Even If The Gods Deny Us
Those giving evidence were almost the same as those who had spoken against Curtis. The only change was that Ted also stood to give evidence, telling of how Paul had begged Brock to stand down and accept it was over and how he had trailed Cody to the stable and seen Paul holding him captive. That had led to a slightly awkward moment when he had been asked how he had known where to find Paul and Cody.
“It was pure luck,” he retorted, not entirely a lie. It had been luck that he had known to find the tattoo artist but since the man had kept a low profile he wanted to keep it that way out of respect to him. He had apparently suggested to the soldiers that they head that way after all. “I was trying to think of where a kidnapper would take Cody. In daylight he couldn’t go far with a captive, it would have to be somewhere out of the way and quiet. And of course I knew of the stables and that they were unused. It wasn’t the first place I went, but it was one of a list. And the soldiers were only minutes behind me as it transpired.”
Cody also gave his evidence, telling what he had heard and insisting that Paul had shown a fair amount of self-interest without once saying he was doing what he was for the sake of the people, while he had mentioned annoyance that Damien seemed to be gaining his place. He added that Curtis had mentioned that Paul needed to keep better control of Brock and that Curtis had very definitely deferred to Paul throughout the whole thing.
It was no real surprise to him when the vote from the members of the court came back as unanimously guilty.
There was a slight buzz from the court as Brett simply sat in thought for a moment, a frown on his face before he rose and everyone fell quiet. Brett looked around the members of the court before looking back at Paul.
“I am saddened by this,” he started. “I had hoped that during a time such as this, after the hard times our kingdom has been through, that we could all work toward rebuilding what we have lost without the unpleasant politics. Recent events have opened my eyes about this and I cannot allow this state of affairs to pass. I hope that I have so far shown that such things will not stand. But I hope also that the punishments I have meted out fit the crime. Tyson, Jamie and Albert were imprisoned as their conspiracy never came to fruition and it is clear that they were not the masterminds behind the crimes. Curtis has been banished due to the damage that he helped to bring about but he too was a pawn and I believe I have shown as much leniency as possible under the circumstances. In this case I can’t show the same leniency. Paul plotted the conspiracy, he set Brock on a potentially murderous course and he was the one who arranged the kidnapping. His actions caused a chain of events that could have led to the deaths of Cody and Evan, and of Theodore too, the man he claims he wished to see rule. He lost control, but his plan was to gain control of the king, and of the kingdom and that cannot be shown leniency.”
He took a deep breath. “Before I pass sentence, I should like to make it known that Paul’s family are known not to be involved, by testimony from several people. They shall be looked after. With that said, my judgement is that Paul will be executed for his crimes.”
He turned his attention to Paul, who looked stunned and disbelieving. “You have until the morning to make your peace with the gods. Soldiers, please remove him.”
Over the growing noise, Brett raised his voice. “I thank you all for your presence during these difficult times and would like to assure you all that it is appreciated. You may all be excused.”
Paul didn’t leave quietly, screaming and begging as he was dragged away, the cries for mercy echoing around the room long after he had left it.
~::~
Brett sighed heavily as he finally escaped the audience chambers that evening. People had long-since stopped questioning the fact that he and Kaitlyn had the same quarters in the palace; they had been betrothed for Zeus only knew how long now up to that point and they were not sleeping in the same bed, there wasn’t much the naysayers could comment on. And Brett was pleased with his fiancée’s presence in the quite privacy of the room as he watched her take a seat on his most comfortable chaise-lounge, smiling softly as she patted her lap. Making his way across to her he lay out beside her and cushioned his head against her legs, sighing gently when she began to card her fingers through his hair, nails gently tracing along his scalp and sending pleasant tingles down his spine.
“You alright?” the blondette woman asked with apparent concern.
“I don’t know,” he murmured.
“Brett,” Kaitlyn leant down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, her hand still running through his hair, “You did the right thing. You had to do it,” if he hadn’t then he would have seemed weak before the eyes of his court and chances were that would only fuel the lingering rumours about him not being fit enough for the crown that he currently had in one hand from where he lay atop her lap. “If you didn’t then who was to say he wouldn’t do this again?” anyone who knew Paul said that he was as tenacious as a wild animal when it came to something that he wanted. Even his own wife had been claimed as to saying that once he had set his mind to it that he wouldn’t stop until he had finished and resolved the issue however he wanted it doing.
“… I’ve never had to hand down a death-sentence before.”
“As much as it pains me to say it,” the Queen-to-be sighed, “It would have happened eventually,” it was just one of those facts of life unfortunately; she had seen it a lot in her youth, though since Brett’s family had taken over the more immediate running on the kingdom the use of the death penalty had lowered significantly… that wasn’t to say that they were somehow softer than former rulers had been, but that their tactics had somehow worked better than all of those years of slightly more tyrannical attempts.
