Disclaimer: This chapter and story is meant as fanfic and non-profit purposes only. Any references to Queer as Folk characters or anything else real life is meant as the sincerest form of flattery only. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 5

THE FIRST WEEK

Part 5 - The Dinner

The next morning...exactly 11:00 AM...

Justin knocked on Brian's office door exactly on time.

"Come in, Sunshine!"

Justin did so, and sat in the comfortable leather chair in front of the desk. His wide, expressive, blue eyes looked at Brian expectantly and sadly.

There was a pause. Brian looked back, a little hypnotized, a little off balance. Did he have to look at him like that, with that mix of disappointment and sadness? How was he supposed to make anything right if his insides were twisting with...what was this anyway? Was this ...guilt? Since when did he, Prince Brian Kinney, Prince of Liberty Kingdom feel guilt? But there it was, twisting his guts as he gazed into those gorgeous blue orbs.

Brian shook his head. "Uh...so, how has your morning been going?" he asked.

Justin imagined what his answer would have been like if he could talk.

"Well Brian, I spent a restless night in my studio since my feet were in so much pain after you humiliated me and broke my heart that I could not climb the stairs to my room. Therefore I awoke at dawn when the sun shone through the enormous windows in there. To my disgust, I found that my shoes were filled with night-old blackened blood. I threw shoes and all out the window, as they were totally ruined. Perhaps you will come across them on one of your future morning jogs."

"I snuck upstairs to my room, still in pain, but manageable this morning, washed and dressed quickly and made my way to your kitchens where I said good morning to your staff in order to procure a loaf of bread I needed to give to a magic talking bird as payment for those wonderful pipes I played last night. You remember those pipes, don't you Brian? The ones that allowed a mute man to win a singing contest."

"After feeding and visiting with the magic talking bird and his friends and assuring them all went well with the contest (I saw no reason to burden them with the news of your behavior) I returned to the castle. I had Hobbs bring me breakfast in my room since I wasn't about to partake with you and Michael. After that, I drew and doodled in my room until it was almost 11:00. I came down here where I spent the last 5 minutes staring at your door. I knocked. You let me in and here we are."

Instead he just smiled a small, wan smile and shrugged his shoulders.

Brian maintained eye contact for a few moments. Then he sighed heavily. "Look, Justin, I really am sorry. I shouldn't have come down on you so hard last night. I just thought you had betrayed a trust and that took over my temper and I never got the chance to say what I really wanted to."

Justin moved his hand. "Go on," it said.

"Your art was fantastic. Everybody loved it...I loved it! In fact, I bought a piece for myself." He motioned behind Justin.

Justin turned. He smiled. On the wall, above the door, was the painting of the flying motorcycle man. He turned back.

"You didn't think I'd let anyone else have that one, did you? Brian asked, winking.

Justin smiled.

"And, as for the rest of it, well, we'll work through it. You're an artist. Artists are eccentric mostly, aren't they? If you want to believe you're a merman, well, I'll deal with it somehow."

Justin's smile faded. Brian saw that that was the wrong thing to say.

"I also kept a few other paintings aside," he soldiered on gamely, "They belong to others now but I convinced them to let me borrow them for a day and have them delivered to them."

"I went back to look at them after...after...after...well, after I yelled at you," he jerked this out with difficulty, "and I came up with a few questions."

He pulled out a few of the paintings from behind his desk. The two paneled one with him dancing. The one of the merman swimming to the rescue of the doomed, drowning Prince. And the painting of the ship being struck by lightning.

"I only told you that my ship sank. I didn't tell you the mast was struck by lightning." He pointed to the painting of him dancing. "I never told you what I was wearing. But that IS what I was wearing. Exactly. How did you know?"

"He looked over at Justin and was a bit startled to see him broadly smiling now. Justin stood and came over to the paintings. He pointed to himself. He made a V with his fingers and pointed to his eyes. He pointed to dancing Brian. "I saw you."

He pointed at himself. At his eyes. At the lightning. "I saw this!"

He patted his chest. He pointed at the rescuing merman swimming toward Brian, also in his dancing clothes. He pointed out that similarity but then saw it was not really necessary. Brian had noticed.

