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My Princess.. Er.. Prince. (WishXDon't)

His words only seemed to upset Josselyn more and her tears only thickened, hands gripping all the tighter onto Ewan's shirt. After a few moment's Ewan gently pulled her away from himself, sighing softly as he looked her face over. "Pull yourself together." reaching up he used his thumb to wipe her tears away before he turned and started walking away only for Josselyn to grab his arm and stop him. Ewan sighed softly, hand on the door as he looked back at her. Though his eyes went wide a second later as lips pressed roughly against his own and for a moment he didn't know what to do. The very fact that she was doing such a thing was aggravating and for a good few seconds he didn't stop her. Not until his mind pulled back from the gutter and he pushed her away. "Josselyn!" He growled her name, eyes narrowed at her as he gritted his teeth. "I've changed my mind. You are leaving right now." Reaching out he grabbed her arm, yanking open the balcony door and stepping inside with her in tow. As he moved through the crowd it was becoming more and more obvious that all attention was on them and he slowed. Whispers were going around them, looking at him as if he had done something wrong, pointing at them and the like. Slowly his eyes moved around and towards his mother and those disapproving eyes made a cold shiver run down his spine. Obviously it had been seen and by the look on Josselyn's face that was what she had been hoping for.

Quickly Ewan released Josselyn's hand, gritting his teeth slightly as he glared at the woman. She was leaving, now. Whether she liked it or not. Pulling in a breath before he grabbed her hand once again and continued to walk away. He didn't even look at Riley, not even a glance in his direction as he pulled Josselyn out of the throne room. Silence followed them out, no one speaking up until the door closed behind the two. The moment those doors closed the room exploded in conversation again, every one now talking about this new change. the queen however looked furious, her eyes staying pinned on the door. She had seen the whole thing, had seen the kiss between them. Yes, she had introduced Josselyn to her son but it had been nothing more than a way for her to keep Ewan from being bored. She needed him on track to do his duties but this. THIS! This was madness. After a few moments she slowly turned to Riley, pulling in a breath to steady herself before she confronted Riley. "Thank you for your kind words, Riley. But if you can not keep a man by your side i do not see any reason for you to be admiring the beauty of our castle. Now then, seeing as it's your kingdom that has come begging to me to end this war i suggest you do your job to your country and make my son's cock out of that maids vagina and back in your own."
 
Reese turned to watch the scene as soon as the balcony doors opened and just as everyone else in the room did, stared as they walked out of the room. He noticed how Ewan had been almost dragging her from the room and instantly recognized the same anger on his face from only hours before. Although he didn't see the kiss, he could feel his mother-in-law's cold stare coming from the general area behind him and even he got shivers from just being in the area of the look. Luckily for him, he slowed down around in the eyes of the public, but nothing could break Reese's watchful eye on the man. As soon as the doors closed, his shoulders tensed, dreading returning to the room with his new husband, with even more reason as soon as the room exploded again. But it wasn't until the queen's stare froze over that he turned to cautiously look at the woman across the table from him. She had already risen to her feet and looked like she was ready to kill the next person to cross her. Reese's eyes fell to the table, then the king before returning to his 'monster'-in-law once again.

When she turned to him, his body tensed even more, eyes widening in the begging stages of panic, despite how much he tried to control his reaction in front of her. As it turns out, he crossed her, but clearly not enough to be killed on the spot. Either way, he gave her a smile, along with a small step backwards, following her advice. "I'll get right on that," he told her without putting a thought into his words and started towards the door a second later. With a few short nudges through the crowd, Reese made it to the door and left the room, pulling it shut again before his eyes scanned the hallway outside for Ewan. Half of him was hoping that Josselyn was still around so he could rub it in her face what the queen wanted, but at the same time, he wasn't ready to get into a fight with a vicious woman. Although Riley was really a man, he had picked up several typical woman-like attributes, giving him the ability to be just as catty and cruel as any true woman could be in the right situation.
 
Josselyn wasn't having the dragging the moment they were slightly alone, yanking herself away from Ewan right in the middle of the hallway. "How! How can you do this!" Ewan sighed as he turned around to look at her once again, hands clenching at his side to keep himself from hitting her right then and there. "I have no choice and you know this." He snapped the words at her, taking a step towards her though that only made her step back away from him. "Now you have to leave." His eyes darted up as the doors not to far behind them opened and Riley made his way out of them, watching silently as they closed and Riley turned around. Ewan frowned darkly, gritting his teeth once again as he looked to Josselyn. The woman seemed less upset and more pissed off now that Riley was making her own appearance. He could only guess that it was probably his mother's doing that he was even out here looking for him. Growling slightly Ewan stepped past Josselyn, ignoring the shock on her face as he headed over to Riley. "Head to the room, i will deal with this."

"No she will not!" Josselyn pratically screamed the words, rushing over to grab Riley's arm and yank Reese to her side. "She's a part of this too! She doesn't want to be attached to you!" She gave Riley a shake, as if the woman she was holding was just a doll or a rag. "Look at her! How could you even want her! She's skinny! She doesn't even have any breasts!" She reached for Riley's breast's but just before she could grab them Ewan reached out and slapped her hand away, using his free hand a second later to pull Riley back to his side. "She is mine Josselyn. Not you! Whether she has breasts or not is none of your concern. " He snapped the words, quickly moving around josselyn to try and pull Riley down the hall and towards their room where they could hopefully get some peace from his ex lover. "Please! just listen to me! She probably has a lover of her own that she'd rather be with than yo-" A hard back hand had Josselyn almost stumbling back, Ewan's blue eyes cold as they glared at the blond woman. "I don't care. The only person allowed to bed her is me. And that is final. No more discussion about this. I want you out before the sun sets or i will have you thrown out. Do you understand!" It wasn't a question and Ewan didn't say it as one, leaving Josselyn crouched on the floor as he continued to drag Riley down the hall. They were half way to the room before Ewan released his arm, his blue eyes looking at the place his hand had been. It looked like it might bruise. Pulling in a breath he gently rubbed at the mark, regret in his eyes. "Sorry, That woman is hard headed."
 
