Chapter 9

Marriage. It had always seemed like such an odd concept to Billy. Two people living together in holy matrimony for the rest of their lives. Living forever in peace and happiness. What a paradox that was. Life and peace in the same sentence. In fact up to this point all Billy's life had been was structured chaos with moments, scenes, of happiness. Just enough for him to keep going but never enough to live with. Magnus had always wanted it that way. The king did not want to waist his riches on both of his grandchildren. He had believed that if he were to let Billy be happy that it would have inspired weakness in the boy, that his perfect successor would have been lost.

Happiness had never known the prince. Until now he had hardly known even the base of emotional feelings. Billy had never truly known love for another, or at least not in this way. He had loves Kate and Tommy but this was different. With teddy he felt so vulnerable but he didn't wish to defend himself. He trusted teddy to never hurt him, to never betray him.

For Kate or Tommy he would lay down his life easily. Billy would have done this act for even the most foul and wretched of beings. But teddy would be the first to refuse the service. The first to lay down his life before Billy could stagger. Teddy had been the first to save him.

Billy sighed as dozens of handmaidens swarmed around him, dressing him as if he were two years old once again. Each had their own task. Some fluffing out the wrinkles in the boys suit, others running combs through his hair and brushes across his face, covering up each and every one of his imperfections. A prince had no blemishes, no scars, he carried no pain. A prince was to be a god and therefore he was to lack the imperfections of the rest of his race. Especially on a day as holy as this was soon to be.

Behind Billy sat his mother, Wanda Maximoff. She sat silently in her crimson red gown as the women worked away on the princes appearance. She had never seen a suit so porcelain white in all of her years. It was as pure as newly fallen snow to the ground, as pure as her untainted son. He had always been a king. Even without Magnus's torturous training she had always felt the boys power. Maybe it had been because she created him that way. Maybe in the back of her mind she had these attributes in mind during his conception. That he would have his uncles heroic nature, his mothers beauty, his sisters creativity and his grandfathers leadership. He was the best of each of them all rolled up into that little package. Wanda had always loved both of her boys. She had always admired Tommy's attributes, his carelessness, and his free spirit. In many ways Tommy was everything that she never was and Billy everything she could have been.

"He's perfect. He's ready. Be gone with you all. Let me speak to my son." Wanda spoke firmly, standing from her seat. Billy had never found an excess amount of fear for his mother in his heart. He had, even with their estranged nature, had great love and admiration for the woman but never fear. The handmaidens had other opinions. Each rushed out faster then the other, wishing not to encore the wrath of the scarlet witch.

Billy swiveled around with a blush on his cheeks as he looked to the ground. Just a day ago he had been concealing who he was, hiding from the woman that gave him life and now he was to be married within the hour to another man. He felt ashamed of his trepidation towards the princess and did not possess the knowledge of how to possibly make it better.

She on the other hand did not seem to mind the young mans lie or his sexual orientation. Rather, the woman stood in shock and aw at her son's handsome physique. Throughout the boy's life, his mother had seen him in a suit on many occasions but this felt difference. Maybe it was the white texture that gave Wanda chills up and down her spine or maybe it wasn't the suit at all. Maybe it was her pride. Her pride in everything Billy had ever done or will do. Tears began to form in the woman's eyes and she places her hands gently over her mouth as she collapsed pack down onto the cushioned chair she had once sat upon.

"Oh William... I am so sorry. I promised myself I wouldn't do this. It's just... It's all so perfect. It's all just as I had dream." She cried out as tears of joy streamed down her face.

Billy smiled softly as he walked over to his mother, pulling up a seat next to her and placing his hand on her lap. "Mom, don't cry. Cause if you cry then I'm gone cry and I don't know what they put on my face but I bet it doesn't mix well with tears."

Wanda smiled and let out a small chuckle as she looked up into Billy's eyes. They had always been so unique, changing in every situation. Some days they had been the most beautiful brown, others they shone as deep a blue as the ocean on a desert island, never touched by man. The color may change but the compassion in them never faded. Always caring about everyone else before himself. She let out a small sigh after a moment of silence and placed her hand back down on his reassuringly. "I'm just very very proud of you."

"I lied."

"You protected yourself. You were afraid and confused. It wasn't right of anyone to assume who you were. It was our pardon never yours. Just... Make sure prince Dorrek knows what a catch you are. That you are so much more then a pretty face. You're a ruler Billy. Through and through. In every universe you'll be more powerful then anyone can possibly imagine."

"I don't need every universe. 'We live in the best of all possible realities' mother."

"That we do."