Justin pulled out his notepad. He wrote slowly, pressing hard. I DONUT BELEEVE. He showed Brian He wrote again, concentrating so hard, his tongue stuck out a bit. Brian watched that tongue, fascinated. He was remembering how it tasted. God, that seemed like an age ago. He missed it.

Justin showed him. I AM. He pointed at I DONUT BELEEVE. Then at, I AM. He pointed at the merman. He pointed to the doomed man. He pointed at Brian. He held up I AM. He folded and put it in Brian's breast pocket. He turned and began to walk out.

"It was you," Brian said softly.

Justin stilled. His insides felt like they had turned to ice. Slowly he turned.

"That is what you are saying, isn't it? That it was you who saved me?"

Justin nodded. He took a step toward him.

Brian took a step toward Justin.

Then, together they stepped together and snapped together. Their lips fused together for another one of their mind-blowing, explosively hot kisses that went on and on, sapping their reason, fusing their minds and hearts into one. Justin sucked greedily at Brian's tongue, tasting his sunshine, wishing more than ever that he could turn it on again, give Brian a fresh infusion and make him remember. But he couldn't. His sunshine was gone.

Brian closed his eyes and gave into the pleasure, the absolute, wonderful, ecstatic, unbelievable pleasure of having his Sunshine in his arms and on his lips once again. He ravaged Justin's mouth, nipping his lips in a primal gesture. He felt Justin push back, giving as good as he got. Once again, he felt that strange feeling as if he were in a time out of mind, a strange sense of déjà vu. He'd done this before...before he'd found Justin on the beach that is...but when? Before...before... before...

An explosion of light burst in front of his closed lids. A flash of pure golden light that blinded him. It threw him back into time and then back to the present so violently that it gave him whiplash. His eyes flew open and he broke the kiss. His head whipped up and he gasped in a huge breath, his eyes wide.

"It was dawn!" he gasped. Justin nodded excitedly. "We kissed at dawn! I mean before!" Justin nodded again.

Brian collapsed back into his chair, exhausted. His forehead glistened with sweat." That's it though. I can't remember anything else."

Justin came over and settled his little bottom into Brian's lap, sitting sideways in the chair. He pulled Brian's handkerchief out of his suit coat's breast pocket. He gently wiped Brian's brow and stroked his cheek soothingly with his little hand. Brian caught it up in his own big one and enfolded Justin in his arms. They kissed again, slow and languorously.

"Mt sweet Sunshine," Brian murmured, "My little merman...Mmmmmmmm... And then for a long time there was nothing but tasting and sucking and giving and taking and kissing...and kissing...and kissing...

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A long time later they finally died down and Justin lay his head down on Brian's chest. He rested there for a minute as their breathing returned to normal. Sanity returned.

"Justin, I won't pretend to understand everything that's going on here. I remember dawn. That's it. I don't remember drowning. I don't remember you rescuing me. And I don't understand how you could be a merman. They're legends...made up." When Justin began to wriggle indignantly in his lap, he hurried on, "But I also can't think how you could be in the middle of the ocean to see me either. Say, you didn't stow away, did you?"

At Justin's outraged expression, Brian laughed. "Oh, Sunshine, I was kidding. Relax." He kissed away his indignation. Then he grew serious again. "Oh Justin, I'm so confused. I don't know what to think...to believe. All I know is I'm so sorry for how I treated you last night. I was miserable being angry with you. And I can't bear seeing you unhappy at me. Forgive me?"

Justin sighed and nodded.

"What's the matter?"

Justin took out his pad. A while later he showed him, I AM from before and then his new missive: WILL PROOFE IT.

"In the meantime, "Brian said, "How about a truce? Let's table this whole merman thing for now and get through the day today and have a nice dinner with all our friends, OK?"

Justin nodded and held out his hand to shake on it. Brian grabbed it and used it to pull him in and kiss the daylights out of him.

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As they walked into the dining room for lunch, Justin suddenly hung back.

"What's the matter, Sunshine?"

Justin made his sign for Michael, one finger tapping on his neck.