Riley made a small gesture inside as Ewan looked crossly at him with a defeated look on his face, hoping the man would believe it when he told him his mother demanded it when it came up later. Either way, he gave him a nod and started towards the stairs, only to be stopped dead in his tracks. This woman was beginning to shriek like a banshee, which would only begin to disturb the guests in the other room. As it was, Josselyn was going to make him a part of the conversation, no matter what the prince said. The shaking didn't help the man's empty stomach, which suddenly began to twist, proving that he was hungrier than he thought he would have been. But things seemed to slow down for him as soon as the maid reached for his chest. But Ewan's hand came out of nowhere, saving both of them a world of problems and the scene began to return to the proper speed. He was forced against his husband and almost pushed down the hall, which was when he caught up with what was happening again and continued forward.

The sudden slap made the man pause again, slowly turning to watch as Josselyn took the hit and began to cower away once again. Riley watched her, even as he was being pulled down the hall, back towards their shared bedroom. He didn't bother to speak until they had slowed down and he was released, letting out a soft hum of pain from behind his tightened lips. Ewan's hand beat Reese's to the mark and his amber eyes settled on the other man's, relieved to see the regret, but hesitant at the same time. "Has she been taking lessons from your mother?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood with some sort of joke while not insulting the queen at the same time. "And, she was the one who told me to come find you. I'm sorry if I made things worse." The arguments might have been bad, but they were now away from the hall, meaning there wouldn't be more problems with crowds or having to be polite to strangers any more. Reese carefully took the man's hand away from his arm and held it in his own, starting back down the hall towards the bedroom. "They're both gone," he reminded him, a certain amount of pain coming through in his voice. "It doesn't matter any more."
 
The question made him smirk slightly, containing his laugh as he gave a shake of his head keeping his eyes on the mark instead of Reese's face. When the man spoke again he sighed softly, knowing without being told that she had sent him. "My mother's the one that sent Josselyn to my room in the first place. It's no surprise that now that your here she wants you by my side, even if that mean's having to push away her first choice as well." He gave another shake of his head as his hand was pulled away and Reese started down the hall again. Ewan couldn't help but grit his teeth when Reese felt the need to say that they were both gone out loud, hand clenching slightly before he started after him. It wasn't until they were both back at his bedroom that he actually did anything. Once the door was shut and soundly locked he moved over to Reese and grabbed his arm again, the other one this time to turn him around to face him. "It does matter. For the sake of my kingdom i've given up many things. Because i believe peace is worth loosing any chance i could possibly have at happiness and instead am stuck with a princess that's not even a woman." Reaching out he grabbed at his dress, practically ripping it from Reese's form to bare his chest to him once again. It was as if he was making sure Reese was still a male, as if he could of changed that. "I don't even get to have a chance at children. A man can't give me that. And if i'm going to loose something so are you."

His eyes slipped across Reese's form for a moment before he took a step back, giving a small shake of his head as he pulled in a breath. "I'm a jealous man, Riley. I won't see you with another man. I'd rather chain you to the wall and keep you there before i'd ever let my wife be touched by someone else. Even if she is a man. and because of that i won't ever touch someone else either. But that also mean's your going to have to satisfy me. Whether you like it or not."
 
As soon as they were in the room, Reese saw the exact moment when all the soft, caring feelings Ewan might have been showing vanished. His cruel, strict expression returned and he wasted no time to demand things of the shorter man. As Ewan grabbed at the stuffing inside the dress, Reese pulled away, staring at the fabric as it ripped, quickly stealing the pieces back from his harsh husband. He awkwardly bundled what was left of the special made wedding dress in his arm, looking it over as Ewan continued his rant, at least trying to explain something to Reese. As soon as he had finished, the amber eyes met Ewan's face once again and he let out a harsh hiss. "This isn't fair," he insisted, hugging the material close to him. "You think I haven't given up things for this as well? I'm not a woman, but unless you're planning on killing me, we're stuck!" Anger was beginning to rise in his voice, slowly exposing the frustration that was boiling beneath. He may never have a chance to do this again. He needed to take the opportunity, while they were discussing giving things up.

"If you want a child, take a mistress!" he demanded, dropping the ripped clothing in favour of directing his arm towards the nearby window. "Tell them the disease has made it impossible for me to give you an heir." His voice began to calm down as he lowered his arm, staring wide eyed at the other man in the room. "No one would dare to touch me," he told him, hoping Ewan would believe every word or truth that came out of his mouth. "Men are terrified of you. Even if you've never entered their kingdom, there are stories spread about you and your family. No man would dare." He paused, quickly collecting his thoughts before finishing. "But there is no way, in this or any kingdom we may be in, that I will be forced to do such a thing." His eyes slowly narrowed, sparks flying in the depths of his eyes. "My... duties have been drilled into me since the day I first put on a dress. I understand what I have to do. What I want to do. But at no time will I allow you to 'chain me to a wall' or anything of the sort."

