect. Haven’t they ever had problems?” Viggo asked, trying to fish for more details without being obvious.
“Of course they have, no couple no matter how loving are without their disputes, but they make up and get on with their lives. They’ve only had one major fight that I can think of. It was after Orlando lost the baby. He had finally recovered and I had just walked into the dining hall when Brad was yelling at Orlando, which I found a little off since he was so worried about Orlando during the whole ordeal,” Colin said distractedly, noticing Brad disappear down the hallway with Orlando.
Viggo looked at him strangely for a moment and looked over his shoulder and spotted the couple ascend the staircase before he turned back to Colin, “How did Orlando lose the baby?”
Colin paused for a moment, a slightly worried look on his face for a brief second before it disappeared, but didn’t go unnoticed by Viggo, “It was a riding accident. Brad had told him in the later stages of his pregnancy, he couldn’t teach in town unless Angelina, Marton, or I were present with him and that he couldn’t ride his horse. He became so protective of Orlando, that at times Orlando felt it stifling and got very annoyed with him, they used to argue about that in the last month of his pregnancy. Everyone was gone that week on a diplomatic visit, Brad hadn’t wanted to leave, but Orlando insisted and Brad only agreed after leaving Marton to look after him. We returned and Marton told us how Orlando had been frequently riding while Brad was away and then something happened and he fell off his horse. The baby was stillborn.”
Viggo felt his thoughts stop at that explanation. The excuse of falling off a horse had been overused when it came to Orlando getting hurt. The young prince had first used the same excuse to explain the bruises on his back and now Colin used it to explain the loss of Orlando’s baby. Orlando was a very accomplished rider and even heavily pregnant, it was still highly unlikely Orlando would fall off a horse. The explanation Colin had given him was already sending up warning flags.
“I guess a love like theirs in hard to find,” Viggo commented casually, glancing at Colin for a reaction.
A reaction he sure did get. Colin looked up suddenly, a puzzled look on his face as if what Viggo had said was completely foreign. Viggo was getting more information out of Colin than he thought it was.
“Yes, their love is very unique and definitely not one easily found. It’s very different from anything I’ve ever seen,” Colin replied, carefully choosing his words, not looking at Viggo.
Viggo raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean by that?”
Colin shook his head, a distracted appearance on his face, “Oh, nothing. If that’s all you needed to know then I’ll be heading out to the stable. Goodnight, Viggo.”
After deciding he would get no other information out of Colin and watching the man make a quick exit, he finally gave up and headed to his room. He was just about to step inside when a noise caught his attention. It came from the direction of Orlando and Br ad’s master bedroom. Curiosity got the best of him and he stepped closer, seeing the door was partially open, leaving only an inch or two to see inside.
Viggo moved to the door, ready to bolt if anyone should exit the room. He moved to the side and peered through the door, seeing Orlando and Brad facing each other in the center of the room.
Orlando was still wearing the same red silk robes he had worn at dinner, but Brad was only wearing a pair of lose pants, leaving his chest bare. They stood quite close together, Brad having a light hold around Orlando’s waist, but the younger man seemed to be standing quite still and rigid. Orlando looked very tired while Brad was smiling, almost tenderly at his husband. To Viggo, he thought Brad might have been comforting Orlando, who seemed somewhat distraught.
He watched carefully, trying to listen as Orlando said something quietly to Brad, something Viggo couldn’t hear.
“I’ve missed you this past week. With all the negotiations we barely have any time for each other, it seems,” Brad said softly, kissing the side of Orlando’s neck, nipping gently with his teeth.
“Brad,” Orlando gasped, resting his hands on Brad’s upper arms. He closed his eyes and shifted, but to Viggo, it looked as if he was trying to move away from Brad.
“You are so beautiful. It was so hard to not cancel those meetings just to be with you,” Brad said quietly, laying a tender kiss on Orlando’s lips.
Brad raised a hand, brushing the back of his fingers over Orlando‘s cheek before Orlando shook his head, looking up at Brad desperately, “I’m too tired tonight.”
Brad grabbed Orlando’s upper arm roughly and Viggo saw Orlando wince slightly from the pain,
“Be careful, Orlando, you have forgotten your place here. You have few duties that I ask of you, one of which is to obey and please me and yet you refuse this simple task. I do not think myself to be an ogre in the bedchamber or an inconsiderate lover, so why do you deny me?” the tone was one of almost wounded bewilderment.
Orlando felt his chest hitch, suddenly feeling guilty for denying his husband, but as a new wave of exhaustion rode over him, he tried to stand firm. “It is not you I am denying Brad, I simply am too tired tonight for us to be intimate. You promised to respect me in your wedding vows, so please respect my wishes. I will sleep with you tonight if you desire, but I do not wish to partake in any amorous activities”
“Our marriage vows, do not preach to me about them! Those promises you pledged in front of witnesses are still as binding today as they were when they were first spoken.”