Brett turned slightly on the seat and pressed his face in towards Kaitlyn’s stomach, setting his crown aside for the moment and nestling close to her. “I’ll be looking forward to when this is all over…” he then laughed wanly, “I’m sorry; I said that we could plan our wedding some more today and here I am moping like a child. I’ll be alright in a minute,” he murmured quietly.
“Don’t you worry about that my love,” she murmured gently, “You can take all of the time you need.”
They lapsed into silence as they remained sitting together and Kaitlyn cursed the past year; everything had been so horrifically fraught, and just when he thought things would get better this happened. Still, Brett had to do his duty and she would stand by him no matter what choices he made. Within reason of course, but she didn’t doubt his use of logic, especially now that she had Ted there to guide him-and Ted certainly had more life experience than his younger brother did when it came to matters of the court. Had Paul not already been sentenced to death then Kaitlyn wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have ended up that way anyway; Brock did still have loyal friends despite being formerly disgraces, and supporters of both Brett and Ted would likely have their own scores to settle. She sent a quick glance down to where her fiancé was settled, eyes closed, and then across the room to where she had stashed one of her old weapons just in case.
If he hadn’t already been sentenced she might have been forced to come out of retirement.
~::~
“Do you think Brett is going to be alright?” Cody asked as he and Ted settled in for the evening; there was no big feast, understandably, to reflect on the sombre mood that had passed over the court that day, so they were settled in their room with some food. Ted didn’t appear to be eating much though and Cody had taken that as a sign that his lover had been equally as affected by what had happened as he had-perhaps even more so, since it was his brother that had had to make the decision over another man’s life. A man, who, according to what he had heard that day, had been quite a trusted (and at one time highly productive) member of his father’s original court. Three men had lost their lives in this fiasco, and though it was sad Cody couldn’t bring himself to wish it had turned out any other way; they would have easily been pulled into the matter had it not resolved the way it had.
“Brett will be fine eventually,” Ted sighed gently and plucked a roasted fig from the bowl and pressed it into his mouth; he chewed, swallowed, but barely reacted to the food he had eaten, and Cody suspected that he had eaten it more out of obligation’s sake-he had probably noticed the looks that Cody had been giving him because he hadn’t had so much as a drink all day since they had been both in court and then also when they had come out of it.
“But it’ll be hard on him?” Cody knew that such situations were not handled lightly and the decision was one that had been thought on long and hard; he could count on one hand the number of times he had known his father to hand out a death penalty since he had been born. He moved closer to the blond and gently began to rub the back of his neck.
“Yes… I don’t think a time will ever come when it won’t be hard on him.”
“I’m sorry,” Cody didn’t know why he suddenly felt compelled to apologise, because he rarely ever apologised as Mike took great delight in complaining to him about.
Ted looked up and smiled slightly, reaching for Cody’s hand that rested on the back of his neck and brushing his lips over the knuckles and then twining their fingers together firmly and drawing Cody to sit on his knee as he took a seat on a stool beside the table. Cody shifted slightly (he was always so conscious of his weight whenever he sat on Ted’s lap even though Ted didn’t mind it in the slightest) before then settling down and leaning back against him, his free hand returning to caressing the baby-fine hair at Ted’s nape.
“Why are you apologising, silly?”
“I don’t know… I suppose I just feel quite helpless right now,” he couldn’t help but think that if he had somehow tried to run or raise an alarm that this might not have happened… but even he could figure out that that would probably have made everything go much worse even though he hadn’t ever really experienced a situation like that before. Would he have died though had he tried to run? That had definitely crossed his mind at the time… and funnily enough what he had seen and heard since didn’t reassure him that his life would have been spared otherwise. Damien had been killed because he had been there at the time when he shouldn’t have been and what was to say it would have been different for him? If he had been killed no one else would have known and they could have used him for leverage, his corpse being dumped in the middle of nowhere…
“Cody, what is it?” Ted prompted, arm tightening around him.
“Oh, nothing, just thinking about how lucky I am that you came to find me,” Cody smiled softly and rested their foreheads together, lips meeting fleetingly. When they parted he sighed gently and said, “At least this is it, right?” they had dealt with the trials, all of the conspirators had been dealt with and now they could move on with their lives. Cody had already made plans to stay, his friend Mike was going to stay with him (albeit he’d have to treat Alex different in future but he could deal, eventually) and so, as far as he knew, was Randy… Cody wondered whether he should confront the other about never telling him that he had a lover; if he’d ever doubted it though seeing the way Evan threw himself in the front of that sword forced all doubt from his mind. Had he and Ted been in the same position he too would have placed himself before the mercy of the sword to save Ted’s life. All he really had left to do was to write his father, brother and mother, and let them know of his decision to remain.
Understandably he had decided not to mention the recent attack and coupe… because his family would ride upon the kingdom with their entire army to bring him home whether he wanted to go or not.