Ewan was strong, more powerful and larger then Reese could ever hope to be. He simply wasn't made that way and there was no way a 'woman' would appear in such a way. But Reese was ready to stand by what he had said, even if it meant another slap or worse. But he knew he couldn't choke down what he saw coming if he didn't speak up now. The rest of his life would be just that much worse if he didn't. The best he could hope for was some sort of verbal abuse from this whole mess. He braced himself for the storm that was about to come.
 
"If you wanted fair then you shouldn't of lie in the damn first place!" He threw his hands in the air in almost disbelief at what Reese was saying, giving a shake of his head. "God dammit! Riley, i can't fucking do that! Don't you know who my mother is! if she caught me with another woman not only would she destroy any child i had with her she'd kill her too. I can't have a mistress. I fucking can't!" He gave a shake of his head, a hand coming up to rub at his face as he forced himself to turn around. Really he just wanted him to shut up, to stop talking and sit in the damn corner like any good wife would of done but no. The bastard just kept on talking, digging more and more at the prince's patience. Patience he was quickly running out of. It lasted only three seconds longer than it took Riley to finish his sentence before it broke, turning around to smack the other man across the face hard enough for him to stumble and hit the ground. "I've never been to your kingdom so i don't know how things go around there but just for the simple fact that your my wife any man in the court would find you a prize worth stealing from me." His hands were shaking slightly now, as if trying to restrain himself from hurting her further.

"If you haven't already noticed i don't give a shit about other kingdoms. So shut the fuck up before i end up killing you with my own two hands and save the both of us the trouble of living together." With that he turned, practically storming out of the room before Reese could say anything else. Ewan wasn't kidding. He didn't think he'd be able to stop himself from hurting him further if he had spoken again and the last thing he wanted to do was kill Reese. his mother would have his head for doing something as stupid as that.

It was a whole hour before Ewan returned to his bedroom, pushing a cart in front of him. Slowly he stepped into the room, pulling the cart inside as well before closing the door behind him. The rich smell of food filled the room and Ewan quickly lifted up the lid to on of the plates to reveal the riches and best food in the kingdom. "Are you hungry?" He asked the question quietly, barely even looking around the room. If Reese had any sense he would of stayed in the room and Ewan himself was sure his wife didn't want to have to walk around the castle halls unescorted. Especially since any one he came upon would of insisted on talking to him.
 
Reese hit the ground. Hard. His hand collided with the cold stone as he instantly drew back from the prince, going so far as to slide away as well, his eyes focusing on the man's hands, judging not only his actions but his emotions and will from how hard they shook and their slightest movements. The threats went better then he had planned, as he was still alive when Ewan left the room, slamming the door behind him. Reese winced before making sure he was leaving, giving him a chance to sit up properly. He lowered his head, curling his back as he held it just inches off of his legs, calming not only himself but the stinging nerves. It wasn't as if he wanted to lie to the man like he did. He wouldn't have minded marrying someone as a peaceful action, but the deceit made him just as upset as the man he was forced to wed. Despite how horrible he felt, and how much his cheek tingled, he refused to give in just yet.

His eyes slowly traced one of the two doors left in the room before he approached it and entered the bathroom. It was just as grand as he expected, but all he cared about at that moment was the bathtub, which he quickly took advantage of. Even if Ewan decided to come back within the next few minutes, Reese wasn't going to pass up a moment to wash off the travelling dirt from his body, not to mention the mental argument that had just happened and the reminders of what had happened earlier that day. Both Ewan and his own words slowly replayed in his head, giving him time to think about everything that was said before he began to dry himself off. He wasted no time in changing into something more comfortable; a set of midnight blue silk pants with a matching robe he was given for his birthday a few years earlier.

When Ewan reentered the room, Reese had sprawled out on the bed, his hair drying naturally as it laid down his back while the man waited on his stomach for something to happen. He was smart enough to stay inside the prince's suite while he was out and was thankful for such a thing when he smelt the food's delicious scent fill the room. Reese looked over his shoulder for a second before he sat up, pulling his hair over his shoulder enough to force it into a quick, out of the way braid. His eyes danced over the food before he slid from the bed and approached it, finally realizing how hungry he really was.

"Did you have to face the hall again?" he asked, finally looking up at the man in front of him. "Your kitchen staff did a wonderful job." Maybe they could cut the thick tension that was now settling over the room, still lingering between the two men.
 
Ewan finally looked up when Reese walked over, looking the man over with a slight curious glance before he looked at the trays again. "No, there is another way in and out of the kitchen without having to face the mob again. The last thing i need is for them to start asking me questions on whether or not i'm going to be taking Josselyn as my mistress." He made a disgusted face before he looked up at Reese again, this time his eyes trailing over him a little more slowly. The blue looked good on him, a fact that Ewan was glad he had noticed. Maybe he should buy him a blue dress. One that would show off his waist. While he thought his eyes lingered on the other man, obviously not caring what he thought before he finally tore his gaze away and grabbed the platter the two plates were sitting upon. "Well, you should know. He came from your kingdom six months ago." He smirked slightly, carrying the tray over to the table and two chairs sitting close to the windows. Gently he set the tray down, looking back over to Reese with a smirk. "He convinced himself that he should be on the winning side instead of the losing one."

