Chapter Five

Avalon had always been proud of his crew, but never more so than when he introduced the very timid Jasper in the course of their explorations. Everyone was friendly, respectful, and no one acted if it was at all weird that their prince and captain had suddenly gotten himself married.

If Jasper was concerned about the higher than usual number of guards on the ship, he didn’t say anything, but then Avalon figured that if Jasper had never been on a ship before, then he might think it was normal. For his part, Jasper responded when spoken to, always polite, and he gave the appearance of listening to everything going on although he didn’t ask a single question.

Avalon was sure the young man must have some, so after half an hour of exploring the ship from one end to the other, he took Jasper down a narrow hallway to the smaller of his two staterooms. Usually only Avalon, Duncan, and Merlin used it, but those two were back up on the wheel deck, keeping an eye on the crew.

“I thought you might be hungry.” Avalon led Jasper to a chair, making sure he was settled before going around the table to sit opposite him, lifting the lid on the food warmers. “If I dine in here with Duncan and Merlin, who you met earlier, we usually serve ourselves. Is that a problem? Would you feel more comfortable with someone here to chaperone you?”

Jasper tilted his head slightly to one side. “You’re serious. Thank you. But a chaperone won’t be necessary. We are married, and besides, my mother trusts you. Although I don’t know you at all, I trust her. But I appreciate you considering my comfort.”

He reached up, touching the coronet still in his hair. “Do you think it would be all right to remove this now? Only, I’m not used to wearing it, and I’d hate for it to fall off and damage it in any way.”

“My goodness, yes, anytime you like.” Avalon had taken his off the moment he’d gotten into the carriage that had transported them back to the ship. He had no idea what Merlin did with it, only that it was shiny and always on hand when he needed it. “If you prefer, you can give yours to Merlin to look after, or you can keep it in your room if you’d rather,” he added when he noticed the slight down drop of Jasper’s mouth.

Jasper rested the coronet beside him on the table and then put his hands in his lap. “You should probably tell me what you want me to do with it. It’s not really mine, I do understand that. I don’t know Merlin. If he gets upset with me, for not giving it back…”

If this guy bends over any more he’ll break his back. “Jasper,” Avalon said quietly, but firmly making sure he had his husband’s attention. “When you signed the paperwork, you became the Crown Prince Consort of Cijan. That coronet is yours. Merlin and Duncan are my friends, and I know over time, they will be yours, too. But regardless, we employ them – you and I. Merlin wouldn’t get upset with you, even if you threw the coronet overboard into the sea.”

“I wouldn’t do that.” Jasper’s eyebrows raised, and his hand reached out, stroking the metal. “I don’t have much, but I look after my things.”

“That’s nice to know.” Avalon busied himself putting meat and vegetables on Jasper’s plate and then filling his own. “Do you prefer wine or water with a meal?” He indicated the two carafes on the table.

“Just water, please. I’ve never tried wine.”

Avalon risked a quick look at his husband, whose shoulders were slightly hunched. “Different courts have different rules for when they serve wines, beers, or other beverages,” he said as diplomatically as he could, pouring Jasper a glass of water.

Inside, he was quietly seething. He’d seen both Luigi and Felicity well into their cups on more than one occasion over a meal. “In Hooit, all you’d get when you’re dining there is rum, whereas, in Westland, King Marvin has drink trolleys delivered around the tables that serves every form of alcoholic beverage I’ve ever heard of.”

“I didn’t generally attend society events with the rest of the family.” Again Jasper was looking down at his plate. “For the longest time my siblings were busy seeking marriage contracts of their own, and my presence was considered an unnecessary distraction, especially after…” Jasper’s breath caught. “After the incident,” he finished, and Avalon could tell it cost his husband a lot just to say the words.

Which could make discussing finding the perpetrators who hurt him difficult. “I hope you’ll not find it a chore to attend events with me. Honestly, I’m looking forward to being able to socialize and not have to fend off people who saw me as an eligible bachelor, when I definitely wasn’t,” he added quickly in case Jasper got the wrong idea.

Noticing Jasper hadn’t started eating, Avalon picked up his fork. Jasper waited until he’d taken a mouthful and then picked up his own utensils. Everything about Jasper’s posture suggested he didn’t want to be noticed, from the small mouthfuls he took, and the way he kept his head down, causing his wavy fringe to cover half of his face.

Avalon was hungry. For a while the only sounds were the clink of knives and forks on plates. But Avalon couldn’t stop taking quick glances at the man he was now married to. Yes, Jasper was trying to blend into the scenery. He barely moved at all beyond the necessary to convey his food from his plate to his mouth.

But there was something else. The stiffness in Jasper’s shoulders and the straight line of his spine that didn’t touch the back of the chair. He’s poised to run, Avalon realized as he finished his meal and pushed his plate aside. Jasper immediately swallowed his mouthful and put his utensils down on the half-finished plate, pushing it away from him.