“I’m just sorry I didn’t get to you sooner,” Ted muttered, pressing his nose into Cody’s hair and taking in his lover’s scent, intermingled with the scents of numerous perfumes and oils that he had been exposed to throughout the day thanks to being in court with a lot of people for an extended period of time. “When I saw that they had you…” even though he was just sitting on a stool and clearly unharmed his heart had felt like it was going to force out of his very chest in panic. And then when Brock had arrived and things had escalated as they had… “I would have been happy to die then, you know?” he murmured, pretending not to feel the way Cody stiffened, though he strengthened his grip somewhat to prevent the other from pulling away when he seemed to be about to.
“Don’t you ever say that-”
“But it was true; if I could have just known you were safe, and that my death would have brought about Brock’s end sooner I would have happily done it.” As things stood he didn’t have to and he thanked Evan from the bottom of his very soul for that eventuality.
“I’d give myself to Hades to do with as he wished should anything have happened to you,” and Cody didn’t mean that as an idle threat or anything like that, he meant in wholeheartedly; Ted had become his very reason for living, had given his otherwise boring (if enviable) existence meaning… why would he want to carry on if he didn’t have the one person who made it worthwhile with him?
“Then I’d have to come fetch you.
Cody laughed softly, knowing deep down that Ted spoke the truth and it made his stomach tingle. He sobered a good deal in mere seconds though as he asked, “How long before the penalty will be carried out?”
Ted’s own smile fell and he bowed his head, “Anything from a week to even months… I don’t think Brett will dare linger though,” the longer he waited the more restless the people were going to become, and the longer they waited the more likely it was that he could convinced to change his mind-and Ted didn’t think he’d need to explain to his brother how dangerous it would be to have Paul continuing to live as he had before.
~::~
Brett didn’t linger when it came to Paul. He decided quickly that the last thing he wanted was to start off his married life with an execution and that conversely the kingdoms celebrations would be the ideal thing to remove the spectre the man had cast over them all. He listened to the pleas of Paul’s family and simply repeated his verdict; there would be no clemency for the man, no being cast out. He insisted that the family would be treated well but he could not let stand what had been done.
The execution itself was no public spectacle - Brett decided that things had been hard enough for everyone and since it was he and his family who had been affected, they should be the ones there at the end. He had of course asked if Cody and his entourage would like to be there with them but only Cody and Randy had accepted. Cody was there because after all that had happened, he thought it would be nice to be sure there was no longer a threat... and to support Ted as well. Randy had similar motives but his thoughts were less about what happened to Cody and more about Evan and that he may well have died simply because of this one man’s schemes. He wanted to be there at the end to see justice served and ease his own mind. Evan however chose not to be there. He was happy enough to be told that justice was done, he didn’t need to see it up close, or so he told Randy. Killing a man in battle was one thing, watching an execution quite another. And in any case his side ached badly and he wanted to be rested up so that he could at least sit and watch the wedding and coronation in a few days.
Paul was executed at dawn, with few spectators and no reprieve in spite of his last-minute pleas. Sheamus was the one to do the deed, slicing off the man’s head cleanly and without so much as a change in his expression. Nor did the watchers show any sign of celebration over the death, simply witnessed it and left the courtyard more reassured than they had been, if not much happier.
A proclamation was sent out to the kingdom to inform them of events and a whole day went past before another went out regarding the wedding and coronation. There were few in the kingdom who would voluntarily stay away - such occasions were always marked by gifts from the royals to their subjects, food, wine, a whole day in which everyone was excused from normal duties, save of course for the slaves. There was an almost palpable excitement in the air and gifts started to pour in from all over the kingdom, a truly eclectic selection that represented the best that each family had to give - livestock, jewellery, food and fabrics. Brett started to get a little stressed out at the thought of so many people potentially causing themselves financial hardship and Ted had to tell him firmly that he wasn’t allowed to give everything back. “They’ll not have impoverished themselves to give you these and in any case, they’ll expect it to work out well for them in the future.”
“How?”
“Well, you’ll have plenty of choice when next we need something along these lines.” Ted chuckled a little. “They’re hoping to find favour with you by showing that they’re better than anyone else at what they do. That means that you’ll be getting everything from speciality bread to...” He picked up a carved trinket and frowned at it. “What is this thing anyway?”
“If you position it right, it looks like a man and woman in an embrace,” said Brett absently. “A carving is one thing, I’m not sure what to do with the livestock.”
“Roast it,” said Ted with a grin. “Or roast ours and keep them. We need to feed everyone.”
“I don’t know that we can-“
“Are you panicking?” Ted smirked a little.
“I’m not panicking!”
“You are! You’re worried because you’re about to get married and everyone will be watching and - oh, you’ve gone pale. Are you ill?”
“You’re just being mean now.” Brett tried to level his elder brother with a stern look that failed entirely; Ted’s grin never wavered and Brett rolled his eyes. “Maybe I’m a little nervous.”