"I haven't seen him since he ran out last night. I imagine he's in one of his secret haunts somewhere in the castle, licking his wounds. He'll come out eventually, don't worry. Which reminds me. Don't go wandering too deep into the castle without me or another escort. The rooms and corridors are maze-like and you will quickly become lost unless you know what you are doing and trust me NOBODY knows what they are doing in this place. Not even me."

He rang for lunch. Justin sat down and gestured, "Why?"

"Why is it like that? I don't know. This place is generations old. One generation built upon the next. The place just got bigger and bigger and eventually everyone forgot about keeping track. There are also many secret passages and rooms built in for defense and hiding, many of which I don't know about. I've even heard that there are some of which open spontaneously as traps to deposit you...who knows where."

Justin listened raptly with wide eyes.

"My point is, just stay in familiar areas when I'm not with you and you'll be fine. Why do you think I gave you rooms that are quite close to the Great Hall?" They were sitting by this time, waiting for lunch. He reached over and stroked Justin's hand. "I can't lose my little ray of sunshine!"

Justin basked in the stroking, but then his eyes widened in realization of what he was doing. He loved Brian so much but... Regretfully, he pulled his hand away and sadly shook his head.

"Justin? What's the matter?"

Justin took Brian's left hand and fingered his ring finger meaningfully.

"What? Michael? I told you, he's off somewhere. He won't know."

A reproachful look. Now he grabbed his finger and held it up. Then he let it go and drew his hands in to himself. The simple gesture spoke volumes. Lunch came in the form of tomato soup and thick sandwiches. Brian thanked them and the servers withdrew.

There was an awkward silence. The two men began to eat. A third chair was noticeably empty. And yet, at the same time it was very, very full.

"You didn't seem to have any reservations earlier when you were kissing the daylights out of me," Brian said sulkily.

Justin sighed and by his eyes told Brian, yes, he was at fault too. Once again, he brought out his little notepad.

He drew a triangle. At each corner he wrote a letter and they interconnected. B-J-M. He pointed to J and then at himself. He signed I Love You. He pointed to M and traced the line to the B. He signed: Loves you. AKA: Michael loves you. He pointed to B. He signed: You Love Who?" or "Who do you love?"

Brian looked a little ashamed. "To tell you the truth, Justin, I don't really know anymore. For a while there, Michael and I were very happy together. But then, even a little before you came along, he was starting to show signs of being uncaring, unkind and angry. He became spoiled and cruel. And then you DID show up and well, you've seen what he's become. I've been having second thoughts about marrying him for a while now. I don't think he'd make a very good husband or King anymore. But I did obligate myself to him and he won't let go without a fight. At the same time I can't deny that I have feelings for you any longer. I do. I love you too Justin. And this makes everything so much more complicated. Can't you see that?"

Justin shook his head. He decided to make a defining move here while he had the chance. After all, his life depended on it. He took the triangle and decisively drew an X over the M.

Brian gasped a little at that. "Why Sunshine! I didn't know you were so ruthless!"

Justin looked at him seriously. "I Love You," he signed again. He motioned toward Michael's chair. He motioned back and forth between it and Brian. (If you two were talking) He motioned at Michael's spot again and took the triangle again. He made an X over his J and looked pointedly at Brian.

Brian understood. "Yes, I guess he would," he said softly.

Justin rang for somebody.

Somebody came. "Yes, Majesty?" he asked.

"Not me," Brian said, "Justin rang for you."

The server was afraid of that. He didn't really know what to make of this silent man who could not communicate. But he dared not show any discomfort, especially in front of the Prince. He approached Justin warily. "Yes sir?"

Justin had been hard at work with more letters. He showed the server CAKE?..and looked hopeful.

"Yes sir, I can bring you some." The server disappeared and a big slab of chocolate cake came a few minutes later.

After the server withdrew, Justin took the cake and placed it in front of Brian along with the paper with the love triangle on it. He gave him a sweet, soft kiss of love and regret and stroked his cheek. Then he left the room to go plan the dinner and leave Brian alone with his thoughts.

Brian listened to the silence of the empty room and looked at the piece of cake. The meaning was clear.

