Chapter Twenty-Four

“Let’s have that swimming lesson.”

They’d arrived at the ship by midafternoon, and by the time the horses and equipment had either been stowed or returned to their original owners, Avalon ordered all the guards to stand down, and for the crew to rest. The bay was private, and Avalon was happy enough to wait until morning before they set sail again.

Jasper’s magic had alerted him that Avalon was nervous, as they were supposedly relaxing in Avalon’s cabin. Those feelings likely resulted in Avalon’s earlier admission about his lack of knowledge about the intimacies that could be shared between two men. Jasper didn’t have a clue either, but the possibility they could be closer sat between them like a boulder no one was acknowledging, Jasper decided to relax the atmosphere by suggesting the swim.

“I’m not sure it’s safe to swim in the dark,” Avalon said, which wasn’t a no.

“The moon will be out tonight, and we’re in a bay this time, not the strait, so we’d be safer than the last time I went into the water. You have the ship well lit, and if the dark really worries you, I can light our way.” Jasper caught his husband’s hands, his smile wide. “You’d hate to take me out into the straits again, especially if you’re unsure of my ability to swim if I fall overboard.”

“You are playing me, my husband.” Avalon chuckled. “I fully expect that if you fell overboard again, a passing whale or tentacled creature would simply hold you out of the water until you could be saved again. Or you would just flick yourself back up onto the deck.”

Avalon wasn’t wrong. “Wouldn’t I be setting a good example to the crew if I could swim the same as you insist they do?”

“The crew and the guards are all in their bunks for the night. Even Duncan and Merlin turned in early. They won’t see you in the water.”

“I know. But I’m a Crown Prince Consort now.” Jasper peered up at his husband. “I’d hate to make a fool of myself in front of the men and women you rule. So, if we went into the water now…”

“You rule them, too.” Avalon shook his head. “Come on then, but we will need to be quiet. Duncan and Merlin deserve their quality time together after the stress they’ve been under since we docked here.”

“You would think that Crown Princes and their Consorts would have a bit more freedom to do the things they want to do, when they want to do them,” Jasper mock grumbled as he followed his husband out of the cabin and out onto the deck. The long planks securing the ship to land were still out, which Jasper was quietly relieved about. He might have joked with Avalon about falling in the water, but hitting the surface of that water hadn’t been fun, especially after falling from such a height.

“You know, me and Xavier, the Crown Prince of Balenborn used to joke about that all the time.” They reached the sand, and Avalon danced around on one foot and then the other, tugging off his boots. “He went through some troubles recently. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it, but he was falsely accused of nefarious behavior by someone who should’ve known better. I was really pleased to hear he’d married his sweetheart.”

“Prince Remy from Rosenhip, I do remember reading about that.” Jasper sat on the sand, taking off his boots and then his coat. “It’s strange because the images of Crown Prince Xavier reminded me of you in a way. Both of you are so tall and commanding. I couldn’t imagine either of you being anything other than the next ruler of a country.”

“If you want to see big, you should meet King Mintyn of Marinkaw. Me and Xavier have a way to go to meet that man’s presence. But he’s another great guy who doesn’t stand on ceremony and would rather be leading his troops than ruling his country.”

Jasper chuckled. “I think Felicity was a little miffed when King Mintyn married Prince Syrius. To be fair, I think it was his castle she was attracted to, not the King himself. But the idea of being Queen in a castle where the King was barely ever home appealed to her, or so I heard.”

“And yet now, Prince Syrius, or should I say, King Consort Syrius has turned that big castle into a home where his husband is happy to stay in. I saw them during the Marinkaw games a while ago. I will take you with me next year. It’s always a lot of fun seeing royals and socialites of all ages making fools of themselves in a huge paddock.” Avalon stripped off his coat, and then his top shirt, leaving him in a thin undershirt and his pants. “Are you ready to get your feet wet, at least?” He held out his hand.

Following Avalon’s example, Jasper quickly took off his top shirt, suddenly feeling very skinny and inadequate. The water would be a great place to hide. With a laugh, he jumped up, ignoring the hand, and ran into where the water brushed up against the sand, plunging deeper, chuckling as he fell with a splash, completely soaking himself.

“That’s an easier way of getting wet,” he said, finding his feet on the sandy bottom, grinning at Avalon who was slowly wading in. “Come on. It’s not that cold.”

“It is not warm.” Avalon waded until the water came up to his thigh and then pushed forward, moving his arms, letting his body float behind him, and keeping his head out of the water. “Refreshing is the term I’d use.” He swirled around in the water, so they were facing each other. “Seeing as water is your element, does your magic react, or feel different when you’re submerged in it?”

“Hmm. Yes, in a way.” Jasper spread out his arms, swishing his hands through the small waves. “It’s like, when you’ve been asleep curled up, and then you wake up and stretch, or if you’ve been on a horse for most of the day, and then you stretch your spine out when you get off. It’s like my magic is stretching, renewing itself, recharging. Its a new feeling for me, but it feels good.”

Jasper watched as Avalon swam closer. “Can you feel how the water wants to support your weight. Learning to float is one of the key elements of surviving in water.” Avalon appeared to flip so he was lying on his back, the back of his head in the water, and his feet bobbing up as well.

“I’m so glad I plaited my hair.” Jasper chuckled as he tried to work out how to get in the same position. He sunk down into the water, so his shoulders were covered. “If I kick my legs up, the top half of me is just going to sink.”

