Yours, Forever After: a Gay Fairytale Romance by Beth Bolden

Author:Beth Bolden [Bolden, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay Fairytale Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Beth Bolden Books
Published: 2019-09-05T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

When Rory woke up the next morning, the inn was blessedly quiet.

Gray was still sleeping next to him, stretched out on his back, one hand carelessly thrown across Rory, and the other partially covering his face, no doubt to shield his eyes from the bright morning sunshine spilling from the dingy window. He looked more peaceful and more relaxed than Rory had seen him before, even under the bruises scattered over his face and torso. Rory didn’t want to wake him, but in the next moment, one brilliant blue eye opened.

“We’re still alive,” Gray croaked groggily.

Not quite the romantic words that Rory had hoped he’d hear this morning upon waking; especially after the night before. What did you expect? he thought A confession of love? And maybe he hadn’t expected it necessarily, but he’d wanted it. Nobody had ever loved him in spite of being a prince, and Rory discovered that was something he dearly desired. He wanted to be loved not because he was royal, not because he was beautiful, not because he was rich, and not because he spoke so many languages and was famous throughout the kingdoms for his translations and analyses.

After all that, what’s left? that annoying voice inside Rory’s head asked.

Rory didn’t know, and he knew enough to realize that if he himself was in the dark, he couldn’t possibly expect another to discover it. Even someone as clever as Gray.

“We’re still alive,” Rory finally murmured.

Gray groaned and stretched. “You look like you’re thinking too hard for this early in the morning.”

Rory might be inexperienced, but he knew he couldn’t say, I want you to love me, but I don’t know what I want you to love me for.

“I was thinking of the riddle Evrard told us yesterday, about the cave, and what it could mean,” Rory lied.

Gray groaned again. “It’s definitely too early to think about anything Evrard says.”

Rory secretly agreed but admitting so would also mean admitting he’d lied. “We need to find the ring, the Bearer of Truth,” he offered instead. “We should get up and get ready to go. Didn’t you say the road up to the mountain is rather difficult?” He didn’t want to get out of bed. He wanted to stay here and stay naked with Gray, but he remembered the promises he’d made that night in the valley.

If I get out of this, I will make different choices.

The Rory of old would have self-indulgently let the quest for the ring slide, trading the unpleasant realities of their journey for the much more pleasant pastimes to be found in bed. But he’d already acknowledged that he needed to leave that Rory behind, so instead of reaching for Gray, he climbed out of bed, searching for his clothes.

“You really mean it, don’t you?” Gray asked, watching him with eyes suddenly and intently awake.

“Find the ring and take back my throne?” Rory pulled on his tunic. It pulled slightly against his bruised cheekbone as it slipped over his head, and he grimaced.

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