“You’ll be fine,” Ted told him. “Everything will go well.”
“As long as you don’t drop the crown,” added Brett. “It’s not just me who could look the fool.”
“Thank you for that, brother,” said Ted dryly, trying to ignore Brett’s chuckle. “If I wasn’t concerned about that before, I am now!”
“I’m sure that Cody will still love you, even if you do make a fool of yourself.”
“And will Kaitlyn still love you?”
“She won’t have a choice, no matter how ridiculous I look when we marry, the deed will be done.” Brett looked a little smug and then added, “I have selected two young men who wish to travel a little, soldiers both of them. I have asked that they deliver Cody’s message to his father and await a reply, it will hopefully cure their wanderlust a little. And of course it will mean that Cody will be able to inform his father of his wishes... should we be awaiting an invasion?”
“I dare say we’ll find out soon enough,” said Ted.
~:~
When Ted made his way back to his own rooms, he was a little surprised to find that Cody wasn’t alone and even more surprised that his visitor was neither Mike nor Randy. It was Alex who looked up at him, a little guiltily, but made no move to take himself out of the room as he might have done only days before. Cody looked up too but his smile was a good deal warmer.
“What are you two doing?” asked Ted, taking a seat nearby and trying not to be intrusive.
“I’m writing letters to my mother and father,” said Cody, not sounding enthused. “But I thought it would be more interesting if Alex were to help me.”
Ted raised his eyebrows. “You read?”
“Not well,” admitted Alex. “A little, I sat in on lessons with Mike and Cody for many years but had no book to see the examples. But Cody is reading to me.”
“I thought Alex could tell me if it sounded right, or if I was being rude or dismissive or - well, cold.” Cody tilted his head, still smiling but clearly serious. “And explaining a few things about living in the court to him... although he knows much of it already. I was a little taken aback.”
“I’ve watched often and Mike spoke about what I wasn’t able to watch,” said Alex, quietly but audibly and with only the slightest hesitation before starting. “I hope it’s helped.”
“I didn’t realise you knew any of this and you’ve been stood behind me for more than half my life,” bitched Cody with a rather good-natured smirk. “This is going to be very strange.”
“For both of us,” replied Alex, then covered his mouth quickly.
Ted laughed. “You’ll get along perfectly if you can manage not to assume we’ll be angry whenever you speak. That was the right answer. Cody, speaking of the letters, Brett has arranged delivery.”
“Great!” said Cody, just a little too brightly to be entirely genuine - he was concerned that the letter would encourage his father to arrive and force him back and it was hard to strike exactly the right note to make sure that his father would allow him to remain. Knowing his father, he would probably think it had been written under duress.
Ted raised his eyebrows. “You don’t sound so sure.”
“He’s too formal,” said Alex unexpectedly. “The king is not formal within the court and I have not known him to be particularly formal with you, my lord... Cody. He would perhaps think it more honest and think you more sincere if you spoke to him as your father rather than your king.” Alex coloured slightly. “And add a note for your mother as well. She will worry.”
“You sound like my mother,” said Cody, but amicably. “What would you suggest instead?”
“That you tell him that you’re restless and enjoying the change of scenery. And that he too did some travelling in his youth. And that you’re trying to find your own way in the world. The king has always appreciated those sentiments from others.”
Cody looked a little startled. “How do you know?”
“Because I listen when he speaks.” Alex smiled, a little shyly. “While you and Michael spent many years making faces at one another and latterly dreaming of something else.”
Ted broke out laughing. “Maybe you should be the one writing this letter.”
Alex shook his head hurriedly, looking slightly panicked. “I can’t write even a little-“
“I’ll do the writing and you shall come up with what it is I’m supposed to be saying.” Cody dipped his pen in the ink and gave Ted an apologetic look. “I know this is taking a rather long time.”
“Not at all,” replied Ted, settling himself more comfortably. “This cannot be rushed and in any case, I wish for you to get it right so that we don’t have to deal with repercussions.” He paused a moment, realising what was wrong with the scene before him. “Where’s Michael?”
“He’s shopping,” said Cody absently.
“He claimed the things that we have are not suitable for the wedding,” said Alex without looking up and Ted realised that what he actually meant was that Mike believed that Alex’s things were not suitable for the wedding. He was right about that of course and perhaps Alex would not entirely understand why the clothes he had been wearing around the court could not also be worn for such an event, but it was best to let Mike get on with it. He knew what he was doing.
“Are you excited?” asked Cody, looking up and meeting Ted’s eyes. “Or even a little sad that it’s not you?”
“Not me getting married? I am not at all sorry.”
“That’s not what I meant, Theodore.”
Ted was quiet for a moment. “I am not sorry at all. I hastened back here because I knew the role was important and not because I wanted any part of it myself. I am glad that Brett is to reign. I would not enjoy it.” He grinned suddenly. “There are other things more important to me. Other people.”
