It took me a while to update this but it's finally here! I hope you like this one and once again, thanks for the reviews, it means a lot to me that you take a bit of your time to let me know how I do with this story xD

The night was filled with whispers…

Not only could he listen to them but he could also feel them; brushing against his skin as the wind blew them to faraway lands.

They spoke to him, but in his mind he could not understand the message… they called to him, but in his sorrow he would not listen to them. He just sat in the dirt ground, his eyes lost in the distance as the whispers flew away.

It has been broad daylight when he first sat there, the sun beaming high in the blue skies as a warm breeze soothed him away; but that had been so long ago, now darkness fell upon him and the only thing he could feel was the cold.

That was what his days had turned into, a cold and bitter existence where his heart wouldn't beat and his flesh couldn't feel.

He was turned into hard stone; feeling numb, dwelling in the shadows… darkness was now his only refuge and he took comfort in it, letting it take over him as the torrent of feelings that reigned inside of him consumed him slowly.

His condition was one of the heart and it was hard to bear, especially when everywhere he looked he was greeted with long faces and drowning eyes that reminded him of his own sorrow.

Aye, the entire Kingdom had sunk in grief for a King they barely know.

His King…

He took in a deep breath of the cold night, filling his lungs with the coldness before releasing the same through his mouth… it didn't make him feel better, quite the contrary, it only reminded him how empty he was inside.

His King…

The life and death of him had been the talk in town for the past few days… it would also be for nights to come because it seemed everybody had a tale to tell. The woman who attended his coronation, the dozens who celebrated his coming of age, the lot who feasted at his wedding… they all thought to know him when in reality none of them did.

They didn't know him like he did. None of them knew how deep could his eyes dig when he looked into your own, or how did his hands feel running through your skin… none of them knew how enticing were his words or how warm were his lips.

No… they didn't know him like he did, they had no reason to grieve him.

But they did nonetheless; they grieved him like lost children would grieve a parent and after days of listening to their wails he had enough. He just could not bear to be there, among them, listening to the tales of how death had surprised the King before his time…

All those tales sounded horrific to his ears and they only brought more pain to his heart.

So having more than his share to grieve, the blonde man left town earlier that day, walking through the flood of people who came to see the King that was no more; they hadn't known him in life and yet there they were saying their farewells.

Now as the town cried a King that was last in line he sat alone, his mind lost in memory as the moon watched over him.

He has been late… he should have been there days before… and if he had showed up when he needed to show up he wouldn't be suffering from repressed sorrow at that moment.

Maybe the whole Kingdom wouldn't be suffering the lost of their King because if he had gone when he was asked to, the chances of the King being alive would have been plausible.

Now it was too late, he was too late.

The word in town was that he has been slain in bed, that death caught him in his sleep and that he didn't even had a chance to cry for help, others said that he had been roaming the castle at night when he was surprised from behind… there were countless of tales, some more fantastic than others but all ending in the King's tragic death.

And just like that his King was no more.

Edge told him that the castle was pure chaos, that the Queen's family and the Senate were battling a gruesome duel for control. The Queen claimed her Royal mandate over everything while the Senate claimed to have a signed document where the late King gave away his throne if he were to die heirless.

That was between the castle's walls, outside there was only grief.

Edge also told him that a few servants already ran away and that the Brotherhood and the King's personal guards were closely watched upon, according to him order lacked in every corner and animosity was rampant.

That was why as soon as the funerals were done they were going to leave, he, Edge and Trish. They had no idea where to go but as long as it was far from the castle it didn't matter.

Casting his eyes down to his hands, Christian pouted his lips, wondering how come that things went downhill since the King's fist attack. It was his fault, he should have found out who was betraying the King, he should have gone with him when he told him to…

"I thought you were never going to come"

Christian startled at the sound of that voice and when his head jerked to its direction he felt the urge to get up to his feet and flee.

But he didn't, his limbs were not reacting to his silent pleads to move and he could only stay there, staring with wild eyes at the apparition that smiled to him from such a short distance.

"What, you look like you've just seen a phantom"

Christian opened his mouth to speak but no words came out, and when the source of the voice approached him and knelt at his side he felt like his heart was about to escape through his mouth.

"You are dead…" He muttered finally, he didn't want to talk to the dead and yet he did. That the dead King was presenting itself to him was a bad omen.

The apparition chuckled, the smile still in his face as he stared back at the young man. "Do I look dead to you?"

Christian shut his eyes tightly; it was the last straw that above everything that happened he has lost his mind as well! "You are dead, you were killed and your funeral is going on right now, go away"

The Gods send them straight to the pits of hell! He was trying to remember a prayer to send the apparition back to where it belonged but he could not remember any.

