A/N:Thank you so much for the reviews, I'm so glad people seems excited, that really helps when it comes to find time and motivation to write… I decided to answer every review, but then I screwed up with the mails and couldn't remember which I had already answered and… yeah… sorry… But I appreciate each and every one! And here is part 2. Get to it!

The General's New Bride

Part 2

The next day the family went for an outing; riding for the men and a carriage for the ladies. They brought servants and food with them of course. Red was one of the servants –on Robin's insistence− and he was on horseback as well. The young men rode close to each other talking in low voices.

"So, how are things going?" Red asked.

"He seems to have made up with them," Robin observed, as the general was riding next to the carriage, conversing amiably.

"I'll never understand women," the redhead snorted and shook his head.

"Me neither," Robin sighed.

They noticed the general turning around in his saddle and looking back at them. Robin raised a hand in greeting but for some reason only got a frown in reply. Slade nodded to the young women and held his horse back. Once Robin and Red caught up, the man turned his attention to the black-haired youth.

"Wouldn't you rather ride up front with me, than back here with the servants?"

"Wouldn't you rather ride with my sisters than with me?" Robin retorted. "Sir?" he added, when he realized that his words might reflect his feelings a bit too much.

"Come now, leave the stable boy behind," the man snorted and dug his heels into his horse's flanks. The animal took off and Robin gave his friend a look.

"You have to follow him or your father will scold you for being rude," Red told him.

"I know," Robin muttered. "I wish I could be a little bit rude, though…"

"You really should start introducing your son into society. He's socializing with your stable boy," Robin heard Slade tell Bruce as he rode up to them.

"I see no immediate harm in that; he's still young," his father shrugged.

"Sometimes friendships can grow too intimate quickly at that age," Slade said and gave Robin a pointed look.

The young man's blue eyes widened as he feared that the general would tell his father what he had seen, but he only got a smirk in reply and the subject was dropped.

The general then seemed to make it his duty to keep Robin at his side all day, rounding him up when he wanted to go explore the area where they had stopped for lunch, always keeping a watchful eye on him.

Robin had had it when the man even followed him into the woods when nature called.

"Sir, I'm going to relieve myself, I don't need your help!" he snapped.

"Really? And not the stable boy's either?"

"He has a name, Sir."

"I don't care and neither should you."

"You can't tell me who or what I should care about. Leave me alone and go woo my sisters!"

"So you can woo the redhead?"

Robin blushed deeply. "We're not… what you saw was… we're just…"

"Just what?"

Before Robin knew it the excuse they had been using slipped out of his mouth once more. "…Practicing."

The general chuckled. "Yes, you told me… Practicing? For what?"

"For when we marry," Robin mumbled.

"Ah I see. Very wise, I think. There are so many things to learn."

"You think so?" Robin blinked.

"Certainly," the man leered down at him. "Tell me, Robin… have you ever practiced with a man? Someone who actually knows what it's all about?"

Robin backed up as the man leaned closer. "I really need to pee!" he squawked as he turned and ran.

The boy kept close to his father after that. It usually meant that Slade was close too; smirking at him, but at least the man wouldn't dare coming with such lewd suggestions again within earshot of Bruce.

"He said what?" Red gaped. Robin had been able to sneak away after they got home, knowing he would have very little time to get ready before dinner now, but it couldn't be helped. There was literally only one person on this planet that he could speak to about this, and that was a certain redhead. They had taken refuge in their usual, secret, place.

"I know, it's…" the young lord made a face instead of finishing the sentence.

"Hmmm…" The stable boy seemed to consider something.

"Why are you grinning?" the young lord asked suspiciously.

"Well, he's handsome…"

"He's old! And a man!"

"Wasn't I one, last time you checked?" Red grinned cheekily.

"But you're… you!" Robin tried −and failed− to explain. "And I've never 'checked'!"

"Not even when we go swimming?"

There was a lake behind the mansion, just below the vast back garden, where two young men could go swimming in private on hot summer evenings once the chores were over.

"No!"

"Sir should not tell a lie, it's beneath your station," Red grinned, receiving a playful push from the young lord.