Obviously he thought that the fact he had stolen there cook was rather amusing but he tried not to laugh out loud, instead holding a hand out towards the seat opposite his as he sank into one of the chairs. "It won't matter thought, seeing as once we move into our own castle i will be bringing along our old cook. I liked him much better." He gave a wave of his hand as he pulled the lid off his own plate and grabbed a fork. His eyes stayed on his plate as he started to eat, not thinking too much more on the matter of cooks and things of the like. No his mind was more focused on what he was going to do about Josselyn. The woman had confronted him once again outside the kitchen and it was becoming more and more obvious that she wasn't going to leave just like that. Even if he had told her decision she was as thick headed as the day he had first met her. Just like his own mother. The very thought of having to worry about this was giving him a migraine but he knew that if he just left it like that something bad would happen. "Josselyn is refusing to leave."
 
Reese watched as the man took the food to the table and slowly raised his right eyebrow as he told him about his chef. "So that's where he went," he muttered before following his path over to the table, taking a seat in the empty chair. Despite being alone with the man, Reese kept his posture perfect, just as it had been drilled into him years ago. He doubted even the most thorough of torture could break him of his proper habit, no matter how much it bothered him when he sat in private. He removed the cover of his food, pleasantly surprised by the aroma that came from the food beneath. While it smelt of what he had known before, the spices seemed to have changed to match the new kingdom, but Reese couldn't pick up what was there right away. He glanced back up at Ewan before breaking apart bits of the food, taking his first taste of their cuisine. It was much different than his own, which was light, flavourful and simple. This fit their fighting style; hearty, powerful and more importantly, large. Reese would have to get used to the change in his diet, as he expected that the man across the table wouldn't agree to what he was used to for quite a while, if at all. Especially if they were going to take Ewan's first chef instead of the newest one.

The thinner prince poked at his meal with the tip of his fork before stabbing a piece of potato and eating it. The spices were much different and the style of cooking didn't sit right with him yet. In fact, just as he swallowed, there was a hint of pain in his stomach. He would have to be careful. First his kingdom was being taken from him, then his family, followed quickly by his lover and soon enough, everything Reese knew was going to be leaving him. As soon as his father left the next day, the man would be left to whatever was going to happen in this new city and the prince across form him. If it wasn't for his time in the bathroom earlier, he knew he would have broken down into some sort of tears with just the thought. But worst of all, Josselyn was still around. He wasn't even getting his new husband to himself.

"Do you want her gone?" he asked, nudging the bits of meat away from the vegetables he knew he could eat. The steak was far too powerful for him to even begin eating yet. "Truthfully, do you want her to leave?" His amber gaze turned from the plate up to the man as he tried one of the carrots placed on his plate. "I've dealt with women like her in the past when it came to my brother. I could... see about possibly getting her out of the castle? If you don't want to involve the guards or your mother." Then again, if Riley really got a hold of her and the maid angered the 'princess' enough, Ewan, or his parents, may have to step in to separate them.
 
Ewan could see out of the corner of his eyes that Reese wasn't really happy with the food in front of him but it wasn't like he could just ask the cook to make something completely different. This was the type of food their own cook was going to be making, though he was sure once they were truly settled in Reese would persuade the cook other wise. His mother would probably have a hand in it as well. The new kingdom was supposed to be a merging which meant Ewan was going to loose some of the things he truly loved about his kingdom and gain the softer sides of Reese's kingdom. Ewan already knew his mother was looking forward to it, even if he wasn't. Reese's kingdom was completely different than his own, softer, gentler, not made for the hardships his own kingdom had put it through. Ewan himself had expected Reese's kingdom to surrender long before it had tried to make the treaty, though he had to give them the fact that they weren't willing to back down from a fight. Even if Reese didn't seem to be adapting very well to everything.

A soft sigh left Ewan's lips before Reese spoke, halting anything he was about to say and making surprise slip across his face. It was a brief moment before his fork clattered to his plate and he leaned back into his chair, hand coming up to pinch at the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Reese." He said the man's real name in a dark groan, closing his eyes and leaning his head back slightly. Really, did he really have to ask a question like that. For a few moment's he was silent, trying to calm himself before he finally dropped his hand and looked at Reese again. "No. I don't want her gone. But i do need her gone. Just deal with her until we move, we are only staying here a few more days anyways. So it shouldn't be that big of a deal. My mother wouldn't allow her to come with us, anyways, and neither would i." Leaning forward he grabbed his fork again, obviously wanting the conversation to end there. "Do you not like the food?"
 
Asking the question caused exactly what the man didn't want to happen. Ewan quickly got upset by just the idea of removing the maid, which made Reese instantly uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat as he spoke, setting his own fork down as the man's words forcefully came across the man's ears. He seemed to not want to give up his lover just as much as Reese hated sending his own away. He hated having to ask that, but this was a serious matter that they needed to at least straighten out before things got much further. At least the two were in a mutual agreement that they would rather be with their prior lover than who they were now sitting across from. The conversation ended then and there with no further openings for discussion.

Reese softly cleared his throat once he had finished, picking up his fork again, letting his eyes slowly trace over the food in front of him. "It's heavy," he told him, nudging the vegetables around once again. "We tend to eat lighter foods like lamb or chicken. Not so much beef or potatoes." In fact potatoes were rarely on the menu. To them, it was barbaric and unappealing, although it tasted good. Reese ate another few pieces of vegetables before setting his fork back down in favour of the glass set out in front of him. "It will just take some getting used to." Just like everything else. "Is this a normal meal for you then? Or was this made special for the occasion?"
 