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Later that evening...about 5 PM or so....

Justin stood in the dining room they were using for the Dinner and looked at his table in pride. He and a few servants who were not bothered by his muteness had spent the better part of the afternoon getting it ready for the evening.

Unlike Michael, Justin had actually pitched in, setting each place along with his helpers. About halfway through, he took a break and went down to the kitchens to see how the food was coming and what was being prepared. However, he was so pleased at the dishes being prepared and the efficiency of the workers that he quickly left them to it and went back up to the dining room again. And now all was in readiness.

"Justin! Justin! Where are you, Sunshine!?" he heard the deep voice of the Prince of the land calling him.

Justin went out of the dining room, shutting the double doors behind him. He entered the Great Hall.

Brian was waiting for him by the stairs. How did that man get more gorgeous every time Justin looked upon him? How? HOW!? It simply wasn't fair.

Brian was standing there, arms akimbo, wearing black slacks, black dress shoes, a white shirt, a light blue v-necked sweater over that with a matching blue tie tucked underneath that. Over all, he was wearing what looked like a golden dinner jacket with golden buttons, half buttoned up from the bottom. The jacket was tight in the wrists and flared out in the sleeves giving it a poofy look. He wore a coronet tonight, a simple gold band that widened in the front and was encrusted with a single ruby, emerald, and sapphire.

And there was Justin in his sweatpants and work shirt, with sweaty hair and back, looking and feeling like a frump. At least Brian had found something to do with a few of those jewels, Justin thought with a stab of...he didn't know what, but it wasn't pleasant. Then he shook it off. He had given the nightingales' jewels to Brian free and clear. He could do with them what he willed.

Brian looked over at the sweaty, disheveled blond and loved him more. He was so cute and he didn't even know it.

"Is everything ready, Sunshine?" he asked.

Justin nodded.

"OK, well, go get cleaned up. The guests will be here soon. Besides, I have something for you when you come down. Dress in a sweater like me, OK?"

Justin nodded, a little shamefacedly. Brian thought he looked like a frump too.

He walked past Brian and took a step up.

"Oh Justin?" called Brian.

As Justin turned, Brian gave him a small nudge in the back. This caused him to lose his balance and he fell backwards. Brian caught him easily and dipped him back deeply in a perfect arc with one leg in the air, the other leg's toe just barely touching the stair. He kissed him soundly.

"God, you look so sexy all shiny and sweaty from a good long workout! Hurry back, I'll be waiting right here with your surprise." He gave him another quick but hot kiss and set him on his feet again. Justin ran up the stairs, his face now pink with pleasure. Damn that man! How did he know exactly what he was thinking at all times and look good doing it? It was positively infuriating.

Upstairs, he had a quick wash, dressed in black shoes, black slacks, a white shirt, and a red v-neck with a matching tie showing underneath. Then he rushed back to the stairs.

Brian was still there, idly tapping his fingers on the banister. Justin hid for a moment just watching him. Just now, when he thought nobody was watching, Brian was beautiful. His face was relaxed and happy and his mask that he thought he needed to show everyone, to show them he was strong, aloof, a leader, was down. His eyes sparkled. Justin took a mental picture and knew he would paint that face once day.

Then he started down the stairs. Brian caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and turned. He smiled widely but the mask went back up. The sparkle went out of his eye but his genuine smile did not. As Justin came down the stairs, Brian held up his surprise.

Justin gasped. It was a golden dinner jacket; identical to the one Brian was wearing. Just like Brian's it had designs embroidered all over the sleeves and looked wonderfully soft and decadent. Justin flew down the stairs. But as he drew closer, he saw that this was not the end of the surprise.

The jacket has seven buttons down the front and each of the sleeves had a button at the wrist. Each button was made up of a jewel that the nightingales had brought the night before. A small wire horseshoe had been cleverly soldered onto each stone or gem and this "horseshoe" had then been tightly sewn onto the jacket as a button. From top to bottom the buttons were the garnet, the amethyst, the aquamarine, the peridot, the opal, the topaz, and the turquoise. The two cuff buttons were the white diamond and the pearl.