"I'll teach you about your place!" Robin chuckled, but froze at the sound of a booming voice calling his name. It wasn't his father, though. It was the general. "I gotta go!"

"Wow, he has you well trained…"

"I just don't want him to find us together again!" Robin half pleaded, half growled. "He'll… He'll just... ruin it."

"Robin! Are you in here? Your father says to get ready for dinner!" Slade's voice was closer to the barn now, most likely at the main gates.

"Let's go swimming tonight!" Red whispered. Robin nodded in reply and took off. Instead of going down the ladder, where he could be spotted, the black-haired young man hurried over to the part of the loft which lay over the stables and jumped down the hatch where they threw down hay for the horses.

"Sir, I'm in the stables!" he called out. "I'll be right there!"

"Why didn't you call out sooner? You made me look for you," the general scolded him once they met up outside.

"I'm sorry, Sir, I was checking on the foal, we're not allowed to shout in there."

"I see. You need to change for dinner. You look dreadful. Hay everywhere."

"Better hurry then," Robin said and did, sidestepping to avoiding the general's hand, which was moving to brush some of those straws off. Without looking back Robin ran towards the main house, right into the scolding presence of Alfred.

With only a minute to spare before the dinner gong Robin was scrubbed clean and dressed. Dinner itself was the usual light conversation, which ended with the dreaded request to withdraw to the drawing room for the night's 'entertainment' consisting of poetry reading.

"Father?" Robin asked quietly as the others were heading out of the dining room.

"Yes?"

"May I be excused? I wanted to get some air and then maybe go to bed?"

"You've gotten air all day," the lord answered, but then smiled down at his son, who was using those eyes of his to his greatest advantage. "You need to run around a bit don't you?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Well, then I'd better let you, or you'll just misbehave in front of our guest. Please be in bed at a reasonable hour, though."

"Yes, Sir, thank you!"

"You're welcome, son," Lord Wayne answered and kissed the top of his son's head before sending him on his way. "Go change first!" he called after him.

Robin passed Slade in the hallway, but pretended not to see him in the shadows. What was he hanging around outside the room for anyway?

After changing, Robin quietly snuck out through the main entrance and went in search for Red. He found him and helped him finish the night's last chores in the stables so they could head out earlier.

The lake wasn't very deep; it was manmade as a fishing lake by a distant ancestor to Bruce, and it held the warmth long after the sun set. The golden rays were still playing over it when the boys reached the shore, however. They disrobed among the trees and came out again as nude as the day they were born.

"You're checking," Red noted.

"Am not!" Robin snorted and ran out into the water. "Catch me if you can!"

"Won't take a minute!" the other cried and rushed after him.

The water soon reached their waists, but it was only further out that they wouldn't be able to reach the bottom. They tackled each other into the water, splashing around, ducking each other's heads under the surface, hollering and laughing to their heart's content. No one was around to hear them out here. Or so they thought.

They came to a rest, chests heaving, covered in pearls of water which shone in the setting sun. They were facing each other, and the laughter turned to something more serious. Robin watched his friend run a hand through his hair, trying to look causal. The young lord wanted to giggle; he knew they would be 'practicing' again, any moment, now, and that Red was just trying to think of an excuse. It was Red's job to ask, somehow. Why that was, Robin wasn't sure. His social status dictated that he should be the one leading, in any situation, but Red was older and… well, he had seen things. Naughty things. Important things.

"Hey… wanna…?" Red started, and Robin leaned in, their bodies almost touching.

"May I join you?"

The young men flew apart as if yanked by chains.

"S-sir?" Robin stared at the man standing right at the water side, just a few meters away.

"It has been a long, warm day. The water looks lovely. Do you mind?" the general asked, although he had already begun undoing his cravat.

"I… um… I… is… is the poetry reading over so soon?"

"I confess I claimed I had a headache after a while. Decided I needed some air. Seems I wasn't alone."

Robin glanced over at Red, who swallowed nervously. They couldn't refuse the request and they couldn't get out of the water either, unless they wanted to expose themselves to the man. Said man had no such qualms, apparently. He was already opening his shirt, making Robin swallow as expanses of hard muscles became visible. He had never seen anything like it. Red had muscles, yes, after all his hard work, and so had Robin from riding, climbing and helping out on the estate, but the general was in a class of his own. Bruce was of a similar body type as the general, yes, but the young man had never seen his father without clothes on.

