16. future flowers

[badass_tiger]

Comm: fallintofallfestival
Prompt: Any Fandom | Any Characters/Pairings | "If I had known that simply loving you was enough, I would have done that long ago."
Word Count: 1.8k
Author/Team: badass_tiger
Title: future flowers
Fandom/Original: The Royal Tutor (Eins von Granzreich/Ernst von Rosenberg)
Rating: Gen
Triggers: NA
Summary: Rosenberg tries to find Eins another wife. Post-canon.
ConCrit: Y

14 years ago, King Viktor and the late Count Rosenberg had introduced their sons to one another. They had shaken hands politely, if coldly, and Eins was astonished when, as soon as the adults left them to themselves, Ernst had flown at him and tried to hit him with his wooden sword. The action defined their relationship for the next month or so. Eins had often wondered why his father had introduced him to an unrefined muscle-head who did nothing to uphold his father's noble name. When Ernst had revealed his reasons for always challenging the first prince of Granzreich and Eins had taken to tutoring him, Eins thought of him as a serious dunce, and often despaired of him, but he did begin to think a little better of the companion forced upon him.

It was now 12 years since the last time Eins had thought of his childhood friend as a dunce. It floored him now to feel the word rising to his lips once more. If only Ernst was here to receive the charge.

'What do you think, Eins?' King Viktor was saying. 'I understand if you think it's too soon, but you've been making wonderful progress. It may even help you to meet her.'

'Ern arranged this?' Eins said, having not heard a single word.

'Indeed. He hand-picked Princess Isabella as the perfect match for you. You must refer to him for his reasons, but I quite agree with him, and she is keen to meet you.'

Her visit had already been arranged. Eins did not really have a choice. The most he could do was decline to meet her with the prospect of marriage in mind, and be introduced to her only as a member of the royal family who would act as her host while she and her family were in Granzreich.

Even this concession brought tears of joy to Viktor's eyes. Sometimes Eins wondered if he secretly hoped that Eins would someday change his mind and decide to hold the throne long-term when he became king. If he knew half of the reason that Eins had made the decision to someday defer to Leonhard's rule, he wouldn't entertain the thought for another moment.

But never mind King Viktor for now. There was someone else who should know far better than he, who Eins would have to deal with now.

Did Ernst want him to marry? But why should Ernst want him to marry? As it was no longer his wish to reign as king (for long), there was no need for him to have a queen. Did Ernst think that marrying would make him happy? Had he, Eins, ever given indication that it would bring him satisfaction to marry a woman?

In the parlour of Schwarz Palace, Ernst greeted him with a bow. Eins watched his expression as he sat himself down in front of his customary brauner. Was there a look of anticipation or perhaps (more than usual) self-satisfaction? But he was as self-composed and unreadable as ever.

'I hope your meeting with King Viktor was satisfactory,' Ernst said.

'It wasn't,' Eins said bluntly. Ernst smiled.

'I'm sorry to hear it.'

'I was sorry to hear that you had arranged for me to meet another woman.'

'Were you? But I think you have nothing to fear from meeting Princess Isabella. She is a refined and accomplished young woman, and quite safe for you to meet. You see, she is famously sentimental, easily moved by any emotional story, and so, if you were to cry in front of her, and she were to find out the reason why, far from being repulsed, she is likely to fall in love with you immediately.'

Eins stared at him. He had never heard anything so ridiculous in his life.

It was a few moments before he was able to find his voice and say as much.

'I am only thinking of what is best for you,' Ernst said, somewhat coldly.

'And why, pray tell, do you think that it is best for me to marry?'

The question seemed to surprise him. 'Well - I -'

'The king has already named me as his successor. I no longer need to marry to attain his acceptance. And I will not be his true successor, so there is no need for me to have an heir. So why do I have to marry, Ern?'

The look Ernst gave him was exceedingly cold. 'I suppose I should be glad to hear that you have completely forgotten about that woman by now,' he said evenly. Eins flinched. There was only one person about whom Ernst spoke with such extreme disdain.

'What are you talking about?'

'I have not forgotten.' Ernst crossed his arms and looked away with a stony expression. 'When you fell in love with her, I wouldn't see you for days. Even when I did see you, sometimes you wouldn't even speak to me. You were happy.'

Heat flooded Eins's face, but he was bewildered too. Had it really been like that? Was there a time that he had neglected Ernst so severely? His heart sank as he thought of the events of the previous year and realised that he had unintentionally neglected Ernst before, and it had been because of Matilda too. Over the last year, he had even ignored Ernst's declining health in his sorrow, failing to notice the shadows under his eyes, the sickliness of his skin, up to ignoring his collapse at Weissburg Palace.

