Drawing the Prince by Kim Fielding

Author:Kim Fielding [Fielding, Kim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay romance
ISBN: 978-1-64405-689-9
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2019-06-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

CAL hardly had time to be embarrassed about his little breakdown. The reception lasted only another thirty minutes, and he spent it chatting to people about himself, his art, his influences, his vision. He might have fallen apart again if Teo hadn’t stayed close beside him, running interference in his utterly charming way. Cal got to meet the other competitors too. They were all at least cordial, although most of them eyed his paintings keenly. A few said really nice things and seemed sincere.

As the event came to a close, Emil and Henrik started herding Teo to his next duty. He leaned close to Cal before leaving. “Can I kiss you?”

“I wish you would.”

It was only a brief peck, but it gave Cal enough courage to get through the rest of the afternoon.

After Teo left, more photographers took pictures of the artists and their works, and then Anita appeared like magic to whisk him away. Since he’d been too nervous to eat before the reception, they caught a quick bite at a nearby café before returning to the castle. He spent the remainder of the afternoon in his rooms, painting.

A gentle alarm tone on his phone reminded him to get ready for dinner. He cleaned his brushes and put away his supplies before hitting the bathroom to shower and primp. At one point in high school, he’d dyed his hair different colors almost every week, but he’d stopped that in art school and nowadays rarely bothered to do more than shampoo and brush. Tonight, though, he used product and fussed until he looked respectable enough to meet a king and queen—who were also his lover’s parents.

Jesus.

Cal was ready nearly ten minutes early, a record for him. It left way too much time to pace nervously and second-guess all of his life choices. If he’d stayed in Peril, he could have gotten a job dipping ice cream cones; the only royalty he’d have to worry about was Dairy Queen.

Just when Cal was beginning to envy King Zbignev’s plummeting victims, Teo knocked on the door. When he saw Cal, he said something in Porvunian.

“What was that?” Cal asked.

“A cross between a blasphemy and a prayer. You are stunning.”

Blushing, Cal looked down at himself. “I don’t look like a dork?”

“You look like a dream. A very good one.” Teo’s shining eyes proved his sincerity. He was stunning too, but that was his usual look. He rolled out of bed looking delicious. Tonight he wore a stylish black tuxedo fit for the Oscars red carpet.

“Your parents won’t deport me?”

“Not for being poorly dressed. Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Teo took his arm as they walked down the hallway. His arm, as if they were going to the prom or getting married. It was somehow both unsettling and comforting. Teo led him to an elegantly curved stairway.

Cal hadn’t explored the castle at all, so everything along their route was new to him. Two floors down, they arrived in a huge foyer with intricately designed marble floors and enough statuary to fill a museum.

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