That will not do. Suddenly, Jasper’s slender frame took on a more sinister edge.

“What can I do to help you feel more comfortable with me?” Avalon asked bluntly. “I feel our marriage will be a lot happier for both of us if we learn to communicate with each other.”

Jasper jumped, but then stilled again – his back perfectly straight, his head slightly bowed. Avalon was starting to see that was Jasper’s default posture.

“I’ll go first if that makes things easier. For example, I prefer it when people look me in the face when they talk to me.”

Jasper raised his head and blinked slowly. Avalon wondered if Jasper’s hidden eyelid made the same motion under the eyepatch.

“Most people find my eyepatch off-putting for them – a constant reminder of what I’ve been through. I don’t like to make others uncomfortable.”

There was a strength in those words. Avalon nodded. “I haven’t got a clue how to say this delicately, so I’ll just come out and ask seeing as we’re in a private setting. Have you considered a prosthetic eye, or is the damage to that area,” he put his palm up in front of his own face to indicate what he meant, although it was obvious, “too extensive? I don’t notice any other scarring on your face.”

“My mother consulted with the best eye specialist the World Council could recommend. He informed her that because my entire eyeball had been forcibly removed, causing considerable damage to the nerves and connections behind it, the best that could be hoped for was a glass replica, which she and I both agreed would look just as unnatural as the patch. At least with the patch, people recognize who I am and can avoid me.”

Jasper was doing as Avalon had implied he wanted - looking him in the face, his lips thin and his head slightly angled. “I did mention earlier, I fully anticipated you would drop me off somewhere. I didn’t expect to even be fed on this fine ship, and I deeply appreciate the meal. However, I do have a few coins, and I am sure I can make my way, regardless of where you might drop me. The nearest bay would be fine, preferably not somewhere with people, but I will make do, whatever you decide.”

Reaching for his glass, Avalon leaned back in his chair once it was in his hand. “You never asked me why I married you,” he said softly.

“I didn’t think it was my business.” The question was clearly so concerning Jasper tilted his head the other way. “My apologies. Would you mind telling me why you, the Crown Prince of Cijan, married the third royal son of a tiny country? Worse, considering your social profile and standing among the world’s elite, an obviously disfigured and likely ruined son?”

There was a definite edge to those words, and Avalon internally smirked. His husband wasn’t as meek and mild as everyone assumed, nor as cowed as had been indicated. Timid, yes. Unsure of himself, definitely. But Jasper was no pushover which made Avalon wonder yet again who his husband was protecting by marrying anyone at all.

“I have always said I would never marry.” Avalon knew it was time to share a few details only a handful of people knew. “There was someone in my life when I wasn’t much younger than you, actually. Someone very special to me. The marriage contract was being negotiated when there was a terrible accident…” Avalon just stopped. His new husband didn’t need the gritty details. It was enough to let the implications hang there.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Jasper said, and it sounded as though he meant it.

“I made my father promise that he would never insist on my entering a marriage contract again.”

Jasper frowned, and there was that little head tilt again, almost as if he was listening to some ghostly voice only he could hear. “Then why… I don’t understand. I know for a fact I’m not worth breaking a promise over.”

“I felt you were. I made the decision, not my father.” Avalon leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “I only told you because firstly, I truly believe in honesty in all things, and secondly, I feel you and I can be good for each other.”

Jasper was watching him intently, almost willing him to explain.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through,” and now it was Avalon who picked his words carefully. “Only you can decide if and when you ever speak to me about it. I understand. I rarely talk about my younger years and aside from my father, only Duncan and Merlin know about my previous contract negotiations. I told you because I hope it will help you relax around me.”

“Because…?”

“It is likely our marriage will be one of friendship only, at least for the foreseeable future. However, I will stand by your side proudly in any interactions we have, and I would hope that you would do the same for me.”

There was a long moment of silence, and Avalon got the impression Jasper was seeing behind the words he hadn’t specifically said.

“People will talk,” Jasper said at last. “I don’t bring any honor or increase in status to you in our future friendship, the way you do for me.”

“I can’t rank any higher unless I become King,” Avalon said with a smile, “And my father’s not going anywhere anytime soon. I didn’t marry you because I thought you could enhance my standing in the known world. I married you because I thought you needed a protector, and in my own way, so do I.” When Jasper didn’t say anything, Avalon added, “For example, I doubt your sister will be arranging a social afternoon tea for me any time soon anymore. I really struggle to hold those tiny cups in my hands, and maintain a conversation without spilling crumbs down my coat.”

Jasper’s eye was a brilliant blue when it sparkled, although Avalon couldn’t see his smile because Jasper had covered his mouth with his hand. But it was a start. A good start.