“I know they are, but that doesn’t mean I’m required to sleep with you whenever you want to,” Orlando retorted.
“As my husband, you are required to give yourself to me. Do I need to remind you of the vows we spoke? Maybe you have forgotten them,” Brad snorted, a vague taunt detected in the tone.
“I haven’t forgotten anything, Brad, but doesn’t that also mean you respect me and love me? I haven’t seen either of those lately. Aren’t you required to do that as my husband?” Orlando asked, looking up at Brad defiantly.
Viggo noticed Orlando seemed to relax against Brad’s hold, giving up the fight. It was obvious they‘d had this arguement many times before and Orlando was tired of arguing about the same things.
“No, Brad, I do not sleep with you tonight, why can we not simply lay together without partaking in physical pleasure?”
“You are my husband – my property, I will do as I wish with you!” Brad snarled, his voice low.
Despite seeing the danger flicker in his husband’s eyes, Orlando pressed on, feeling for the first time in years, anger at Brad’s presumptions. “I am not one of your slaves you can simply order around and you want sleep with when you don’t want to find one of whores,” Orlando hissed.
“As my husband, you should obey me,” Brad growled.
“No, it doesn’t,” Orlando argued vehemently.
Viggo watched, horrified, as Brad hit Orlando, causing the younger man to stumble back slightly from the force of the hit. What worried Viggo the most was the fact that Orlando didn’t seem surprised by the abuse.
“It’s your duty as my husband. If you won’t please me, maybe I should find someone else for me to lay with, who won’t turn cold at the slightest hint of affection,” Brad threatened.
Orlando sighed softly, a sad look on his face, “I…I do not want you…warming anyone’s bed…I will do as you bid me.”
Orlando could not ignore or delude himself to Brad’s frequent infidelities when he refused to lay with Brad. It was not that he did not wish to please his husband, but he simply did not wish to partake in sexual activities every night and Brad did not seem to understand, or appreciate that. Tonight however was different. It seemed as if Brad was giving him a chance to stop a new affair before it started. It hurt him every time he learned of Brad sleeping with another person. With the threat, Orlando knew he had to agree to sleep with his husband. He was tired of feeling so upset after Brad slept with someone new.
He spoke so quietly Viggo could hardly hear him. Viggo saw Orlando finally looking up at Brad, a blank look on his face as he stared at his husband, who looked very pleased with himself.
“I knew you‘d get some sense into that pretty little head of yours,” Brad commented, wrapping his arms around Orlando‘s waist once more.
Brad grinned suddenly and pulled Orlando ever tighter against him, kissing him hard. Orlando seemed to melt against him, giving up any fight he had in his body, figuring the argument was over and just wanting everything to be over. He responded the kiss slowly, finally wrapping his arms around Brad’s neck to steady himself.
Brad’s hand lowered to the ties of Orlando’s robe, pulling on them and slipping his hand inside the robe, and opening the robe and slowly pulling it off barely revealing Orlando’s skin to Viggo, while reaching his other hand out and slamming the door closed, not once noticing Viggo hiding behind it.
Viggo stood completely still for a moment before he hurried away from the door, repulsed by what he had just seen. He couldn’t believe Brad would treat his own husband that way. He had had lovers who had refused to sleep with him, but he had never hit them or even threatened them for their affections.
He knew more than ever that Orlando needed a friend. He thought Orlando had it bad when he was abused, but to know it was Brad doing it, it was even worse.
His opinion of Orlando couldn’t have gotten any higher than at that moment. To see what the young prince had to go through and still be as strong as he was, he truly was an admirable person.
By that scene and by how Brad and Orlando acted, he was now certain it was Brad who had hurt Orlando. Orlando hadn’t seemed the least bit surprised when Brad hit him, something that deeply worried Viggo. Orlando clearly was used to the treatment he got from Brad. He couldn’t help wondering how long this treatment had gone on. Had Brad been abusive to his husband from their wedding night; the idea of Orlando endure such treatment year after year made him shudder. It was no wonder Orlando had been so disgusted with his own behavior. They were not the loving couple they portrayed for the public.
Viggo went into his room and even though he was tired, he didn’t think he would be able to sleep anytime soon. His mind was spinning with thoughts and of how worried he was about Orlando.