Maybe he came back to make him pay! After all it was his fault that he died…

"Christian" The voice said in an amused tone while it touched his face with fingers that were not real… oh but they felt real… "Look at me"

The young man did as he was told, opening his eyes slowly until he was meet with the pale blue eyes of the one that in life has been his King… he looked so… real.

"You are dead"

"I am not" The apparition took Christian's hands and placed them on his chest. "Would you be able to touch me if I was dead"

"This is not real" He replied shaking his head, dead Kings were not real…

"For your mother's skirts Christian! I'm not dead!"

Christian stared at him, his eyes still placed on the apparition's chest… or was it his King's chest? He blinked in confusion and watched.

It looked like his King… could it be possible?

He moved his hands from his chest and to his face, feeling the light stubble on his jaw, his fingers brushing against his lips, running along his cheeks…

"My King?" He whispered, how could it be?

"It's Chris, your King is dead, I'm not"

"But…" Christian snorted unamused, his hands moving to Chris' hair… "The funeral… everyone think you are dead… why?" He thought he was dead… he had spent days in sorrow, feeling the entire weight of his death on him. "Why would you make us believe that?"

"Because I could, I wanted to escape those walls, I was suffocating there… I never asked to be King and I don't want to bear that burden anymore"

Christian took his hands away from the other man and shook his head… King or not he had no right to do what he did. He couldn't dispose of his royal duties just because he felt like it, was he aware of the implications of what he did?

Of course not, men like him did not care about anything that wasn't themselves.

Feeling a bit mad about the whole situation, Christian attempted to go to his feet, his head still shaking because he couldn't believe it… but before he could get up Chris grabbed his hands and pulled him down.

"I'm not done talking to you Christian"

"But I am…" He said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "You shouldn't have done that"

"Why, would you rather have me go back to the castle and have them kill me for real? If I didn't disappear when I did they would have killed me, their knives were bare and they showed them to me already; the Queen's men were upon me and it was all a matter of time"

"Then you should have done something about it, you were above the Queen and now you gave her what she wanted, have you thought about that?"

"Of course I did, that's why the Senate will take over… and as for me doing something, I didn't want to do something, I just wanted out"

"Well then, do as you please… Chris, you are now out. And don't worry about me because I won't tell a soul about of this jest of yours" He tried to stand up again but like before he was pulled down.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"Far from here, far from you"

Chris bit on his lower lip and looked down. "Why did you come here then?"

"I thought you were dead! You played me for a fool and let me believe that you were dead and you let me think it was all my fault" Christian said, raising his voice before he realized that he was doing it… when the words were out he looked down as well, because even when everyone though he was dead he was still the King and he should not be raising his voice to the King…

"I told you to come with me, you were the one who refused me… but we can still go, just you and me"

"Did you really expect me to go with you after you whipped my back raw?" Christian smiled bitterly. "I still stand for what I told you that day, you've done nothing but bring me to ruin…"

Before he could finish talking the other man pressed his lips over his, breathing into his mouth all protest that he could have made…

But Christian didn't make any protest; he allowed the invasion, parting his lips to the other man when he sought entrance.

His King, sometimes at night he dreamt about him and on those nights he would have given anything to have another kiss, to feel his tongue dancing with his in such an intimate way.

Now it was real, and for a moment that felt too short for Christian they kissed, and when they finally broke apart he closed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts… it was all too much to take in.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want that to happen" Chris said moving one hand to Christian's back. "I would take it back if I could and I would have myself whipped if that would take the pain from you"

But there was no pain anymore, just the marks to prove it did happen. It was true that the King never gave the order for it but he never tried to stop it either.

"I can't go with you" Christian whispered, his eyes still closed as he felt Chris' touch on his face.

"Sure you can"

He shook his head. "I'm going away but not with you, I'm going with Edge and Trish"

"Then let them come with us, I don't care Christian, I just want you to come with me; we'll go far away to a place where I can be free, where I don't have to hide… where I can be with you. I know I have a lot of faults but I'll work on them… just come with me"

Christian sniffed and rested his forehead against Chris', he couldn't lie to himself, the offer was tempting. He wanted to go with him but part of him knew he shouldn't…

But then he thought about the way he felt when he thought him dead… it has been hard on him to take in… now he was there, in front of him and offering him the freedom they lacked at the castle.

There would be no Queen between them, no sneaking, no plots… just them… and Trish and Edge…

"No more wine?" He asked opening his eyes to Chris.

Chris chuckled and rolled his eyes. "No more wine"

Christian smiled and nodded. "Well… then I'll go with you"

Chris laughed and darted forward for another kiss, but Christian stopped him by placing a finger against his lips. "But know this; if you ever die again I'll kill you"

Chris smiled and before he could even reply Christian kissed him, his Chris.

*FIN*