Brian held out this amazing jacket and put it on Justin. It was crushed velvet and felt wonderful. At the same time there was a delightful heaviness to it.

"Yes," Brian said when Justin mimed testing the weight of it. "There is 20% golden thread woven into it. I once tried making a solid gold jacket. It didn't go well. It was so heavy I couldn't move. But I found 20% to be a good mix."

Slowly, Brian buttoned up the turquoise, the topaz, the opal and the peridot. He buttoned up Justin's cuffs, the diamond and the pearl. Justin was charmed. The jacket's sleeves poofed out exactly the way Brian's did.

"You may have noticed," Brian said, "There are still three gems missing."

Justin pointed to Brian's coronet. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Makes no difference to me," the shrug said.

"Oh, Justin, Justin!" Brian laughed softly, "I'm the Prince of Liberty Kingdom. Do you not think I have gems to spare? No, these are the ones the birds brought." From a deep, inside pocket, Brian took out a flat, purple velvet covered box. He opened it up. Justin again gasped. He couldn't help it.

Inside was an ornate, golden coronet made up of thin interconnecting golden wires. The front of the coronet was solid gold and on the front were encrusted the ruby, the emerald and the sapphire, matching Brian's coronet design exactly. Brian solemnly crowned him, along with his gold and pearl crown.

"Now you are Prince of two realms, land and sea, if as you say, you are my little merman and sea sprite." Brian said.

Justin lifted his head to look into Brian's hazel eyes and nodded. He knew it was just for tonight but he didn't care. For tonight, Michael wasn't here, he was Prince, and he loved Brian, and somewhere he knew Brian loved him too. He knew it would only be a matter of time. His eyes grew moist. He wanted so much to convey his happiness, his gratitude, his pure and utter love. But he couldn't. He couldn't say a word.

A strange thing happened. He continued to look into Brian's eyes. Brian looked into his blue ones. The world melted away like wet paint. There was only the two of them. Justin lifted his little hand to stroke Brian's cheek.

"God, you're so beautiful!" Brian breathed out, "Oh, Justin! Oh, my little Merman!" He pulled Justin to him and devoured his lips and tongue and then for a long time there was nothing but the two of them and passion, and kissing and crushed velvet getting more and more crushed.

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An hour later...well, a half hour later...well it had to be at least 15 minutes, it just had to be...Justin and Brian finally slowed and pulled apart. Justin's crotch was painful with another stiffie. He wanted more. He needed more. He reached down and checked Brian. Yup. Brian had one too. As his lithe, artist fingers lightly stroked his dick, Brian gasped. Justin took Brian's hand and put it on his own stiffie. He looked into Brian's eyes and tried with all his might to convey that, yes, he was ready for the next step...whatever that was.

Brian moved his hand around to grasp Justin's waist and mashed their cocks together and kissed him soundly one last time. "Are you sure?" he asked. Justin nodded.

"What about M-"

Justin placed his finger over his lips, silencing him. "No Michael. Not tonight," he signed. "Tonight, I am your Prince."

"You're right. We won't mention him for the rest of the night. But I thought you didn't want to be any more...physical than we already have been because of...him."

Justin groaned and shook his head and shrugged and generally tried to convey his frustration. He managed to sign, "You make me crazy!"

Brian laughed. He kissed him deeply. Then again quickly. Then yet again. "I love making you crazy. I love kissing you. One more." He added, taking that one more quickly. "Let's not do anything rash. Let's talk about it after dinner. We may both change our minds."

Justin nodded in agreement. Brian held out his hand. "Show me your table?"

Justin smiled brilliantly and grabbed his hand and together they ran across the hall like giggling schoolboys in golden dinner jackets. With a flourish, Justin threw open the dining room doors.

Brian was charmed. He loved it. Instead of one long table, Justin had set up 12 smaller round tables that seated 4 each. There were 6 tables on each side of the room. At the end of the room and on the left side was a smaller (but not too much smaller) table set for 2. And just beyond that at the very end of the room was a rectangular table set for 2. This was their table and it was set so they would be sitting side by side, facing the other 7 tables and the whole of the long room.