Ewan frowned slightly when Reese said that it was heavy, looking at his plate as if he was trying to figure out what the other man was talking about. What did that even mean? Ewan had grown up with this kind of food, he truly didn't know anything other than what he was eating. He was even avoiding the vegetables, eating nothing but the meat on his plate. He couldn't understand what Reese was talking about at all. "Yes, this is what i usually eat. Everything at the banquet was made towards your kingdoms taste. Though i thought you might like to try what we usually eat." He frowned, looking at Reese's food as if it had done something wrong. For a few moment's he looked like a child that had made the wrong choice before he sighed and gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Next time we will try your food." He said the words briskly before he grabbed his fork and started to eat again, obviously not thinking much about what he was saying. Ewan was a harsh man but that didn't mean he didn't want others to like him or that he wanted his new wife to hate him either. And at that moment his more thoughtful side was showing through.

After a few moment's Ewan glanced up at Reese again, eying him for a moment before he sighed. "We will go see your father off tomorrow." It was his own way of saying he could see his lover one last time without actually saying it. "But we can't stay long, there's a lot i have to do around the castle and i don't want this to put everything i have to do on hold. We go, we say good bye and then we leave. That is the end of the story. No touching, no hugging. Just words. Okay?" He watched Reese's face for a moment before he looked at his plate again, taking another bite of his food as he settled more comfortably into his chair. "I don't even like the idea of you being outside of my eye sight." He mumbled the words more to himself than to Reese, those bright eyes staying on his plate.
 
Reese sighed softly as the man informed him of his thoughts, but quickly lightened when he promised to eat something more like what the smaller man was used to eating. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as the man agreed, but it all faded again once Ewan looked away. There were obviously two sides to the man, but he kept yo-yoing from one side to the other, stopping at every version in between before he began to settle on one, even if just for a few minutes. Luckily he had stopped at one that Reese didn't mind. Either way, he nudged his plate away from him slightly, most likely to return to it later, and looked out the window, resting his elbow on the table in front of him, watching the setting sky outside. Had he really been there that long? The only thing he could properly remember that day was waking up and getting loaded into the carriage to make the trip to the new kingdom. It was hard to remember anything between then and now, it had all moved to fast.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted when Ewan spoke again, drawing his attention to the man across from him again. He was going to let him see the knight again. Thank god. But Reese hoped with every ounce of his spirit that he wasn't going to hold him to those same rules when it came to his father. He was understanding that the man was protective and could get jealous quickly, but this was his father, his only surviving parent and the last of his family he was going to see. Before he left, he had a heart to heart with his bother, saying their final fair wells, knowing they would see each other again if their kingdoms needed to speak to one another. He needed a chance with the other man, if Ewan was there or not. "That doesn't stand for my father does it?" he asked, lowering his arm to the space in front of him. "He's not going to be taking me away. And you can stand beside us. But you really can't demand that I don't give him a hug." Even if he did, Reese was prepared to break it, no matter what he would get in return. "I promise you, Joseph and I won't touch. We'll barely speak with that many people around."
 
Ewan narrowed his eyes at the table when Reese started to speak again, gritting his teeth slightly so he could at least wait until the man had stopped talking and he had heard him out before he really blew his top. It seemed like almost everything that came out of Reese's mouth pissed him off. "Don't say his name, i don't want to hear it." His hand smoothed out over his knee, trying to calm himself as he pulled in a deep breath. "i don't want to see any of it, i don't care who it is." He almost growled the words out, keeping his blue eyes narrowed on the table instead of looking at Reese. He knew what he was going to find there anyways. The man was going to be upset but he didn't care. He couldn't stand by and allow Reese to touch someone else, no matter who that person was. It could be his own father for all he cared, he didn't want his wife touching another man. The very thought sent a dark shiver down his spine and put his nerves on end.

In a flurry he pushed himself up and strode away, though he didn't go far. Pacing back and forth as he covered his mouth with his hands. He continued to pace, thinking about this rather thoroughly before he stopped and looked at Reese again. "A little Hug." He held up his hands, holding two fingers on one hand apart slightly. "Any more than that and you won't be happy once he's gone.'
 
Ewan really was trying to torture him. He wasn't even going to let him say a proper goodbye to his father. Reese's eyes followed Ewan as he left his seat and swiftly paced the room. A small hug wasn't what he wanted to hear, but there was no chance he could argue with the man in front of him. He had made up his mind and Reese had to begin to learn to accept what he instructed the man to do. There was no other way for him to get through this new life. Maybe Josselyn may have grown accustom to it, but the prince imagined she was raised listening to the prince's family, or at least used to their personalities and forceful ways. It was clear the royal family had a firm hold on the kingdom from just how they carried themselves. There was no doubt that they were just as strict inside the palace as they were outside and according to the rumours. Reese didn't want to have to adjust, but he was about to have no choice.

The smaller male also rose from his seat, facing Ewan down right away. "Fine," he agreed, making sure to show the man he wasn't pleased by his order. Not that his husband would care. He was ready to snap back a question to the man, but quickly decided against it. "What time are they leaving tomorrow?" he settled on asking instead, stepping back towards his bags to rummage through them quickly. "I would imagine we'll be woken up at sunrise. Just to get a good start to the day." Reese's entire kingdom was full of early risers who needed to get up at the crack of dawn to start on their farm work. It wasn't unheard of for the marketplace to be open by seven each morning and by eight, it would be full of people ready to barter and buy the shop's goods. There was no reason why the palace should sleep any later than it's city, unless some strange circumstance. Illness was one. Reese never wanted to think about the times when he would have to sleep late, sitting right on the brink of death. He made it a point to be up every morning with the sun, just to make sure he was still alive, even years after the plague left his kingdom.
 