Now that he knew who Orlando’s abuser was, he wasn’t sure if he could help Orlando. Brad was the emperor of Boeotia and he would have a hard time confronting Brad, even if he did. It was not a simple task to walk up to Brad and tell him to stop abusing his husband, he might well deny such actions or have him escorted from Boeotia under armed guard. Furthermore, he had no proof Brad was actually responsible for the bruising and scars, and could not risk attempting to expose Brad as Orlando’s abuser until he had some solid evidence. Viggo wasn’t sure if he should chance risking Orlando’s trust to tell someone. He wanted desperately to tell someone who could help Orlando better than he could, but he had made a promise to Orlando and he planned to keep it.
He laid down on the large bed, bringing his arms behind his head as he staring at the ceiling, his eyes slowly closing, his thoughts not leaving him alone for even a second.
He should have known by what Colin had told him that something was wrong. Colin had obviously been hiding something from him and he should’ve been paying better attention and figured it out.
He couldn’t have disagreed with Brad’s belief more. He believed a marriage meant equal rights, both partners compromised to get what they wanted. He didn’t think it was a partner’s duty to please the other and sex certainly wasn’t a marital duty under any circumstances. It was nothing short of rape, forcing sex on your partner, in his opinion.
From what he had seen of the bruises, he wasn’t sure what had caused them. He hadn’t gotten a good look at them, but from what he did see. There had been several healed scars, which meant it had been going on for awhile, which made him sick to think about.
He couldn’t help but feel angry at the scene he had witnessed. He was beyond furious at Brad for hurting Orlando and his heart truly went out to Orlando. He often wondered how Orlando could submit to someone who abused him, but after seeing it had been Brad, he could understand. Strangely it seemed as if Orlando wasn’t afraid of his husband, but he didn’t blame Orlando for staying. It meant too much to their country that they stay together.
The scene he had witnessed in the spare bedroom kept replaying over and over again in his mind. He kept seeing Brad hit Orlando and the expressionless look on Orlando’s face. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, tried to think about anything else, but it didn’t working.
When he opened his eyes the next time, it was fully dark outside. He looked around, wondering when he had fallen asleep when he had been so certain he wouldn’t have been able to. He turned over in the bed to face the balcony, trying to get back to sleep, but this time, it didn’t seem possible.
He sighed and got out of the bed, preparing to change his clothes before he realized he hadn’t even changed for bed. Realizing that sleep simply was not going to come for a while, he sighed, pulling himself off the bed and attempted to brush the creases out of his clothes as he slipped on his sandals, determined to try to keep his mind occupied somehow.
He made his way out of his room and down to the first floor of the palace. The palace seemed deserted with everyone, including the servants, in bed asleep. He wanted to go to the garden, but he didn’t think it would be as beautiful in the darkness as it would during the day.
He went to the library instead, but as soon as he rounded the corner and stepped inside, he knew he had made the right decision.
He spotted Orlando sitting on the edge of the fountain, his face turned away from Viggo. He wasn’t too surprised he had missed the younger man when he first walked in, his mind had been elsewhere. He didn’t think he would see the prince in the library so late, long after everyone had gone to their rooms. He figured the younger man would still be in the master bedroom with Brad.
Orlando seemed to stay perfectly still, his face upturned to watch the moon. One of his hands was dipped into the fountain, swirling the water absentmindedly.
Viggo approached slowly, finding Orlando absolutely breathtaking in the dim moonlight. For one overwhelming moment, Viggo wished nothing more than to carry the prince back to his own bed with promises of untold pleasure in a bid to make him forget the earlier treatment he had inadvertently witnessed, but he restrained himself. A part of him warned Viggo that if he was to act on such rash impulses now, it would do more damage that even his crass and rather thoughtless attempts at seduction had.
When he was only within a few feet of Orlando, the young prince turned to face him and Viggo was shocked to see the tears on Orlando’s cheeks. It made Viggo wonder just how badly Brad had hurt Orlando for the young man to be this upset.
“Viggo?” Orlando asked softly, surprised. He didn’t think anyone would be out of their rooms so late. Even worse, he hated the fact that Viggo saw him while he was crying. No one had ever seemed to find him in this state, except Colin, but he had simply brought Orlando to the gardens and sat with him until he calmed down.
Viggo’s eyes slipped to Orlando’s neck, where he saw a faint bruise, probably still in the process of forming, which looked to have been in the shape of a fingertip, “Why do you do this to yourself, Orlando? Why do you put up with his abuse?”
Orlando’s eyes widened as he wiped at his roughly to get rid of the tears, still not willing to admit Viggo was right, while mentally berating himself for letting Viggo catch him so unguarded in his emotions. “How do you--”
“I know it’s Brad that has been doing this to you,” Viggo said, noticing Orlando didn’t bother to deny it, which he accepted with a grim expression, “Why do you go through this and then put up an act in public, surely you don’t think you should deserve such treatment?”