Every table had its own unique and tasteful bouquet of flowers in a crystal vase. Some were red roses, some white roses, and some had a mixture of both. There were variations involving tulips and carnations and a variety of other wildflowers. Each place setting was elegant and beautiful with silverware and white plates and water glasses and wine glass and a coffee/tea cup. A white cloth napkin was rolled up in a silver napkin holder and placed on top of the main plate. Unlike last week, each place setting was exactly alike. Each was elegant and beautiful but no one had more or less than anyone else regardless of their status, not even the Princes. Each table had a carafe of coffee, and a white teapot. Each had a bottle of red wine and bottle of white wine.

Most unusual of all, all along the long side walls were two sideboards, running down nearly the entire length of the room. These long tables blocked off even the two middle doors on either side. The idea was that everybody would be able to serve themselves from the steam trays that would be brought out. The servers would be able to refill the trays from the sides without bothering the guests. Justin showed Brian that occasionally the servers would be able to replace the coffee carafes and teapots as well but that was about the extent that the guests would feel their presence. He showed him where extra napkins were already laid out on the sideboards at periodical intervals.

He walked down to the end. On the nearest table to them to the right, he showed him that he had placed the ambassador of Koffikstan, the female dignitary, Debbie and Carl. The table for two, nearest to Justin and closest to his heart, was reserved for the Remington twins. They would crowd no-one tonight.

"Justin, this is...this is just fantastic! I don't know why I didn't think of something like this before! I love it! I love you, my little ray of Sunshine!" He dipped him deep and kissed him deeper. "Now let's go greet our guests!"

And just as soon as Justin had figured out which way was up again, they did.

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They went to the Great Hall where people were starting to arrive and line up waiting to be let in. They stood on either sides of a doorway and shook hands with everybody who went through into the dining room. When the guests reached the dining room, they were met by one of the servers that had helped Justin earlier in the day. The guest would give his or her name and the server would direct them to their seat. Since they had placed the place cards, this was easy.

Justin gave a special handshake to Debbie and Carl, and stopped the Remingtons before they went in. He took a small box out of each of his slacks pockets and presented them with a small gift of his own. Since becoming independently wealthy overnight, this was his very first major purchase. He had sent a man into town that morning with his written instructions. Inside each box was a thin gold bracelet. Encrusted onto Fred's was a single blue sapphire and on Red's was, of course, a single ruby. He had carefully printed their names on a small piece of paper and placed it inside the top half of the box so they'd know which one was whose.

They loved it. Fred and Red both put on their bracelets and hugged Justin hard enough to give him a hernia. But Justin didn't care. He was happy that he'd made them happy but most of all, he was happy because now he'd finally be able to tell them apart.

At last everybody was in. And at long last, Justin's dream, his wonderful, impossible dream came true.

He took Brian's rather poofy arm in his own and they went in to dinner. Everyone was sitting there waiting for them and they all waved and bowed as they went by. They walked slowly up to the very head table and Justin barely limped at all. They sat down and Justin just reveled in the knowledge that he was the closest to Brian and would be for the entire evening.

At the same time, both Brian and Justin stood up. Justin crossed to his nearest sideboard and Brian went to his. They both filled their plates and came back. Justin waved an arm and Brian did the same and said, "That's the way to do it folks! Dig in!"

There was a rather frenzied rush but since trays of the same food were placed regularly all the way down the sideboard things soon sorted themselves out. Mostly there was the same fare as last week: Beef, chicken, fish, vegetables, etc. but there were also regular trays of pasta, trays of red sauce, trays of white sauce, trays of meatballs, so people could mix and match, or have a vegetarian pasta dish...or not. There were regular places of huge bowls of salad. By each bowl was a selection of oil and vinegar, ranch dressing, or Liberty Kingdom Dressing, the national dressing. Liberty Dressing was pink and went down bitter at first but became sweet and creamy once you relaxed and accepted it.