He didn’t go into further detail with Alex right there with them but Cody grinned a little, knowing exactly what he meant.
“It was pure luck,” he retorted, not entirely a lie. It had been luck that he had known to find the tattoo artist but since the man had kept a low profile he wanted to keep it that way out of respect to him. He had apparently suggested to the soldiers that they head that way after all. “I was trying to think of where a kidnapper would take Cody. In daylight he couldn’t go far with a captive, it would have to be somewhere out of the way and quiet. And of course I knew of the stables and that they were unused. It wasn’t the first place I went, but it was one of a list. And the soldiers were only minutes behind me as it transpired.”
Cody also gave his evidence, telling what he had heard and insisting that Paul had shown a fair amount of self-interest without once saying he was doing what he was for the sake of the people, while he had mentioned annoyance that Damien seemed to be gaining his place. He added that Curtis had mentioned that Paul needed to keep better control of Brock and that Curtis had very definitely deferred to Paul throughout the whole thing.
It was no real surprise to him when the vote from the members of the court came back as unanimously guilty.
There was a slight buzz from the court as Brett simply sat in thought for a moment, a frown on his face before he rose and everyone fell quiet. Brett looked around the members of the court before looking back at Paul.
“I am saddened by this,” he started. “I had hoped that during a time such as this, after the hard times our kingdom has been through, that we could all work toward rebuilding what we have lost without the unpleasant politics. Recent events have opened my eyes about this and I cannot allow this state of affairs to pass. I hope that I have so far shown that such things will not stand. But I hope also that the punishments I have meted out fit the crime. Tyson, Jamie and Albert were imprisoned as their conspiracy never came to fruition and it is clear that they were not the masterminds behind the crimes. Curtis has been banished due to the damage that he helped to bring about but he too was a pawn and I believe I have shown as much leniency as possible under the circumstances. In this case I can’t show the same leniency. Paul plotted the conspiracy, he set Brock on a potentially murderous course and he was the one who arranged the kidnapping. His actions caused a chain of events that could have led to the deaths of Cody and Evan, and of Theodore too, the man he claims he wished to see rule. He lost control, but his plan was to gain control of the king, and of the kingdom and that cannot be shown leniency.”
He took a deep breath. “Before I pass sentence, I should like to make it known that Paul’s family are known not to be involved, by testimony from several people. They shall be looked after. With that said, my judgement is that Paul will be executed for his crimes.”
He turned his attention to Paul, who looked stunned and disbelieving. “You have until the morning to make your peace with the gods. Soldiers, please remove him.”
Over the growing noise, Brett raised his voice. “I thank you all for your presence during these difficult times and would like to assure you all that it is appreciated. You may all be excused.”
Paul didn’t leave quietly, screaming and begging as he was dragged away, the cries for mercy echoing around the room long after he had left it.
~::~
Brett sighed heavily as he finally escaped the audience chambers that evening. People had long-since stopped questioning the fact that he and Kaitlyn had the same quarters in the palace; they had been betrothed for Zeus only knew how long now up to that point and they were not sleeping in the same bed, there wasn’t much the naysayers could comment on. And Brett was pleased with his fiancée’s presence in the quite privacy of the room as he watched her take a seat on his most comfortable chaise-lounge, smiling softly as she patted her lap. Making his way across to her he lay out beside her and cushioned his head against her legs, sighing gently when she began to card her fingers through his hair, nails gently tracing along his scalp and sending pleasant tingles down his spine.
“You alright?” the blondette woman asked with apparent concern.
“I don’t know,” he murmured.
“Brett,” Kaitlyn leant down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, her hand still running through his hair, “You did the right thing. You had to do it,” if he hadn’t then he would have seemed weak before the eyes of his court and chances were that would only fuel the lingering rumours about him not being fit enough for the crown that he currently had in one hand from where he lay atop her lap. “If you didn’t then who was to say he wouldn’t do this again?” anyone who knew Paul said that he was as tenacious as a wild animal when it came to something that he wanted. Even his own wife had been claimed as to saying that once he had set his mind to it that he wouldn’t stop until he had finished and resolved the issue however he wanted it doing.
“… I’ve never had to hand down a death-sentence before.”
“As much as it pains me to say it,” the Queen-to-be sighed, “It would have happened eventually,” it was just one of those facts of life unfortunately; she had seen it a lot in her youth, though since Brett’s family had taken over the more immediate running on the kingdom the use of the death penalty had lowered significantly… that wasn’t to say that they were somehow softer than former rulers had been, but that their tactics had somehow worked better than all of those years of slightly more tyrannical attempts.
Brett turned slightly on the seat and pressed his face in towards Kaitlyn’s stomach, setting his crown aside for the moment and nestling close to her. “I’ll be looking forward to when this is all over…” he then laughed wanly, “I’m sorry; I said that we could plan our wedding some more today and here I am moping like a child. I’ll be alright in a minute,” he murmured quietly.
