Squire (Male x Male) (Wattys Shortlist 2021 & 2022)

Chapter 26 - The Meeting

Warning: This chapter contains a homophobic character. Reader discretion is advised.

My parents and I agreed to schedule a meeting to meet my intended spouse on Friday morning of that week. I hoped that would give Sebastian long enough to regain some additional strength, while also being aware that it needed to be arranged before Katherine's trial.

My mother had originally suggested we have dinner together on Thursday evening, but given that I had no idea whether this would result in chaos, I had persuaded them that perhaps we could eat together another time.

We stood outside the door to the King's study at nine o'clock as agreed. I was anxious about how my parents were going to react to this, but judging by Sebastian's pallid complexion and uncharacteristic silence, he was understandably more nervous than I was.

"Ready?" I asked him before I knocked on the oak door. He nodded and I proceeded.

"Please, come in," I heard my father call from the other side, and I pushed open the door so that Sebastian and I could enter the King's study.

My mother and father sat together on one side of the carved table, both smiling as we entered. My father spoke first.

"Sebastian, I did not expect you to be joining us today."

"Richard invited me, Your Majesty," replied Sebastian with a small bow.

"In which case, please, take a seat," my father gestured to one of the vacant chairs.

"Thank you."

I took a seat adjacent to Sebastian. There was a tightness in my chest. My father was an honourable man, and I expected him to uphold our agreement based on that, but there was still doubt in my mind that he would accept our relationship.

"So, Richard, I was hoping we would still be meeting your intended today?" he asked, looking over my shoulder. "Perhaps she is late?"

"My beloved is not late, father," I clarified, bracing myself. "He sits next to me."

My father's eyes met Sebastian's.

Sebastian turned crimson.

In most other situations I found his blushed cheeks sweet, but on this occasion I immediately felt defensive.

"You ... you want to marry Sebastian?" my father talked slowly, as if he were processing the information. He looked back at me. "But Sebastian is ..."

"A man?" I finished for him. "Trust me, father, I am well aware of that."

"You cannot marry a man," he said, clearly somewhat bewildered.

"I have a contract, signed by you, that states otherwise," I retorted defiantly, while trying to stay calm. "We can check the wording, but I believe I covered everything."

"This is preposterous!" he exclaimed, more animated this time. "There are plenty of beautiful women available to you. What possible reason could you possibly have for wanting to marry a man?"

"Love," I said simply. "Is love not the reason behind most marriage vows?"

"Love between a man and a woman, yes!" he replied, his voice louder now. He stood up and appeared riled. "Not love between two men. This is ... this is wrong."

"Wrong?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes," my father replied adamantly. "Wrong."

Sebastian cringed.