“Here, if you let me help.” The water was still shallow enough that Avalon could stand up, the water covering him from the waist down. “You can lay back onto my hands. I won’t let you fall.”

Jasper already knew that. He was also fairly confident he could float. The water against his skin felt like a friend, welcoming him. But he didn’t mention that. The whole point of them being in the water, in Jasper’s opinion, was so they could be physically closer without any of the tension and nervous energy he’d felt back in the cabin.

“Are you ready to do this?” Jasper felt the brush of Avalon’s fingers against the back of his undershirt. “Just lay back and take the pressure off your legs. Your feet and legs will naturally float if you relax them.”

Closing his eyes, Jasper leaned back against Avalon’s hands feeling his husband’s strength through his magic. The water moved incessantly against his skin, but Avalon’s fingers were a constant, making it easy for Jasper to relax his legs and raise his feet.

“You’re doing good.” Jasper’s eyes flew open at Avalon’s voice. Thanks to the lights coming from the ship, his husband’s face was in shadows, but the warmth of his tone touched Jasper’s core. “Can you feel how the water will help you float if you just relax?”

“Hmm.” Jasper closed his eyes again. “I didn’t feel the urge to float or feel myself rising in the water in any way when I jumped off the ship, but then…” he thought about it for a moment, reliving that sensation, “I think my magic knew I needed that time being surrounded by the water. I couldn’t commune with the fish and the other creatures, if I was bobbing on top of the surface.”

“I’ll remember that if you go overboard again – you took ten years from my life when you didn’t immediately surface.” Avalon moved his hands on Jasper’s back, spreading them wider, his fingers making warm indents in Jasper’s skin.

“When I learned to swim Duncan told me that if I ever fell overboard to actually focus on floating unless I could easily see something I could swim towards. It’s not so important in the Strait as the weather and the water are relatively calm. But if we head out to the open sea, then the waves can sometimes be huge. Whole ships can almost be hidden by them at times. If a person goes over the railing, it is better for them to float, as opposed to wasting energy swimming, relying on the ship to turn around and go back for them.”

“Assuming someone saw them go overboard in the first place.” Jasper remembered what the great whales had shown him, how many men had lost their lives because they weren’t equipped to live in the water. “This does feel nice. Relaxing. I don’t think I want you to move your hands away from my back, though.”

“You’re not strictly floating if I’m holding onto you. Not that it’s a hardship,” Avalon chuckled softly.

“Can you scoot down into the water further?” Jasper had an idea he wanted to try. “I was thinking, if I had my arms around your neck, perhaps you could take me out deeper into the water, and maybe some of the sea life might come closer to us that way. If you are still keen on seeing some. Is that possible?”

“I can easily support your weight in the water, and I’d love that.” Jasper felt one of Avalon’s hands move and then he was cradled against his husband’s chest. There was something solid and comforting about being so close, and Jasper’s magic agreed.

“I won’t try to swim this way,” Avalon said as he started moving around the side of the ship. “It is possible to tow a man while you’re swimming, but you’d probably end up with a face full of water. Just keep your body relaxed and we should both float.”

Jasper was beautifully relaxed. His magic hummed as they moved into deeper water. With his eyes still closed, Jasper let his magic roam, seeking out any fish or bottom creatures who might be in the area. “Don’t yelp, or move too quickly,” he warned as he felt a tentacled creature reaching up from the bottom of the sea.

“What the… Oh, my goodness. I have an octopus clinging to my pants.” Avalon kept his voice low, and Jasper could hear how happy the idea made his husband. “I never believed it was possible. Can you hang on? I want to reach down and see if it will take my hand.”

“Just don’t remove it from the water.” Jasper tightened his arms around Avalon’s neck. Avalon left his arm around Jasper’s waist, but his other arm disappeared from under Jasper’s legs. Using his magic, Jasper sent a quick message. He’s just curious. If he could touch you for a moment.

Amusement came back through his magic. Opening his eyes, Jasper noticed glimmers of silver flashing through the water as some smaller fish came closer. He reached out one arm slowly, and one brave fish came closer before darting away. Avalon’s chest was rumbling as he kept his chuckles low, likely so he wouldn’t upset the octopus. “This thing has grabbed hold of one of my fingers – the suction on those legs is incredible.”

This is what acceptance feels like. Jasper always knew his parents loved him, although he never really got along with his competitive siblings. But from when Jasper was small, his magic always set him apart – it was a secret that had to be hidden, which meant Jasper could never be true to himself. But in the water, being held close to his husband, as sea creatures came and went, Jasper knew with a certainty that Avalon coming into his life was the very best thing that could have happened to him. Thank you, Mother, he sent across the waters.

It was sometime later that the octopus had finally gotten tired from playing with Avalon, and the fish had gone on to do whatever fish did all night. Through his magic Jasper could feel how tired, but how happy Avalon was as he moved them back to the shallows.

“Thank you for that,” Avalon said softly, still holding him close.

Jasper met his husband’s eyes and leaned forward. Instinct. Natural. Lips met his. Jasper’s whole body sighed as Avalon kissed him, gently at first, but then with more urgency. Jasper had never kissed anyone before, but Avalon seemed to know what to do, one hand carefully cupping the back of Jasper’s head, tilting it so they weren’t bumping noses, breathing in each other’s breath, Jasper plastered to Avalon’s body with the pressure of Avalon’s arm around his waist.

“Oh, Jasper,” Avalon panted softly when they broke apart for air. “What a perfect ending to an eventful day.”

“Let’s go and get dry so you can kiss me again.”