"Wooow…" Red breathed quietly as the shirt came off completely, and Robin swallowed. The younger froze as the man started to unbutton his trousers, though. At the last moment the young lord spun around. Red didn't.

"Don't be shy, we're all men here," the general chuckled.

"I just don't think it's appropriate," Robin huffed boldly.

"What's inappropriate is you already being here with a stable boy, but I've understood that things are run… differently… at this manor. Your father seems to be friends with his butler as well."

"We're all people, you know!" Robin hissed, still refusing to turn around, even after hearing the man wade out into the water and approaching them.

"What a novel idea." The general stood by them. The water only reached the middle of his hips, barely hiding his most private parts under the glittering surface. "Since we are all here, how about a race? To the other shore and back?"

"Yes, Sir!" Red answered. Robin only made a noncommittal noise and shrugged. It would be less awkward to swim than to just stand here, but they didn't actually do a lot of swimming at the lake. He knew how, but he had a feeling that he would be severely humiliated.

"Let's go!" Red called out, however, starting the race.

Robin worked very hard to keep up, and he wasn't far behind when they reached the other shore. They turned back before the water got too shallow to swim and Robin pushed away from the bottom as hard as he could to get some extra speed. Maybe it was cheating, but he needed it. Slade was well in front when they reached the middle. Robin was panting and doing everything he could, even stretching out his toes, when-

"Aah!"

"Robin! What's wrong?" Red asked, turning around in the water.

"Calf… cramp!" Robin gasped, trying to stretch his leg and getting a mouthful of water in the process. When he discovered that he couldn't reach the bottom he panicked slightly which led to him ending up under the surface again. He wanted to curl in on himself from the pain, but of course he couldn't stay afloat like that… Not that he was doing such a good job of it right now anyway.

The need to get to the surface took over from the pain. How had he sunk so far? Where was it? It had been right there, now things looked black! Suddenly something grabbed him and dragged him down! Robin opened his mouth and almost breathed in a lungful of water before his head broke the surface.

"There, I got you," Slade's voice said in his ear. "Which leg?"

Robin coughed, and then he felt the pain return. "R-Right!"

"Boy, grab his leg, stretch it out and push his toes up towards him," the general ordered the stable boy.

Once the man was obeyed, Robin felt the pain ease down to a throb, and he finally relaxed. It was when he let himself do that that he realized that he was resting against a very naked man, who was holding him firmly against his chest. He made a move to get out of the grip, but it only tightened.

"Let's get you to shore and stretch that leg properly."

Humiliating as it was Robin found that as soon as he tried to swim using his legs the cramp got on the verge of coming back, so he let himself be towed to the shallow water. Slade then lifted him up and carried him to the beach where he was placed gently on the ground.

Blushing furiously Robin used his hands to cover himself and his eyes didn't leave the ground in fear of seeing more of the general than he wanted to.

"Let' see," the man grabbed his leg and started stretching and massaging it. Robin just sat there, hunched over, tasting the lake water in his mouth and feeling miserable in general. He coughed, and felt Red pat him on the back.

"Are you well?" the young man whispered.

"Y-yes… just... my clothes…?"

"Of course."

"Thanks," Robin mumbled to Red when he received his clothes and could at least cover himself easier.

"Yes, don't mind me, I only saved your life," the general muttered, still massaging the young man's leg.

"He really did, you were trying to swim down for some reason, sinking like a rock," Red added.

"I'm… I'm sorry, I…" Robin drew a deep breath. "Thank you, sir! I didn't mean to be rude, I just… I…" He stopped talking when he realized that he was now looking at the man, who had no time –or maybe felt no need– to cover himself yet.

"It's fine." The man gave him a small, tight smile. "How is your leg now? Can you walk?"

"Yes, I think so… thank you. I just… need to dress."

"Let me hel-" the man began, but Robin shook his head furiously.

"No, please! I can manage, just… you should get dressed too, Sir!"

"Very well."