Everybody sat down with their food and began to eat and talk. In the intimate settings of 4 each, people were forced to get to know their seatmates a bit better and it was easier to do so than talking over one or two people at a long straight table like last week. Justin had tried to put couples with couples and singles with singles, or a couple and two singles in the hopes of matchmaking. He took into account their ages. He was careful. Over the course of the evening sometimes the matchmaking worked. And sometimes it didn't. As anybody can tell you, you can't win ‘em all. He put straights with straights and gays with gays but also a few tables had a straight and gay couple mix.

Justin couldn't converse but he could watch. Sometimes his hand would stray up to feel his coronet and when it did he'd usually look over at Brian right next to him and Brian would look back at him and smile, munching away at whatever he was eating. Brian spent a lot of time talking to the ambassador, of course, but quite regularly, he‘d swallow and say, "Excuse me," and lean over and bend down to give Justin a searingly hot kiss.

Eventually, the dinner was served and eaten, the dessert was served and eaten, (various flavors of cheesecake) and one by one people settled down with a sigh to digest. And one by one, they all stared expectantly at Justin.

At first Justin thought this was some sort of fan worship, or something. He waggled his fingers at a few people when it started but as more and more people joined in he grew alarmed. They were waiting for something. And Justin had no idea what for.

Finally, he looked to Brian for help. He said, "They're waiting for you to do something. They're waiting for you to entertain them. Didn't you plan anything?"

OH---SHIT!!! Justin hadn't. He hadn't even known he was supposed to have planned anything. He had nothing. He had less than nothing. He had...

He grasped at straws. He took out his notepad and started to write.

"Hey look, he's gonna draw again!" somebody yelled. There was a collective cheer.

Ack! No! Justin shook his head and waved his hand violently.

"AWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!" came collective disappointment.

Finally, Justin showed Brian. B RITE BAK.

He ran out of the dining room, grabbing a random server along with him. Brian covered for him and began to tell a fictional story about a wild ride he had taken on his motorcycle and meeting up with two bears and a wolf.

Justin and the server ran pell-mell down to his studio. He unlocked the door. They dashed inside and over to the crate. Justin gave six 8" by 12" notebooks to the servers and grabbed seven for himself. He grabbed all the sharpened pencils that he could and directed the server to do the same. They ran out of the studio. He locked it. They ran pell-mell all the way back. Brian saw them enter.

"Uhhh...and that's why I only take the BEAR necessities when I go out riding from now on," he finished prematurely...and lamely.

There were general groans and boos and hisses at whatever lame pun Brian had told.

Justin and the server gave one notebook to each table. They gave out several pencils per table. Fortunately they had brought more than enough.

Later, he couldn't remember how he did it but somehow Justin managed to sign/write out the directions for picture charades. The Remingtons pulled their chairs up to the royal table as they were the only two tables with 2 people at them and they became a team. One person at the table would choose a person, place or thing and whisper it to the artist. Then the other two would have to guess. They had 4 minutes to guess. Then they would rotate one person to the left and that person became the artist.

PARADES became a huge hit. There was laughing and screaming and arguing. A few fistfights broke out. But Brian himself quickly broke them up. Justin went all moony whenever this would happen and thought he was so masterful, so commanding. Eventually, a few servers were recruited to be referees. Oh what a noisy and exciting and fun evening it turned out to be! A lot of people just did rude sketching as was the idea but more than a few people discovered they had a real talent. And as Justin mused to himself, somewhere along the way, it was all thanks to a rather large and ugly duckling.

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At last, Justin found himself on the receiving line on the way out. He was so tired and dead on his feet but he managed to keep a smile on his face. All he had to do was glance down at that glorious jacket with the gem buttons and his face would crack open again. He shook 25 pairs of hands, nodded what seemed like a million times to thanks for a lovely evening, Many times he was told they understood a bit better what he must be going through. (This notably happened with the few men who had burgeoning shiners from their fistfights.) Justin always smiled and nodded his head slightly in thanks and shook their hands.

At last they were all gone, the portcullis was closed, the doors were shut against the dark night. And it was just the two of them left again.

"May I see you to your room?" Brian asked in a repeat of last week.

Justin nodded. He took Brian's arm and together they walked toward the stairs. They were nearly there when Justin stumbled.