'On that account, you have decided to find a wife for me so that I will neglect you again?' Eins growled, guilt turning his tone angry.

Ernst laughed, chilly as a winter's day. 'As a result of your happiness, certainly.'

'Is that what will make you happy?'

He was even more surprised than Eins anticipated. 'Me?' he said, as if the idea of his own happiness had never occurred to him before.

'I thought you understood, the day I told you that I will always want you by my side. I thought you felt the same way.'

'You - what?'

Eins was more disappointed than he knew how to say. But perhaps this was only appropriate as his punishment for ignoring Ernst for so long. Ernst had been the one person who remained with him, who believed in him unfailingly. It still drove a blade into his heart to think of Ernst's tear-stricken face as he told him that Eins's well-being was the only thing that mattered to him. He would never forget his expression back then for as long as he lived. He had failed Ernst thoroughly, not by giving up on his dream to become king, but by almost surrendering to his despair and taking his own life. How could he hope for a man like Ernst, unafraid of anything, unceasingly striding forward despite every adversary, to return the feelings of someone as weak as him?

'I am not going to marry, Ernst,' he said quietly, turning away from Ernst's gaze in defeat. 'The only thing I want is to have you with me.'

'But - don't you think -' Ernst faltered. 'Would - would you not be happier with a wife - a family?'

'I would be happiest,' Eins said in a measured tone, 'with you.'

Ernst shook his head as if the idea was absurd. 'Why? There's nothing that - you will have me, even if you married. You don't -' Words failed him and he fell silent.

'How about you then? I asked you earlier: what would make you happy?'

'The only thing I want is to support you,' Ernst said immediately. It was almost a rehearsed response for him.

'That is enough for you. It is enough for me.'

They were silent for several seconds. Eins sipped his brauner to force himself to breathe. Then, to his surprise, Ernst walked around the table and knelt down on one knee in front of him. His hand was on his heart.

'Are you speaking the truth?' Ernst said solemnly. 'I am what you want?'

'Yes.' Eins held his breath. There seemed to be a wealth of promise in his words - a promise he would deliver if Eins would only say the right thing.

'Then allow me to swear myself to you. Your Highness Prince Eins ...' he paused momentarily. 'Prince that you are, and king you will perhaps only briefly be, you are and always will be my king. I have belonged to you since our childhood, but if ... if you ...' He swallowed, then bowed his head as if waiting for judgement. 'From now on, I will be yours, mind, body, and soul.'

'Thank you.' Eins stood up. 'But I don't want to be your king.' He took off his right glove, and extended the hand to Ernst. 'I want to be your equal.'

For a moment, Ernst stared at his hand as if he had never seen it before. With a sweet shyness, he placed his hand in his, and Eins pulled him to his feet.

'I am only sorry,' Eins said, as Ernst gazed at him with an anticipation that was almost trepidation, 'that I didn't realise it sooner. If I had known that simply loving you was enough, I would have done so long ago.'

The anticipatory look changed into one of wonder. A light fell across Ernst's face, and Eins's heart swelled. Despite his numerous failures, despite everything, Ernst still looked at him as if he was wonderful. Eins wanted to tell him that the wonderful person was him.

'You truly ...' Ernst's expression relaxed, and returning to his usual self, he laughed. 'You are truly shameless. To think that you have ever done without me - I am astonished.'

'I hope that I won't have to do without you again.'

'No. Certainly not.'

Eins could see that he would have to take the first step, but that was fine with him. He had no hesitation now that Ernst had wiped all his doubts away. He raised the hand not holding Ernst's hand to his face, cupping his cheek, and pressed their lips together. Ernst released a startled breath, but Eins did not consider the possibility that he had misunderstood. He knew Ernst well enough to know that he had not, and Ernst only took a moment to wrap his free hand around the back of Eins's neck and kissed him back. Though Eins had been gentle, only enough to affirm his feelings, Ernst kissed him fiercely. Eins understood that he had wanted for this for far longer than he had imagined, and kissed him with all of his regret that he had not realised it sooner.

'I am afraid, however,' Ernst murmured when their lips parted, though they remained standing together, close enough that their noses almost touched, 'that arrangements for the girl to visit have already been made.'

'Yes,' Eins sighed, 'and whose fault is that?'

Ernst only smirked.

'Never mind. You can fix it later,' Eins said, and focused on kissing the smile off Ernst's face.

They were, at last, for the first time in so long, on the same page. Everything else could wait.