“Don’t you worry about that my love,” she murmured gently, “You can take all of the time you need.”
They lapsed into silence as they remained sitting together and Kaitlyn cursed the past year; everything had been so horrifically fraught, and just when he thought things would get better this happened. Still, Brett had to do his duty and she would stand by him no matter what choices he made. Within reason of course, but she didn’t doubt his use of logic, especially now that she had Ted there to guide him-and Ted certainly had more life experience than his younger brother did when it came to matters of the court. Had Paul not already been sentenced to death then Kaitlyn wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have ended up that way anyway; Brock did still have loyal friends despite being formerly disgraces, and supporters of both Brett and Ted would likely have their own scores to settle. She sent a quick glance down to where her fiancé was settled, eyes closed, and then across the room to where she had stashed one of her old weapons just in case.
If he hadn’t already been sentenced she might have been forced to come out of retirement.
~::~
“Do you think Brett is going to be alright?” Cody asked as he and Ted settled in for the evening; there was no big feast, understandably, to reflect on the sombre mood that had passed over the court that day, so they were settled in their room with some food. Ted didn’t appear to be eating much though and Cody had taken that as a sign that his lover had been equally as affected by what had happened as he had-perhaps even more so, since it was his brother that had had to make the decision over another man’s life. A man, who, according to what he had heard that day, had been quite a trusted (and at one time highly productive) member of his father’s original court. Three men had lost their lives in this fiasco, and though it was sad Cody couldn’t bring himself to wish it had turned out any other way; they would have easily been pulled into the matter had it not resolved the way it had.
“Brett will be fine eventually,” Ted sighed gently and plucked a roasted fig from the bowl and pressed it into his mouth; he chewed, swallowed, but barely reacted to the food he had eaten, and Cody suspected that he had eaten it more out of obligation’s sake-he had probably noticed the looks that Cody had been giving him because he hadn’t had so much as a drink all day since they had been both in court and then also when they had come out of it.
“But it’ll be hard on him?” Cody knew that such situations were not handled lightly and the decision was one that had been thought on long and hard; he could count on one hand the number of times he had known his father to hand out a death penalty since he had been born. He moved closer to the blond and gently began to rub the back of his neck.
“Yes… I don’t think a time will ever come when it won’t be hard on him.”
“I’m sorry,” Cody didn’t know why he suddenly felt compelled to apologise, because he rarely ever apologised as Mike took great delight in complaining to him about.
Ted looked up and smiled slightly, reaching for Cody’s hand that rested on the back of his neck and brushing his lips over the knuckles and then twining their fingers together firmly and drawing Cody to sit on his knee as he took a seat on a stool beside the table. Cody shifted slightly (he was always so conscious of his weight whenever he sat on Ted’s lap even though Ted didn’t mind it in the slightest) before then settling down and leaning back against him, his free hand returning to caressing the baby-fine hair at Ted’s nape.
“Why are you apologising, silly?”
“I don’t know… I suppose I just feel quite helpless right now,” he couldn’t help but think that if he had somehow tried to run or raise an alarm that this might not have happened… but even he could figure out that that would probably have made everything go much worse even though he hadn’t ever really experienced a situation like that before. Would he have died though had he tried to run? That had definitely crossed his mind at the time… and funnily enough what he had seen and heard since didn’t reassure him that his life would have been spared otherwise. Damien had been killed because he had been there at the time when he shouldn’t have been and what was to say it would have been different for him? If he had been killed no one else would have known and they could have used him for leverage, his corpse being dumped in the middle of nowhere…
“Cody, what is it?” Ted prompted, arm tightening around him.
“Oh, nothing, just thinking about how lucky I am that you came to find me,” Cody smiled softly and rested their foreheads together, lips meeting fleetingly. When they parted he sighed gently and said, “At least this is it, right?” they had dealt with the trials, all of the conspirators had been dealt with and now they could move on with their lives. Cody had already made plans to stay, his friend Mike was going to stay with him (albeit he’d have to treat Alex different in future but he could deal, eventually) and so, as far as he knew, was Randy… Cody wondered whether he should confront the other about never telling him that he had a lover; if he’d ever doubted it though seeing the way Evan threw himself in the front of that sword forced all doubt from his mind. Had he and Ted been in the same position he too would have placed himself before the mercy of the sword to save Ted’s life. All he really had left to do was to write his father, brother and mother, and let them know of his decision to remain.
Understandably he had decided not to mention the recent attack and coupe… because his family would ride upon the kingdom with their entire army to bring him home whether he wanted to go or not.