Red moved between them and helped Robin while he was shielding him from the general's eyes. He revived a thankful smile for it. Robin then quickly clung to the stable boy so that the man wouldn't offer to help him. He still did, however.

"If your leg still hurts I could carry you?"

"No, thank you sir, I think I just need to stretch it," Robin hurriedly declined.

It was very late before Robin got to bed that night. He had washed himself in cold water as he didn't want to bother the servants by asking them to warm some up. He had an uneasy feeling in his stomach as he twisted and turned, trying to fall asleep. The general. Something worried, almost scared, him about that man. It was weird, because he was supposed to be a friend of the family, a powerful ally in the troublesome looking future… and still Robin felt like the small bird he was named after when he looked into that grey eye. A small bird who had caught the hawk's gaze.

The next morning Robin took the long way to the breakfast table through the small gallery, a hallway seldom travelled as it really wasn't a direct route to anywhere important. The general, however, seemed to have been waiting for him.

"Hello, Robin."

"Good morning Sir," the young man answered, startled to have the man appear so close in front of him all of a sudden.

"I have made up my mind about your sisters. I will be leaving soon to prepare my manor for the wedding."

"I… I see. You really should be speaking to Father…" Robin felt increasingly uncomfortable as the man seemed to be getting impossibly closer.

"I will, this very morning. Before I leave, though… I think you should thank me properly for last night… and for keeping your dirty little secret."

"Thank… thank you? I… I already said I was grateful, I don't understand?" Robin had backed away and now felt his back hit a wall. He was trapped. Yes, he would just run of course, but it was against all sense of decorum to do so.

"I think you can find some other way… maybe through some 'practice'?" the man suggested, his fingers now trailing the young man's cheek. "And maybe some more…? It's still early, why not come with me to my room?"

Robin's mood switched from intimidated to furious.

"You demand that I thank you with my body?" he growled. "Would you demand the same if it was one of my sisters you had saved? I do not belong to you and I refuse to betray my sisters like that! And you should be ashamed of yourself having such thoughts when you are about to be engaged!" Robin slapped the man's hand away and hurried from the gallery down to the breakfast room where other people would provide safety for him. He didn't care how angry had had made the man, he didn't care if he told his father about 'practicing', he just knew that there was no way in hell he'd be doing any of those things with his future brother-in-law! The very thought made his face burn!

He was keeping his head down during breakfast but as the meal ended Slade cleared his throat.

"Bruce, why don't you and I go for a ride this morning?" he suggested.

"Hmm? Oh! I see," the man, who had been occupied with reading the newspaper, said. He gave his girls an encouraging smile as it was apparent that the man had finally made his choice. "Of course. How about we meet outside the stables in an hour? Alfred, would you let them know to have our horses ready?"

"Certainly, Sir," the butler nodded.

When the men excused themselves, Raven and Starfire started whispering urgently to each other, both looking worried. Robin had a clump of ice in his stomach while watching them. He wished the one the general chose wouldn't be opposed to the wedding, but despite the man making amends it didn't look like he had won any hearts.

Robin made sure to keep close to the stables that morning so he would see when the men returned. They had ridden out in a good mood, talking about a hunt Slade usually arranged in the autumn, but when they returned it was in silence. Robin hurried up to his father, his heart beating very quickly. The lord looked like a thunderstorm and his clothes were oddly ruffled.

"Father? Did you fall off?" Robin asked as he held the horse for him.

"No, Robin. Where are your brother and sisters?"

"I'll fetch them!" the young man hurriedly promised, handed the reins to Red and hurried off. He heard his father start to shout something after him but ignored it. It was probably that it was undignified to run.

He found his siblings very quickly, as they had been keeping an eye out for their father as well, and actually met them all on the steps to the manor. He turned around to patiently wait for whatever news there was.

"Robin, I actually needed to speak to you-" Bruce started.

Robin's heart sank. The bastard had told his father about him and Red! He gave the general a glare, just as the one-eyed man interrupted the lord.

"I think we can tell them the good news together, as a family… or family to be. I apologize, dear ladies, you are both beautiful and talented in your own ways, but the one who has captured my heart is Robin."

