21

Jack had travelled to his old family home with Gray to collect a few things now his father had left it to move into their sweet little home Ianto and Jack had loved so much before having to move to the castle. There was a skeleton staff that kept up the grounds and such, all excited to see Gray who they had all watched grow up and Jack was again reminded that Gray had lived a different life to him.

"I did love this room" Gray said wistfully "I remember Nanny drying my hair with a towel as Johnny waited to settle me in his lap for a story. So many memories here."

"Yes. Once wed... do you intend to live in her realm? Or here?" Jack asked, something he had not thought of until now.

"Oh god… I don't know. Must I live there?"

"You will be king one day, you must sometimes… but lots of royalty have more than one residence. You can live there in the summer when it is so pretty and lush, come back here in the winter to avoid those monsoons and terrible cold. It so … this can become your winter lodgings. As a king and queen, you cannot live with me and Ianto … unseemly. You need your own residence as your staff needs their roles to be defined and maintained for their own betterment. This could be the solution."

"I would love it… do you think daddy would mind?" Gray asked.

"We can ask, he is happy at our little place and who knows… may like to live here with you sometimes too." Jack shrugged.

"And Johnty"" Gray added thoughtfully as he looked at the books in the shelving, running his finger along the spines "I shall need him. He will protect me and love me."

Jack went to say something and paused, a little voice in the back of his head niggling away as he settled back to watch Gray walk around the room.

"Stuffy and damp. I shall need some improvements done. Mummy was so decadent and old fashioned … can we ask daddy when we get back?" Gray swung to look at him "Show Lilly? I bet she will love it here… love the lake. She paints, will love the swans when they are less afraid and stop hiding from her."

"Of course Graybum" Jack said, using his childhood moniker and Gray laughed as he hugged him, revelling in the idea of being a real grownup in his own house. Houses. Wow… he would be a king one day.

Trippy.

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.

.

.

"You know… I never noticed it before" Jack said as he paused, the boot he was trying to remove stuck and his back complaining at the weird angle he was at while trying to yank at it.

"Noticed what?" Ianto asked kneeling to assist his king.

"Johnny and Gray. They are rather attached to one another. I ws so much older… off with you and John spent a lot of time with him. Seems Daddy was more reserved, the arguments between him and mummy made Gray prefer his own company. Johnny was the one who taught Gray to ride, fish … shave even. Did you know that?"

"No, but it makes sense" Ianto replied softly "He does love Gray considerably you know. No kids of his own, he was what… eighteen when Gray was born? He adored him from the word go, I remember him holding him in his arms quite possessively when we visited one time."

"He had been poorly, Johnny didn't want… shit. He was. Do you think him too attached?"

"No" Ianto settled to look at Jack with concentration "You know… you know your father sired Malcolm. You also know your mother sought a relationship with Johnny. Just as Malcolm is part of our family. So is John."

Jack considered what his love was trying to tell him and he stared at him as things clicked into place "When? When did my mother start to sleep with your cousin darling?"

"Since he was sixteen by his own admission" Ianto leaned back, seeing that Jack had it now.

"Does daddy know?"

"Of course. He does not care, he loves Gray as any good father does. The thing with blue bloods… a strange lot where strange things happened in the palace walls. Hmmm?" Ianto smiled as he reached out to hold Jacks' hand "Is he any less your brother for the knowing of this? He is still Gray, yes? Who is to say anything else … I do think he has your father's ways about him. Hmmmm? Anyway … who cares?"

"Yes" Jack agreed with a nod of his head "Still of my mother, still of the royal chain. Yes."

"Then … it serves no one to dwell on something that happened so long ago and is really of little matter now. Gray is a man, set to wed. Johnny will become his Hand. He will watch over Gray as he has his entire life and we will sleep well in the knowledge that Johnny will die for him, kill for him and he is safely tucked away with the woman he loves."

"And what of John? What of his love?"

"Cariad, if your mother could not contain him.. do can you ever expect anyone else to? Hmmm? For he is the bastard of a King, lover of a princess royal and father of… well."

"Well" Jack repeated, smiling softly as he saw that Ianto was right. It did not matter.

And Ianto relaxed as Jack accepted that Johnny was going nowhere and would always be loyal.

For the love of his son.