Dawn had risen over the Dark Kingdom some hours ago , but mid-morning first saw light blazing unwelcome through the window. Varian groaned in displeasure as if the sun might be polite enough to set early if he asked. A heavy curtain could be closed if he got up for it.

Fine. He sat up slowly. His aching body protesting. The fifth trial had been the most difficult yet. All four of them could hardly wait to collapse in their beds upon returning to the castle. Well, Varian had waited. He looked over to broad shoulders and blond hair. He had waited a while. Varian didn't bother finding his close as he strolled across the suit he had been given. Nothing to hide now.

With the curtains drawn Varian wondered if he should even return to bed. King Edmund had invited them to a king's breakfast to celebrate as they had all declined his offer of a king's dinner last night in favor of early sleep. It might have stared already. It might have already ended.

Perhaps someone would knock. They should be dressed it they do. He wasn't sure if he was ready for the gang to know about them. Everything had happened so quickly last night. That wasn't true. They had been talking by the hearth for some time. Varian had asked the staff for a bottle of wine to help him sleep. Then offered to share it with Hugo returning to his room after a bath. At first they had talked. At some point Varian was leaning against him. Then he was snuggled against. Then they were kissing.

He looked to his sleeping boyfriend. Hugo was his boyfriend now. Maybe; they hadn't talked about that. Sure, Hugo had been flirting with him literally since the moment they first met in the fire temple. ('Well hiya, cutie. Glad you finally made it.' He brandished the smoke bombs with a wink, leaving Yong and Varian in awe and fury.) But from what Varian understood about his roughish friend's home country, it wasn't much for labels or decency of any kind. He's been falling for some time. He wanted to know this was serious first, but the moment was just too perfect to wait any longer.

Varian found a single black bath robe in a wardrobe. The fabric was heavenly against his bear skin. This would do if anyone came looking for him. He would have to get dressed eventually, but for now he could simply lay with his new lover until he woke. The man was on his front with his cheek against a pillow soaked in drool. Pale, light freckles, small scare through his eyebrow, burse on his temple; scrape across his Chin. He was the single most handsome boy Varian had ever seen in his life.

Varian was just leaning down to kiss his little sours when he finally heard the knock. He held back a groan and rolled out of bed a second time. What he expected to be on the other side of the door was a staff member to escort him to the breakfast hall or maybe Nuru to ask why he was late. Surprisingly... unfortunately... both simultaneously...

"HEY, BUDDY!"

"E-Eugene! Lance?!" The former rushed forward and lifted him in the air with a twirl.

"So good to see you!" He was placed on the ground still in Eugene's arms, his hand further ruffling his bed head. A much larger hand pated his back.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, you see!" Eugene spun around to stand beside him facing the hallway with his arm around Varian's shoulders. Around him were his visiting friends as well as King Edmund himself. No sign of Nuru, Yong, or any other castle residence. "We have not seen you in over a year. And your last letter said you were finishing up in the Earth Kingdom and headed here, so we hopped on one of your hot air balloon and sailed 40,000 miles in the blink of an eye. All the way on the other side of the world to see how you little quest was coming along."

"we're not that far away from corona..." Varian laughed, leaning into him.

"He, also, might be here because I've been begging him for months to come see me and the progress I've made on my kingdom. I think he's just too proud to tell me that. Or maybe I'm making that up and he really is just here for Varian. In which case that huts my feelings a lot."

Eugene broke the subsequent silence."...You never get use to him doing that."

"It's creepy." Varian finished.

Lance chose to take over the subject. "Speaking of uncomfortable, that little breakfast nook I saw has tables and benches strait up carved out of stone, but the spread the have! I'm talking blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, black pudding. We are missing ou- Oh! Oh!" A pointer finger thrust accusingly at Varian as Lance's eyes stared wide at something just below his head.

"Uh, Lance?" Eugene Pipped up.

"Oh!"

"You ok, Bud?"

"Oh!" Each sound he made was slightly higher than the last and coupled with a tiny step forward. Soon he was close enough for his finger to jab slightly at Varian's neck. His over-sensitive body sent a hard chill though him and Varian blushed in horrific clarity at what lance was pointing to.

"VARIAN'S GOT A HICKEY!"

Eugene gasped and pulled Varian around to face him. He gave his own elongated "Oooooh!" That grew in volume each second it lasted. He gave Varian's shoulders a harsh shake, smiling down at his pride and joy. "Our boy! Now a little man! and you're so tall now too, and handsome! Just look at him Lance!"

"Now, where is the beauty. She's in there right? Do we get to meet her?"

"What the fuck is going on!?" Varian winced at the loud curse interrupting their joyful reunion. Lance and Eugene's heads leaned on either side, squishing him in the doorframe wile Edmund stood behind them. Hugo had either just woken up or just given up. Oh, and he looked stunning with a leftover beam of sunlight between the curtains lighting his hair from behind. A grimace on his long face. The blanket only draped over his waist and left side. A pale leg exposed up to the hip.

Lance made his assessment first. "Oh, he fine..."

The long "hm..." From Eugene stared his own opinion. "I don't know. We need a better look at this guy."

Varian fiddled with his fingers sheepishly. "Sorry, Hugo. Time to wake up."

Hugo answered this with a loud, dramatic moan as he rolled of the bed to the floor, shamelessly exposing himself for a brief moment.

"Oh, boy," from Edmund.

A snicker from Lance.

An indignant scoff from Eugene.

"What's going on?" From Adira as her and Hector patrolled the halls together.

"Nothing important!" Varian tried, hoping to save him and his new boyfriend from some humiliation. Unfortunately Edmund was still there.

"Varian had sex with Hugo. But he probably doesn't want everyone to know so I shouldn't tell anyone else." He turned his gaze from the floor to Adira. "Nothing, Dame Adira. Nothing is happening. Please continue you rounds."

"Yes, your highness." Her voice now tight with stifled laughter. She turned and march down the hall with a shocked and dejected Hector behind her. From the distance was heard a faint 'I knew it' 'no...' 'I told you!' 'shut up'

Varian jumped as Hugo finally made it to the party dressed only in pants and immediately wrapped his arms around Varian's neck. Varian melted into him while Eugene stepped back and looked them both up and down skeptically. "Lance, what do you think?"

The taller man rubbed his chin. "Good body, strong shoulders, strong jaw, bad hair"

"I'm not done with it. I just got up." Hugo ran a hand over top his head, now with and elbow on Varian's shoulder. He leaned more weight down on his short lover who only smiled back at him. He must have been so tired. "Sorry if my modern style doesn't register with the previous generation"

'Here we go,' Varian moaned to himself.

"Attitude?" Asked Eugene.

"He's sleepy, we can't judge him now."

"Fine, we'll have to schedule an interview later. Hey Haircut! How's 1ish. Sometime after lunch?"

"who even are these people" Hugo mumbled in Varian's ear.

"We gunna eat or what?"

"Yes! Thank you Lance! Let's eat!" Hugo almost fell to the floor with how fast Varian nearly ran passed them. Only to be stopped by Eugene.

"You want to put some clothes on first?"

"Absolutely!" Again nearly Knocking Hugo over with a shove into their suit before slamming the door.