XXIII. He whom the thought of love vexes eats and sleeps very little.

Danny hadn't slept well. He tossed and turned all night thinking about Steve and about the kiss and about the tournament. His mind threw him a million different scenarios and though his heart favored the one where Steve won and Grace was so happy that he was joining their family, he needed to remember the facts. He had to remember that a kiss should not be all it took to change his mind.

Even if the kiss was… very good.

He opposed the tournament in an idealistic way and he should not be easily swayed from that path.

He thought about Billy's death, about the lessons his father had taught him over the years. He thought about his spinster aunt who never found her true love. His poor aunt. Fate could be cruel or it could be kind and Danny wasn't fond of something out of his control dictating his life for him. If he wanted to be with Steve, he would decide that for himself, not based on the outcome of a game.

Danny sat in the stands and watched as Steve powered through that morning's event but seemed to tire by the afternoon and had finished fifth. After Sir Edward congratulated the winner, Steve and the other contestants came over for their audience with the royals.

The knight looked up at Danny in apology.

"I'm sorry, your Highness," Steve said. "I can perform better than that."

"I'm sure you can. Perhaps you put too much pressure on yourself. Perhaps this isn't your year after all," he said and Steve stood straighter.

"The Games are not over."

"You need to win outright in tomorrow's contest," Danny pointed out, noting how the scores added up with Sir Frederick not far behind Steve and he was closely followed by Sir Nicolas.

Steve dropped his bow to the ground and came forward, climbing the fence to get closer to the royal box. As much as some guards might see it as a hostile act, Sir Edward shooed them off and allowed Steve to continue.

The fence wasn't that tall, only an extra five feet or so from the ground, but climbing it got Steve just below eye level with Danny. He kept his feet and knees in place to hold himself up as leaned over to Danny and looked him up and down making him feel self-conscious and he ran a hand over his tight tunic to smooth it down.

"Perhaps a token," Steve suggested and Grace giggled beside them while Clara kept an indulgent smile behind her hand. "A favor to remind me what I fight for."

"Is your mind so easily distracted that you would forget?" Danny teased, though the flirting held a tension. "Or have you been hit on the head so many times that your intelligence dwindles?"

Steve laughed for Grace and Clara's benefit then motioned for Danny to lean closer so he could talk in more hushed tones. "You have an acid tongue and yet I remember it tasting so sweet," Steve whispered in his ear, making Danny blush as he quickly stepped back.

"Here!" Grace unknowingly interrupted their moment as she pulled Danny down closer to her level and began to pull at the lace on his tunic and it came away easily, revealing more of his upper chest to the world. She then held her hand out to Steve with the suede slip of material in it. "Will this do?"

"It's perfect, Gracie, thank you," Steve answered. "Your Highness," he said and bowed to her while she curtseyed in response. He turned his attention back to Danny. "My Prince," he acknowledged him and tucked the lace into the top of his own tunic before nodding to the Queen and her husband before jumping back down to the ground.

Steve had become a favorite of the crowd who watched his antics each day of the tournament with interest. He became the topic of gossip in various towns and villages nearby and they loved to see him interacting with Danny.

They were seen as a couple despite the fact that they weren't. Danny frowned as Steve waved to a few people in the stands as he left the arena. Everyone had been swept up into this romantic ideal, including his own family. As much as he tried to deny it, he could grudgingly admit (if only to himself) that he liked Steven. But that didn't mean he felt any less stifled by the tournament and the associated obligations.

He couldn't let this go on.

By the time the draw had been made for the final event the next day, Danny knew this was his chance to take grasp of his own future. Destiny be damned, he had never wanted to marry as a result of all this. He may have feelings for Steve but he wanted nothing to do in perpetuating the long-standing belief that royals were mere prizes to be won.

And his solution may be underhanded, and it may be against the rules, but he felt he had little choice in the matter. He couldn't let Steve win, because if that happened, everything was out of their control. Steve would have to ask, Danny would have to say yes. All he'd ever wanted was a chance to choose for himself, to not feel the pressure of history and an entire kingdom's population hanging over his shoulders.

Steve had still placed high enough that he could be made overall winner in the last event and Danny couldn't risk it so he covered himself up and late that night he made his way to the sign up sheet…