“I’m just sorry I didn’t get to you sooner,” Ted muttered, pressing his nose into Cody’s hair and taking in his lover’s scent, intermingled with the scents of numerous perfumes and oils that he had been exposed to throughout the day thanks to being in court with a lot of people for an extended period of time. “When I saw that they had you…” even though he was just sitting on a stool and clearly unharmed his heart had felt like it was going to force out of his very chest in panic. And then when Brock had arrived and things had escalated as they had… “I would have been happy to die then, you know?” he murmured, pretending not to feel the way Cody stiffened, though he strengthened his grip somewhat to prevent the other from pulling away when he seemed to be about to.
“Don’t you ever say that-”
“But it was true; if I could have just known you were safe, and that my death would have brought about Brock’s end sooner I would have happily done it.” As things stood he didn’t have to and he thanked Evan from the bottom of his very soul for that eventuality.
“I’d give myself to Hades to do with as he wished should anything have happened to you,” and Cody didn’t mean that as an idle threat or anything like that, he meant in wholeheartedly; Ted had become his very reason for living, had given his otherwise boring (if enviable) existence meaning… why would he want to carry on if he didn’t have the one person who made it worthwhile with him?
“Then I’d have to come fetch you.
Cody laughed softly, knowing deep down that Ted spoke the truth and it made his stomach tingle. He sobered a good deal in mere seconds though as he asked, “How long before the penalty will be carried out?”
Ted’s own smile fell and he bowed his head, “Anything from a week to even months… I don’t think Brett will dare linger though,” the longer he waited the more restless the people were going to become, and the longer they waited the more likely it was that he could convinced to change his mind-and Ted didn’t think he’d need to explain to his brother how dangerous it would be to have Paul continuing to live as he had before.
~::~
Brett didn’t linger when it came to Paul. He decided quickly that the last thing he wanted was to start off his married life with an execution and that conversely the kingdoms celebrations would be the ideal thing to remove the spectre the man had cast over them all. He listened to the pleas of Paul’s family and simply repeated his verdict; there would be no clemency for the man, no being cast out. He insisted that the family would be treated well but he could not let stand what had been done.
The execution itself was no public spectacle - Brett decided that things had been hard enough for everyone and since it was he and his family who had been affected, they should be the ones there at the end. He had of course asked if Cody and his entourage would like to be there with them but only Cody and Randy had accepted. Cody was there because after all that had happened, he thought it would be nice to be sure there was no longer a threat... and to support Ted as well. Randy had similar motives but his thoughts were less about what happened to Cody and more about Evan and that he may well have died simply because of this one man’s schemes. He wanted to be there at the end to see justice served and ease his own mind. Evan however chose not to be there. He was happy enough to be told that justice was done, he didn’t need to see it up close, or so he told Randy. Killing a man in battle was one thing, watching an execution quite another. And in any case his side ached badly and he wanted to be rested up so that he could at least sit and watch the wedding and coronation in a few days.
Paul was executed at dawn, with few spectators and no reprieve in spite of his last-minute pleas. Sheamus was the one to do the deed, slicing off the man’s head cleanly and without so much as a change in his expression. Nor did the watchers show any sign of celebration over the death, simply witnessed it and left the courtyard more reassured than they had been, if not much happier.
A proclamation was sent out to the kingdom to inform them of events and a whole day went past before another went out regarding the wedding and coronation. There were few in the kingdom who would voluntarily stay away - such occasions were always marked by gifts from the royals to their subjects, food, wine, a whole day in which everyone was excused from normal duties, save of course for the slaves. There was an almost palpable excitement in the air and gifts started to pour in from all over the kingdom, a truly eclectic selection that represented the best that each family had to give - livestock, jewellery, food and fabrics. Brett started to get a little stressed out at the thought of so many people potentially causing themselves financial hardship and Ted had to tell him firmly that he wasn’t allowed to give everything back. “They’ll not have impoverished themselves to give you these and in any case, they’ll expect it to work out well for them in the future.”
“How?”
“Well, you’ll have plenty of choice when next we need something along these lines.” Ted chuckled a little. “They’re hoping to find favour with you by showing that they’re better than anyone else at what they do. That means that you’ll be getting everything from speciality bread to...” He picked up a carved trinket and frowned at it. “What is this thing anyway?”
“If you position it right, it looks like a man and woman in an embrace,” said Brett absently. “A carving is one thing, I’m not sure what to do with the livestock.”
“Roast it,” said Ted with a grin. “Or roast ours and keep them. We need to feed everyone.”
“I don’t know that we can-“
“Are you panicking?” Ted smirked a little.
“I’m not panicking!”
“You are! You’re worried because you’re about to get married and everyone will be watching and - oh, you’ve gone pale. Are you ill?”
“You’re just being mean now.” Brett tried to level his elder brother with a stern look that failed entirely; Ted’s grin never wavered and Brett rolled his eyes. “Maybe I’m a little nervous.”
“You’ll be fine,” Ted told him. “Everything will go well.”
“As long as you don’t drop the crown,” added Brett. “It’s not just me who could look the fool.”