There were sounds of disbelief from everyone apart from the young man himself. The words hadn't quite sunk in with him yet.

"Wh-what"? he asked meekly.

"I have asked your father for your hand in marriage."

"I… I have a say in it, do I not?" Robin started, his anger rising dangerously fast. "I decline! I will not marry you! Never!"

"Robin!" his father barked. "I will see you in my study right now!"

The young lord could barely hold in his explosion until the heavy oak door closed.

"You can't make me! You can't force me to marry him!" He rarely, if ever, raised his voice to his father, but now he flat out screamed.

"I won't."

"You-! What?" The tantrum fizzled out a bit.

"If you are completely opposed to it-"

"He's a man!"

"As I gather you have no objections to kissing members of your own sex."

"He told you!?"

"Yes, but he didn't have to. I already knew. I'm not completely blind, Robin."

"I… we… we're only… practicing."

"Well, guess rehearsal is over, then," his father half sighed, half chuckled.

"He can't even marry me, he's a lord!" Robin objected. "Lord needs to marry women to produce heirs!"

"Yes, the law states that the line has to be secure for two men or two women to marry and that an heir from one family is not allowed to marry the heir of another if that line has no other descendants, but… Slade has two grown sons. He is free to choose. And you're not my heir, Victor is, therefore you have no obligation to carry on the Wayne family name."

"But father, I don't want to, I refuse! You said you wouldn't make me!" Robin pleaded.

"And I won't, son. I wouldn't be able to go through with it with Starfire or Raven either, if they had been opposed the match, but…"

"But what?" Robin muttered, crossing his arms.

"Nothing, son," Bruce smiled at him. A smile which tried to be encouraging but didn't really reach his eyes. "All will be fine, don't you worry. The general will leave tomorrow morning, just stay in your room if you wish to avoid him."

"Is… is this about what you told my sisters? That we need his support?" Robin asked, feeling uneasy.

"Like I said," his father stood up and gestured towards the door, a definite sign that the discussion was over. "Do not worry. I don't want any of my children to be unhappy. The important thing is that we have each other."

"Yes, father," Robin nodded, not buying a single word. He knew where he would get the truth, though, whether he wanted it or not.

Robin found the general in the library.

"Sir?" he said, guardedly. The man looked up from the book he was reading and smiled tightly.

"Come to apologize, boy?"

"I've come to ask what my father's not telling me. Would it be good for my family if I married you?"

"It would save it."

Robin grew cold.

"H-how? Are we poor? Has father done something wrong?"

"Your father is well respected and does well in business," the general said, straightening up. "But there are different times now. He lost a lot of money when the ships he had invested in sank on their way back from the orient earlier this year. The crops have been only average for the last couple of seasons and if he's going to invest in the future he'll need connections and money. I can provide both. But don't worry. You will have to sell the house, downsize to a smaller one, and of course you can't bring more than a few staff members, but you will never go hungry. Your sisters will be able to marry somewhat well too, I'm sure, and merchants can have both money and daughters for you and your brothers.

Robin swallowed. Slade's words seemed comforting on the surface, but losing the manor? The Wayne-family had lived here since they got the land grant from the king after a war four hundred years ago! And having to fire the staff would mean that Red would most likely lose his job… they would only be able to have one farm hand to tend to the horses if that… if they could even afford horses…

He looked around. He could already see the library thinning out, the family treasures sold in secret as Bruce tried to keep the ship afloat. He trusted the general to tell him the truth; he had seen the severity of the situation in his father's eyes.

"I…" Robin swallowed. The thought of what he was about to do, what he was about to give up was so overwhelming that it was incomprehensible to him right now, but he knew what he had to do. For his family. "I'll… I'll marry you."

"Lovely. It will just be a small wedding, of course, as you're only a boy. Two weeks should be enough time. The ceremony will be held at my family's chapel. Let's go inform your father of the good news, shall we?" The man offered Robin his arm, and the stunned boy took it automatically.

"In two weeks?" he said, and that was exactly the objection his father had.

"Robin is merely sixteen, a year's engagement would be more suitable-"

"Now, now, Starfire is barely older. I want my new bride with me as soon as possible. I think we both agree, don't we Robin?"