The two smiled at the reference, remembering reading the Candide together. It had been one of the first great classics that the two had picked up and the quote had never been lost on either of them. Billy would never know that during the reading his mother had changed the word 'worlds' to 'realities' while reading it to him. She had felt that the word was appropriate for the house of m and all it was built on. It was always an allusion to the witch's secret digression. One that none would ever pick up on.

The twos deep silence was broken as the door to Billy's dressing room flung open. There stood Magnus in his normal powerful stance, no expression gracing his stern visage. "Wanda, would you give the boy and I the room?" He questioned. Although the man's question had seemed like a request, both Wanda and Billy knew that it was not. Magnus never have choices, he never have time for error or disobedience. He was king and was to be understood.

A his command, wand got up silently, shooting her son a final soft smile of good fortune and then hurried off past her father to the grand hall.

Once the woman had left, Magnus used his manipulation of magnetism to shut the door behind and then proceeded to walk back over to Billy. He silent placed a firm hand on the boys shoulder and squeezed it tightly. Billy wanted to wince at the pain but knew the action would be unwise. Weakness was never to be displayed before the king. Billy was the prince of the mutants, he was superior in every aspect of the word and weakness would go against that assumption and inspire a revolution. Billy stood tall, back straight just as his grand father had taught him, looking deep into the man's eyes, not challengingly but like a solider awaiting orders.

"I am satisfied boy. Maybe you're not as incompetent as I once believed. There is hope for you yet."

"Thank you my lord," Billy replied coldly, like a machine. No conjecture could be detected in his voice. Magnus removed his had, done with his praising of Billy and back to business.

"After the ceremony you will undress here and walk back to your chambers to consecrate the marriage. Once that is done, captain Marvell will leave the boy here to rule along side you. Upon my death you will be granted the crown and upon Marvell's death, Dorrek will be the ruler of two different empires. A pact has been drawn up that with this marriage, our three nations will be united as one. After today your training with me will cease. I have taught you everything you need to rule my boy. I only hope that you are up for the duty."

"I am my lord."

"Are you? William there are tuff choices to be made as a king. Are you truly willing to kill a man if he stands in your way? Are you capable of leading a war for resources or against human insurgence? Are you ready to do what is right for your people?"

"Yes my lord. I shall carry out your wishes. I serve you." Billy droned without hesitation. He had been not only taught how to be a ruler but a solider to Magnus's decrees. He may have not agreed with his grand father but he was nonetheless loyal to the man. With that Magnus nodded and dismissed the boy to the ceremony.

The whole ordeal was quick in time but seemed to Billy as the most time consuming task he had ever undergone. Each second felt like hours on end. He would have dissolved if not for Dorrek, standing there as true and compassionate as ever. He was Billy's rock, his stability. As long as there hands touched, William would never know fear.

The two exchanged their vows quickly and were dismissed to different halls, as was the custom. They were to now go to the back and strip down fully and walk back to consecrate the marriage. Princes held no after party, no fun, no reception. Each act they were forced to commit was strictly business.

Billy walked down the hallways of the castle in his hairy nude form. Not many had passed him on the way back to his quarters. He had only seen a few handmaids who seemed not shocked by the boy's current state of undress. Many of them had cared for him since he was a child and were no strangers to his or Tommy's body's.

Just as Billy turned the corner to the hall his bedroom lay in, he bumped into a man, also rounding the corner. A chill ran down the boy's spine as he then realized who the man had been. There before him stood Daken, fully dressed in his royal guard attire, eyeing his member like a feast he would savor and devour with force. He smirked, licking his lips as his eyes moved up to Billy's who looked back at the guard, annoyed.

"Heh kid you're pretty hairy aren't ya? I'm gonna enjoy shaving you clean."

Billy rolled his eyes at Daken's disgusting attempt at flirting. It felt demeaning to the prince to be talked about in such a way. The boys blood boiled at the sight of him, whether out of fear or anger he had no clue.

"Didn't you hear? I'm married so back off."

"Hm we'll see about that. Trust me Maximoff, I'm going to have you and when I do, you're going to forget that ogre. You'll be too busy screaming my name."

"As if I'd ever call out for you in pleasure."

"Pleasure? Maximoff I'm going to cut you until I feel bone. I'm going to make you wish you had accepted me all of these years. Once teddy boy is gone, you're mine to do what I please with. Gotta keep that hairy ass in line. Don't want you thinking your king yet."

Billy pushed past the man, letting his words go in one ear and out the other. Dakens immature threats were just that and he was too much of a coward to ever follow through on anything he was to say. It was important for him to just let the beasts words roll off his shoulder. They were fabrications of his own insanity after all. Once the marriage was consecrated Daken would no longer be a blight on Billy's existence. With that, Billy thrusted open the doors to his quarters, ready to finish his suffering once and for all.