Orlando was shocked Viggo had managed to figure out who had been causing the bruises. His eyes widened slightly at Viggo’s all too true words. He couldn’t bring himself to deny something Viggo so obviously knew.
“Do you honestly think we would act like anything other than a loving couple in public? Life is not so simple for us, we’re supposed to be ruling this country, we set the county’s standards. If people cannot look to us for examples of behavior, at least in public, where are they supposed to look? The people wouldn’t want to know that we have more problems than they do. Royalty has privilege but that is not without duties and specific obligations. My duty is to my husband and I will not disgrace it. In many respects I am fortunate, no one can have every aspect of their life perfect,” Orlando said forlornly, looking away from Viggo.
Viggo shook his head, taking Orlando’s chin firmly in his hand and moving the younger man’s face so their eyes met, “Listen to me. This cannot be allowed to continue. He’s your husband and he should love you, not abuse you. I can never imagine being in his place. I don’t understand how someone could hurt you.”
Orlando searched Viggo’s face, looking for any signs of tricks, but he couldn’t see anything but sincerity there, “Viggo, I just…can’t explain anything right now. You cannot be a knight to me, protecting me from my husband. There is a lot about our marriage which you cannot understand. Promise me you will not bring this up again. Pretend this episode between us never happened, and I assure you, you will have my gratitude. ”
“I do not think it is possible to forget or ignore what I have seen…but I will not press you. If you cannot talk about your treatment at your…husband’s hands, I will have to respect that. You do not have to explain anything to me, I will not press you for details,” Viggo said softly, taking Orlando’s hand, stroking his thumb over the soft skin of the back of Orlando‘s skin. “Come on, I think you need to get some sleep.”
He knew he was taking a risk by taking the next action with Orlando, but he knew the younger man was exhausted. He needed to relax and not have to worry about Brad or anything else for just one night.
Orlando nodded and slid off the fountain seat, not even noticing when Viggo never let go of his hand as they made their way up the stairs, but he did notice when the older man turned to step Viggo’s room, taking Orlando with him.
“Wait, what are you doing?” Orlando asked, shocked, pulling his hand back from Viggo’s grasp. He couldn’t believe Viggo would deliberately bring him into Viggo’s room, just down the hall from Brad. His only thought was that Viggo would try to seduce him once more now that they were alone in Viggo’s room. He had actually been planning to head back to his own private room, having no intention of returning to Brad.
“You need to get some sleep and I don’t think either of us wants you to go back in that bedroom right now. I know you have a private bedroom, but I really don’t think you want to be alone right now. Am I right?” Viggo asked, looking intently at Orlando. He wasn’t surprised Orlando seemed nervous to be in his room. He knew Orlando was still hesitant to trust him, but he was going to prove himself.
Orlando nodded slowly, knowing Viggo was right and there was little point in denying such, at times, he longed for companionship more than what he had at present. He really didn’t want to be alone anymore. Even when he was with Brad, he still felt like he was alone. Emotionally, the two hadn’t been close for years, why had their marriage which had started off so promisingly had be reduced to this?
Orlando was more than surprised that Viggo seemed to know just what he needed. Of course, it seemed Viggo had been right about everything lately. Why did everything about Viggo have to be so confusing and contradictory. If he was going to be an uncouth seducer why could he not stay in that role. Why did he have to care?
“I don’t, but I don’t know if I can do this. I don‘t know if I can trust you,” he said reluctantly.
Viggo led Orlando to the bed, lightly pushing the younger man into a sitting position, “Orlando, I give you my solemn promise that I won’t try anything, you have my word as a prince and a gentleman. You need to get some rest and for once to not have to worry about something.”
Orlando hesitated, still wondering if he should bolt while he had the chance, but something held him back. He knew that he did trust Viggo, if even a little. Knowing that he could just give up his thoughts and worries for one night was just too tempting to turn down.
“All right, I’ll stay,” he finally said, smiling slightly at Viggo, “Thank you.”
He leaned back on the bed and moved over, looking at Viggo, expecting Viggo to join him on the bed, who shook his head, “Not yet, but I’ll go to sleep soon enough, now you must rest Orlando.”
Orlando kept silent, nodding. He knew he would be fine in Viggo’s room now; Viggo was being the perfect gentleman. He smiled slightly before closing his eyes. It was only a few moments before he was asleep under Viggo’s watchful eye, who was sitting on a chair across the room at the desk.
He would probably join Orlando later on, but he was too preoccupied with thoughts of what he had seen. Orlando had been so distraught about the encounter he had with Brad and Viggo knew the only way to calm him down was to get him to get sleep. He just hoped he could smooth things over in the morning.
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Date: 2006-07-04 09:52 pm (UTC)no subject
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