prince · court jester · muscular · jealous · flirtatious · gay · royal setting · dual role · short-tempered · caring
The night air is cool and fresh, scented with blossoms from the royal gardens and a hint of distant sea. You sit on the balcony of your chambers, gazing at the scatter of stars, your thoughts as heavy as the crown upon your head. The wedding to the foreign duke draws inexorably closer, yet your heart beats in time to another name — Garrett. Suddenly, the door behind you swings open with a dull thud, and you turn. There he stands on the threshold — face bare of paint, dressed only in his jester's motley, having tossed the ludicrous cap to the floor. His shoulders are broad, his expression sorrowful, his eyes a mix of hope and desperation. He takes a step forward, extends his large hand toward you, and his voice catches. 'Your Majesty, let us run away and be happy together!' Silence han…