"I… yes," the boy said quietly.

"You told him!" Bruce snarled at the man. "Robin, you don't have to do this! I swear we will be alright!"

"I… I know we will, father, but… we'll... we'll lose the house, won't we?"

"It's only a house!" the man claimed. The strain of his voice told another story, though.

"No, father, it is our legacy. You have always told us that we have to do what is best for the family. Waynes have gone to war for our heritage as much as for our country, all I have to do is marry… please let me do that for us?"

"Son, I… If you change your mind at any time… if you need somewhere to stay… if he treats you badly-"

"Don't insult me," Slade snorted. "I have no intention of mistreating him in any way; I only ask that he does his duties as my wife."

Robin shuddered. He didn't like the title, but he knew that the law stated that it was husband and wife, no matter the gender. The highest ranking or the one with the most money was usually the husband, and there was no doubt who the husband was in this case.

"Thank you, Father," Robin smiled bravely and embraced the lord.

"But still, only two weeks? There's not much time!" Bruce told the man. "A month at least would-"

"My house is more than capable of throwing a wedding with little preparation. I can't imagine he has so many belongings that it would take a month to pack. I'll send one of my men back at once; that will give my staff adequate warning before I arrive in a few days. You should leave in a week. That will give you plenty of time."

Bruce couldn't really argue with that.

"May I bring my horse?" Robin asked.

"Of course. Bring anything you want."

"Red would-"

"No."

"But-"

"No. And I would see it as a personal favor to me if your father would limit your time with the stable boy until you leave. You don't want to betray your future husband, would you?"

"No, Sir," Robin mumbled, keeping a tight lid on his feelings.

"Good. I'll go fetch the ring. It might not fit, but I'm sure the smith has the tools to fix that."

At dinner, an engagement feast, Robin looked down on the glittering band on his finger. The ring had fitted, which was rather embarrassing but seemed to please the general. It was a large one, with the Wilson crest surrounded by rubies and diamonds. Rather gaudy but it was made to show off wealth and heritage, of course.

Robin was seated next to his fiancé at the table and tried to think of something to say.

"Your sons… will they be at the wedding?"

"No, they are both deployed overseas. I don't expect them home for at least another year or two, depending on the situation."

"Oh." The young man was secretly delighted that he wouldn't have to meet them yet. They were older than he was, he'd heard, and he didn't quite know how to handle his new status.

"So… you're alone, then?"

"Apart from around a hundred employees, yes."

"A hundred?!" Robin gasped.

"Fifty outdoor staff, fifty indoor staff, yes. Of course more during harvest season. With just me I wouldn't normally need that many indoors, but I frequently host dinners and often have house guests. But I'm not as close to the help as this family is, hence I wanted to marry again."

"Why me, though?" Robin asked quietly. The table was large and he spoke almost under his breath. No one could overhear them.

"You were the only one who intrigued me."

"I also told you 'no'," the young man added.

"That too. You might not want to do that in the future," the man smirked at him, making Robin's heart beat fearfully.

"You promised my father you wouldn't hurt me."

"And I won't." The man turned towards him and stroked a strand of hair out of his eyes in a very gentle, affectionate gesture. "I will shower you with gifts and attention. We'll travel, you'll meet the most interesting people you can imagine, including the king himself. But never, ever oppose me, Robin. Never deny me what is mine."

"I'm not your possession," the young man mumbled. He didn't even dare hiss, though, and he knew he sounded more sullen than angry.

"According to the law you will be. I'm not asking anything more from you than I would of any of your sisters. Less, actually; I'm not asking you to bear me children."

"I don't love you."

The man chuckled. "Of course not. This is an arranged marriage, after all. It doesn't mean it has to be a bad one, though. All you need to do is obey your husband and try to be a good wife for me… for your family's sake if nothing else. If you don't think you can do that, you'd better break the engagement. Your father has left the decision up to you."

Robin focused on picking at his food after that. He knew the man was right and there was nothing left to say.

To be continued…

A/N: Yup, and there it was, the 'how' we had been waiting for… ;) But what about Red? Is he out of the count? You'll see on Thursday (I think it will be).