Ewan's blue eyes watched as Reese stood, snorting slightly when the other man seemed rather upset with his demands. Did he truly think that he was going to allow him to touch another man, whether it be his father or not? It was unthinkable in Ewan's mind. That was how possessive he truly was. "Around ten." His eyebrows crunched together as he watched Reese walk across the room and start to talk about getting up early and things of the like. Such things were unheard of. It was hard enough for him to drag himself out of bed at eight, let alone as early as Reese was talking about. There was a reason he had those curtains on his windows, curtains that would keep the room dark enough for him to be able to sleep past the rising of the sun. He had maids to wake him up, why couldn't he use them? Ewan couldn't help but scoff, giving a shake of his head as he followed slowly after Reese. "If you think i'm going to be getting up that early then you've lost it. I am Not a morning person." He gave a shake of his head, moving around Reese so he could look at what he was doing. "The kingdom is barely awake by the time i'm out of bed." He gave a shake of his head, obviously not being able to believe anything he was hearing out of Reese's mouth. If this was Reese's normal schedule he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to adapt to getting up earlier. His own market wasn't even open till eight.

"I can see how your people were loosing the war. I even bet your people go to bed early. Right?" He gave a snort, turning on his heels as he looked around the room and started to step away slightly. It was obvious how unbelievable he was finding all this. "There is no reason to be awake earlier than the kingdom. Is your kingdom even awake that early?" His eyes darted back to Reese, looking him over for an answer. "Are your chickens even awake that early?" He laughed slightly at his own joke, running a hand through his hair as he gave a slow shake of his head. "I won't be getting up earlier than i have to. Especially that early. So just get that out of your mind right now."
 
The way the man continued to insult Reese's home dug into his feelings worse than he truly liked. It wasn't like he would get to see his father any earlier than when they left, so it was probably better that he was leaving that early in the day. But to hear that the man he had now been married to waited so long to wake up was disturbing to Reese. More than half of his day was going to be wasted by not getting up with the sun, and it disturbed the man ever so slightly. Something wasn't right about that. How could a people so strong yet so lazy have won the war? Reese stood up, pulling what looked to be another article of clothing from his bag and held it out to the prince. It was dark purple, the colour of the highest of royalty, and shimmered in the light that was leaking into the room. Reese kept his hand out as his amber eyes followed the man around the room, doing his very best to control his feelings and motions as to not upset his new husband any more than he already had.

"We stay up as late as we need," he told him, approaching him calmly. "My kingdom always gets an early start. We make sure to get our work done early and quickly, leaving plenty of time for us to do as we please during the rest of the day." The idea that he and his people were being related to chickens, even in the most playful of ways, upset Reese even more than anything else Ewan had said to him that day. This was certainly going to be a rocky relationship between the two of them that both sides would have to work hard to keep the peace. He went so far as to close grit his teeth at Ewan's next command. "I take it I won't be allowed out of bed until you wake up then," he commented, growing more and more upset with what was going on. "You can't expect me to just adapt to your routine this quickly, Ewan. I need time to adjust." He shoved the purple silk bundle into his hands, making sure the larger man had a hold of it before pulling his hand back.

"A wedding present," he quickly told him, stepping away once again, turning to look out the balcony window. He remained behind the curtain, looking out from around it at the garden which was slowly beginning to fill with couples leaving the great hall's party. His eyes danced over the people and the patches of flowers laid out on the grounds below. "We didn't know what you looked like, but we did our best to make it your size, from what the soldiers told us your people looked like. It took over one thousand silkworms to make it. I hope it was worth our effort." While Reese didn't take part in the actual stitching of the item, he was there to over see it on most days and watched the process, wanting to know how much work really went into making such gift for his husband.
 
Ewan couldn't help but snort at the comment about Reese staying in bed until he was awake as well, lifting a hand to wave away the words. "Should it matter to me what time you wake up? As long as your not trying to wake me up sooner than i have to, wake when ever you please." He huffed darkly, seeming to hate the idea of waking up too early. When the small bundle was shoved into his chest his eyes narrowed instantly on the smaller male before him, seeming to suddenly realize that Reese was upset at all. Before that moment he hadn't even noticed that he had upset Reese, thinking more in terms of his own wants and needs than his new wife's. Though as Reese continued to speak he looked down at the small bundle, carefully unrolling it to look at what Reese had shoved at him. It was a silk shirt, one that had probably taken a long time to make and for a moment Ewan was stunned. Truly stunned. He hadn't been told that Reese had brought him a wedding gift, especially not one like this. Gulping slightly he looked at Reese before he sucked in a breath and started forward.

Reaching out he grabbed hold of Reese's arm, roughly pulling him back and away from the curtain before his own wedding present was revealed too early. It had taken much too long to negotiate a way to get it here for it all to be spoiled. "Once i find a suitable pair of pants i will wear it but for now stay away from the window." He pointed his finger at Reese as he spoke to him almost like a child, eyes narrowed slightly before he reached back and yanked the curtain fully closed again. There had been more than one reason he had closed that curtain before, one being he didn't want anyone seeing Riley's secret and two, he didn't want Reese to see his secret.