“Thank you for that, brother,” said Ted dryly, trying to ignore Brett’s chuckle. “If I wasn’t concerned about that before, I am now!”
“I’m sure that Cody will still love you, even if you do make a fool of yourself.”
“And will Kaitlyn still love you?”
“She won’t have a choice, no matter how ridiculous I look when we marry, the deed will be done.” Brett looked a little smug and then added, “I have selected two young men who wish to travel a little, soldiers both of them. I have asked that they deliver Cody’s message to his father and await a reply, it will hopefully cure their wanderlust a little. And of course it will mean that Cody will be able to inform his father of his wishes... should we be awaiting an invasion?”
“I dare say we’ll find out soon enough,” said Ted.
~:~
When Ted made his way back to his own rooms, he was a little surprised to find that Cody wasn’t alone and even more surprised that his visitor was neither Mike nor Randy. It was Alex who looked up at him, a little guiltily, but made no move to take himself out of the room as he might have done only days before. Cody looked up too but his smile was a good deal warmer.
“What are you two doing?” asked Ted, taking a seat nearby and trying not to be intrusive.
“I’m writing letters to my mother and father,” said Cody, not sounding enthused. “But I thought it would be more interesting if Alex were to help me.”
Ted raised his eyebrows. “You read?”
“Not well,” admitted Alex. “A little, I sat in on lessons with Mike and Cody for many years but had no book to see the examples. But Cody is reading to me.”
“I thought Alex could tell me if it sounded right, or if I was being rude or dismissive or - well, cold.” Cody tilted his head, still smiling but clearly serious. “And explaining a few things about living in the court to him... although he knows much of it already. I was a little taken aback.”
“I’ve watched often and Mike spoke about what I wasn’t able to watch,” said Alex, quietly but audibly and with only the slightest hesitation before starting. “I hope it’s helped.”
“I didn’t realise you knew any of this and you’ve been stood behind me for more than half my life,” bitched Cody with a rather good-natured smirk. “This is going to be very strange.”
“For both of us,” replied Alex, then covered his mouth quickly.
Ted laughed. “You’ll get along perfectly if you can manage not to assume we’ll be angry whenever you speak. That was the right answer. Cody, speaking of the letters, Brett has arranged delivery.”
“Great!” said Cody, just a little too brightly to be entirely genuine - he was concerned that the letter would encourage his father to arrive and force him back and it was hard to strike exactly the right note to make sure that his father would allow him to remain. Knowing his father, he would probably think it had been written under duress.
Ted raised his eyebrows. “You don’t sound so sure.”
“He’s too formal,” said Alex unexpectedly. “The king is not formal within the court and I have not known him to be particularly formal with you, my lord... Cody. He would perhaps think it more honest and think you more sincere if you spoke to him as your father rather than your king.” Alex coloured slightly. “And add a note for your mother as well. She will worry.”
“You sound like my mother,” said Cody, but amicably. “What would you suggest instead?”
“That you tell him that you’re restless and enjoying the change of scenery. And that he too did some travelling in his youth. And that you’re trying to find your own way in the world. The king has always appreciated those sentiments from others.”
Cody looked a little startled. “How do you know?”
“Because I listen when he speaks.” Alex smiled, a little shyly. “While you and Michael spent many years making faces at one another and latterly dreaming of something else.”
Ted broke out laughing. “Maybe you should be the one writing this letter.”
Alex shook his head hurriedly, looking slightly panicked. “I can’t write even a little-“
“I’ll do the writing and you shall come up with what it is I’m supposed to be saying.” Cody dipped his pen in the ink and gave Ted an apologetic look. “I know this is taking a rather long time.”
“Not at all,” replied Ted, settling himself more comfortably. “This cannot be rushed and in any case, I wish for you to get it right so that we don’t have to deal with repercussions.” He paused a moment, realising what was wrong with the scene before him. “Where’s Michael?”
“He’s shopping,” said Cody absently.
“He claimed the things that we have are not suitable for the wedding,” said Alex without looking up and Ted realised that what he actually meant was that Mike believed that Alex’s things were not suitable for the wedding. He was right about that of course and perhaps Alex would not entirely understand why the clothes he had been wearing around the court could not also be worn for such an event, but it was best to let Mike get on with it. He knew what he was doing.
“Are you excited?” asked Cody, looking up and meeting Ted’s eyes. “Or even a little sad that it’s not you?”
“Not me getting married? I am not at all sorry.”
“That’s not what I meant, Theodore.”
Ted was quiet for a moment. “I am not sorry at all. I hastened back here because I knew the role was important and not because I wanted any part of it myself. I am glad that Brett is to reign. I would not enjoy it.” He grinned suddenly. “There are other things more important to me. Other people.”
He didn’t go into further detail with Alex right there with them but Cody grinned a little, knowing exactly what he meant.