"Are your feet bothering you tonight?"

Justin signed, "Long day." He kept going, his limp a bit pronounced.

Brian smiled and shook his head in amusement. Would that little twat never learn?

He took two strides and swept Justin up into is golden, poofed arms and carried him up the stairs with ease. Justin started to struggle but that was quickly quashed when Brian started to kiss him, little sipping kisses, all the way up. Soon Justin got the idea and just relaxed against Brian's bigger frame and accepted the kisses.

In no time, they reached Justin's room. Brian opened the door with one hand, carried him in, and laid him on the bed. He slowly unbuttoned his jacket and drew it over and down his shoulders. Justin shrugged out of it.

"I can stay with you tonight," Brian said, "If you still want me to."

Justin considered. He was tempted. He was so...tempted. But at last he sorrowfully shook his head. He fingered Brian's ring finger again.

"Oh. I see." Brian said regretfully. He got up to go.

Justin caught his hand. He pulled him around again. He signed earnestly, "I love you." He pointed at Brian and then at the bed and then signed, "You love me...only." Translation: When you spend the night...it will be because you love me alone. He signed this again. "Do you understand?" asked his eyes.

Brian kissed him deeply, framing his face in his hands. "I understand," he said. "I love you too."

Justin took off his gold coronet and put it on the bedside table. Then he drew off his pearled crown and gave it to Brian.

"I still don't understand," Brian said.

Justin took out his pad. He wrote carefully, 4 DINAR. He indicated the jacket. He gave the crown to him again and then bent his head. Brian crowned him. Justin kissed him. He took off the crown and gave it to him. He bent his head. Brian crowned him, thinking about all the times Justin had done this. Slowly, it dawned on him.

"You're thanking me. Aren't you?" he asked.

Justin smiled his brilliant smile and nodded. Finally. His smile cracked into a huge yawn.

"It's late. I'll see you tomorrow, Sunshine. And you're welcome. For everything. But really, there's no thanks necessary. I love doing things for you."

Justin nodded. He stroked Brian's cheek again and kissed him softly again. He yawned again.

"I'd better go. You're tired and if I stay any longer, I don't think I'll be able to go." He kissed Justin again, swiftly but with the heat of sunshine. "Good night Justin."

Justin waved sleepily. Brian left.

Justin shed the rest of his clothes sleepily and hung them sort of neatly on the end of the bed for Hobbs to find in the morning. He took off his mer-crown and put in on the table beside the gold one. He crawled into bed and remembered all the touching and kissing he had done with Brian that day. His eyes drooped. He was asleep in about 5 minutes. He dreamed erotica all night long.

Night passed into midnight, midnight passed into deep night, and deep night passed into dawn. The first week passed away and the second week began.

BJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJMBJM

Late that night, deep within the castle, in the sparse sitting room, the Master sat in front of a dwindling fire.

The secret knock came. "Come in," he called.

The servant man entered quickly. "Master, why were you not at the dinner?"

"Why would I go?"

The man had no reply.

"I thought so."

"But you cannot stay in the shadows, Master! I have been watching them! The news is not..."

"Watching!! And what were you watching when he got those - those THINGS!?!? My entire plan went down the tubes!"

"I don't know, Master, he must have had them in hiding! I knew nothing!"

The Master's eyes lit with a smoldering anger that rivaled the fire. "NOTHING!!! That's just what YOU are worth to me now!" He rose up, his cloaked figure lethal in anger and menace. His hands hooked into claws for strangling. "Give me one excuse why I should not dispose of you here and now!"

The man fell on his knees and begged in terror. "Master, no please! I did not know about...the pipes...but I have been watching since. You must go back! They have been growing closer since...what happened. This morning in his office..."

The Master sat back down He leaned forward. His hooded face was fanged and feral in the firelight as he listened.

When the man had finished his report, he said, "You have proven yourself useful for yet another day. Come again tomorrow and give me a report for the day."

The servant bowed and backed out toward the door.

The Master let him get his hand on the knob before he said, "Oh, if you fail me again...I'll have you murdered. That's all."

The servant man shuddered and got the hell out of there.

To be Continued