With another pointed look Ewan stepped back Reese, folding the shirt as he went to gently slid into one of his drawers before he looked to Reese. "Get dressed. In something casual. i suppose now is as good a time as any to show you my own wedding present." At that very moment out side that window people started clapping and ooing and awing over something. Though Ewan only glared at the window. They had probably taken way too much time in their room before his own wedding present had been brought out to wait for Riley to have. Though, like Reese, he had known next to nothing about what his new bride would want as a present. Yes, he had known much more than Reese had known but that didn't mean he knew what to get him. Hell, even after a couple of years he probably wouldn't even know. So instead he decided it was best to give him something from his home, something that he would be able to keep and take care of. Something that would let him feel a little more comfortable. Though now Ewan wasn't so sure whether it was a suitable gift any longer. That is because Riley turned out to be Reese and his wife turned out to be a husband. Frowning slightly he glanced at Reese again, fidgeting slightly as he waited for the other man to do as he was told.

Once Reese was finally clothed he held his hand out for him, waiting for Reese to come over and take it before he turned and started out the door. By the time they had reached the doors to the garden Ewan was on his toes, practically excited to be giving his wife something that she didn't think she would be able to bring with her. Pulling in a breath he gave Reese one final look before he pushed the door open and lead Reese out. There, standing in the middle of the garden stood a beautiful mare with her new foal, a foal that Ewan himself had given a stallion for. The mare herself was Reese's own riding horse, the very one he was denied the right to bring because she had just given birth. It had taken two days to have her and her new born brought to the castle but he was sure that Reese would be happy about it. He would always have the mare here and when she passed her off spring would take her place. "I was hoping you take this as a wedding present." His lips pressed into a nervous line on his mouth, showing off his apprehension to the present now. A woman would of melted in the spot over such a thing. There was something about a woman and animals. But.. he had no clue when it came to Reese. He didn't even know if the man had a liking to his horse or not. Though, he probably should of asked about that before he had made all the arrangements.
 
Reese's attention turned as soon as the windows were blocked from his sight. Again, the outside world was blocked from him, leaving him only with the prince beside him to converse with. Part of him wondered what sort of things happened at the party after they had left, but in the end, the male didn't truly care. He didn't want to have a large party to begin with nor did he want to have to deal with many people all of whom would be poking and prodding over the couple and invading his personal space. It was risky to begin with but adding others into the mix was something he had no desire to do. With a soft sigh, the man turned to face Ewan, looking him over as he held onto the shirt. There was a moment when the smaller man realized exactly how the colour looked on the other man and he couldn't help but let a small smile settle on his lips. It didn't last long but just enough to give the prince a chance to see he had done something right. Only to see the shirt be pushed into a drawer until a later time when the man could wear it properly.

His next command stunned Reese, but he didn't waste long to do as he asked, putting himself into a knee length riding dress, complete with black pants, and his favourite black leather knee-high boots. It was about as casual as he got as a woman, knowing that he couldn't get any less without some sort of criticism from someone, in this case it would most likely be his new mother-in-law. Even this would get some sort of insult from the woman. His attention was pulled away when people began to make noise outside. It was difficult for him to hold back and not rush to the window, but thanks to Ewan's current glare, he found the control on his own and remained where he was. But he was still quite curious as to what could be going on outside.

Luckily it didn't take long for him to find out. He took Ewan's hand firmly, following right beside him the whole way out to the gardens. The first thing he noticed, other than the amount of people waiting outside for them, was the pure size of the garden. It looked large from Ewan's room, but now that he was on ground level with it, he was far more amazed with what he saw. That certainly didn't last long, as his gift was waiting in the open for him to notice. Reese's eyes grew as he looked over the familiar creature standing there and he couldn't help but let out a short, soft gasp. If there was one thing the man wanted, ether as male or female, it was the sweet mare he had known since it was a foal. But that was one of the many things he was told he couldn't bring with him. Reese waited to hear Ewan's words before breaking free and crossed towards the animal, holding his hand out for her nose to meet, pulling a smile from him as he leaned in for another light nudge. It didn't matter how many people were there, he had his horse. That was what mattered. And even better, she had a young one beside her.
 
Ewan couldn't stop himself from sighing in relief the moment that Riley moved forward and towards the mare, slowly following after him. His eyes didn't even bother to look any where other than Riley and the horses as he walked through the throng of people, ignoring any of the idle chatter they were sending his way as he watched the smaller man before him. The apprehension he had had before about whether Riley would like his wedding gift was gone now, replaced by a genuine happiness at the sight he saw before him. Reese liked his horse and that made Ewan happy. Reaching the pair Ewan reached out, running a hand over the gray mares neck as he hummed softly. "She will be coming with us when we leave, though she will be leaving a few days before we do so she will reach her new barn and get settled in. I asked your father to keep her pregnancy from you because i wanted it to be a surprise. When i thought of what any woman would want for a present i couldn't think of any thing other than their horse." He frowned slightly, as if his own words upset him before those blue eyes darted to Reese's face again and he gave a slight smile. "My own stallion is her foal's father. I'd rather keep my wife on the back of a breed i know is safe and hearty than one i'm not sure of." His eyes slipped over Riley's mare once again, obviously not very happy with her before he stepped back and motioned for Reese to get on. "Let's take a ride."

After helping Reese onto his own mare he sent for his own horse, pulling himself up onto his own stallion. A black Fresian, the very one he had rode many times into battles. Scares were obvious on the horses coat, marring the beauty of it's soft hide but it was obvious the horse knew no different, it's confident steps rattling the ground as Ewan urged him forward. This was the kind of breed Ewan was talking about, a hearty and loyal breed that usually only answered to the one it considered it's master. "We will go slow so the foal can keep up with us." He barely even glanced back at his wife as he led them through the crowd and then out of the garden.
 
Reese didn't have to be told twice. He moved to the animal's side and, using Ewan's help, sat on the saddle. Typically, he wouldn't need help. Riley was his most common appearance, but in truth, Reese had enough muscle to pull himself up onto his horse. In front of the public though, he fell perfectly into his feminine role, using a guard's help to do things he could normally do on his own. Not only did it fit with his proper character, but it made his life that much easier with the help of others. There wasn't much that strangers could help him with, mostly because they couldn't get too close, but when there was something like this, he didn't hold back or shoo them away.

The gift of not only his treasured mare but a new colt was more than Reese expected. Even before he met the man, he didn't expect much from him. But this was better than what he thought he would get from the seemingly cold hearted man. His mare seemed to be agreeable enough when the stallion began to take the lead and she went so far as to catch up beside him with the younger horse trailing a foot or two off to the side, still remaining close to it's mother. Reese allowed his horse to follow, remaining calm as they passed through the impressed crowd and quickly left the garden. Finally, he would be able to properly see the outside of the palace without people breathing down their necks.

"How far do the walls stretch?" he asked the man beside him, his hands loose on the reigns while his eyes ran over the small animal trailing beside him. The castle itself seemed to be quite large and the garden wasn't exactly something to laugh about, but there had to be more to the home than just those two landmarks. In his home, there was a small village inside of the walls that housed the staff for the castle and their grounds, but the building itself was much smaller as well. Reese wouldn't have been surprised to hear there was something like that inside as well. The space was certainly large enough.
 
The question made him glance at Reese, halting the words that were just about to leave his own mouth. For a few moments he was quiet obviously thinking about it before he looked to Reese again and answered. "They stretch pretty far. They circle the castle and the main town. That is in the inner war and then the outer wall circles the the farm lands as well. My father had the outer wall built right as the war was beginning to better protect the villagers. He always said that he'd rather protect them than his own castle. Of course my mother was never happy about it, saying that there was no point in protecting anyone that is unwilling to fight the war as well but it's been the one thing my mother has won my father over on. That wall has protected us from my assaults, holding our enemies at bay." His eyes watched Reese's face, obviously not showing any concern that he was talking about Reese's own kingdoms assaults. "We aren't too far from the gate that leads into the city." He gave a small shrug, finally looking away from Reese as he pulled in a deep breath.

"I didn't think you'd actually enjoy having your mare back. At least, not once i found out you weren't female." No one was around, it wasn't like anyone was going to over hear the conversation. "At least the months it took to arrange her to get here was worth something." He frowned slightly, as if something he said made him unhappy before he shook his head slightly and tightened his hands on his reins. It was almost a nervous gesture. "Do you want to see more of the castle?" He glanced over, watching Reese's reaction.
 
Reese didn't enjoy what Ewan was saying about his country, or more like how he was verbally treating them. It was almost as if he saw them as nothing more than enemies and he didn't care if they were people. Or at least that was how he took it. Reese could get protective of his kingdom when it was needed and become quite offended when people insulted his home. He knew how hard his father had worked to get it to where it was and more importantly raise him while doing it all. He certainly wasn't slacking, even though they had lost the war. He remained silent as Ewan explained the layout and the brief story behind the walls and their creation, nodding once or twice when he realized that meant he cared enough to remember what had happened.

As the topic changed, Reese was careful to tuck it in the back of his mind for something like that to come up later. He would have to remember to control himself once again. But until then, the other man was bringing up his mare. "I didn't think you would have gotten me anything," he admitted softly. "Even if it was something of mine to begin with... but I'm surprised you did." He smiled slightly, nudging the mare lightly with his hand as they continued forward. His eyes turned towards the man, a smile playing on his lips as an idea came to him. "Would you mind if I take the lead?" he asked. It had been some time since he had his horse and now that they were together, he wanted to get her to stretch her legs with him again. Not to mention, the colt probably wouldn't mind it.
 
Ewan frowned and pulled his stallion to a halt when Reese asked if he could take the lead. His bright eyes narrowed, making their deeps seem darker as he gave a full on glare. "What?" He almost hissed out the words, hands tightening on his reins as he tried to keep himself from reaching out and smacking the man at his outrageous question. "Do you intend to destroy not only your mare but her colt?" He looked furious, outrage and disbelief only being a few other emotions displayed there as well. "Or are you stupid enough to think she can handle such a thing on top of her long trip here?" He scoffed slightly, finally reaching out to yank the mares reins out of Reese's hands and tie them to the horn of his own saddle. He could only guess how hard Reese was intending to push his mare and her new colt. It wasn't a well known fact that Ewan's own people cherished their horses, treating them as partner's than the animal's others saw them as. Horses carried a man into battle faithfully and in turn the man was to treat the horse with the same loyalty it showed.

With a pull he turned his own stallion around, pulling Reese's mare along behind him. "Maybe i should teach you how to treat your horse before i allow you to have her. No matter what breed she may be she doesn't deserve to be pushed to her limit. Especially with a new foal to nurse." It was rare for Ewan to be so emotional about a subject but this was one tradition he wasn't willing to bend on for Reese. Reese would just have to get used to it, whether he liked it or not.
 
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