By the time Madria left, two torrid hours later, Frank was feeling somewhat calmer. In an attempt to further refocus his thoughts, he picked up his biochemistry textbook and went to the castle's library to study for an upcoming exam. His success at this endeavor was limited, to put it mildly. Despite his best efforts, he had been staring at the same page in the book at least forty-five minutes when Rocky walked into the library.

"Frank, there you are! I've been looking all over for you. Lunch is ready."

Frank looked up with relief. "At last, an excuse to stop studying. Have you eaten yet? If not, join me. We can talk about your duties, and the palace routine, while we eat."

Despite the rather prosaic nature of the proposed topic, Rocky looked pleased. "That would be fine."

Rather than going to the formal dining room, Frank and Rocky took their food back to Frank's private quarters, where they settled in his sitting room. As promised, their conversation was relatively impersonal. By the end of the meal, Rocky had the distinct impression that Frank was making a deliberate effort to insure their relationship remained at the master-servant level. Therefore, he was pleasantly surprised at Frank's suggestion once they finished eating.

"I absolutely cannot bear the thought of going back to that library to study. I assume the Lord Chamberlain has shown you around the palace itself, so would you like me to show you around the grounds? They really are quite beautiful."

A delighted smile crossed Rocky's face, making him look even more handsome. "Yes, please. I'd enjoy that."

Frank wasn't exaggerating. Rocky was amazed at the beauty of the landscape, both natural and created by the gardening staff. He was so engrossed in admiring a lighted pond surrounded by hundreds of wildflowers that he tripped over an exposed tree root, and instinctively grabbed Frank to keep from falling. He quickly regained his balance, but was considerably slower to release his grip on Frank. For his part, Frank made no effort to shake Rocky off. Again their eyes met and the lightning bolt of attraction passed between them, even more powerful than before. However, much to Rocky's dismay, Frank shook his head slightly and stepped back from him.

"There's a particular place I'd like to show you."

Curiosity overriding his disappointment, Rocky followed Frank to a lush, thick grove of trees. He looked at Frank, confusion written on his face. Were they going to be traipsing through a forest?

Frank caught his expression and smiled. "Just wait." Approaching the grove, he walked directly to a path that would have been virtually undistinguishable to anyone not familiar with the spot. Rocky followed Frank down the narrow path, until it suddenly widened. Frank stepped aside and Rocky stood stock still, gaping in amazement.

Unexpectedly spread before them was a small, enchanting clearing, surrounded on all sides by a wide variety of beautiful trees. As an additional accent, a lovely lake glistened in the pure white moonlight, lending the scene a sense of grace and serenity.

Frank walked over to a large rock and perched on top of it, drinking in the view. Rocky sat down next to him and smiled. "Frank, it's wonderful. How did you find it?"

Frank smiled back at him. "This has been my favorite spot since I was a small child. I can't even remember anymore how I happened to stumble upon it. It doesn't seem there was ever a time I didn't know about it. Whenever I need to be alone, I come here. It never fails to bring me peace."

"Then I suppose I should be flattered you've brought me here."

Frank nodded. "Yes, you should." For a second, it looked as if he was about to reach out and touch Rocky. Instead, he turned his gaze back to the lake. "Tell me what brought you to the Palace."

Rocky sighed. "My life wasn't working out very well where I was. I lived with my parents in a small town about an hour away from here. I so badly wanted to get a job and move out on my own, but it was such a small place. I just couldn't find a job, not even a menial one. My father decided my lack of success was due to laziness. Our relationship was never that good, but lately it had become intolerable. I decided to take my chances and move here to the capital city in a last-ditch attempt to improve my lot. As it happens, an old friend from school is an assistant chef in the palace kitchen, and he told me your manservant was going to have to leave. He managed to get me an interview. I never expected to actually get the job, but...here I am. It's like a new beginning for me. I can't tell you how grateful I am."

Frank looked over at him. "I'm certainly happy you're here, but I'm sorry to hear of your relationship with your father." He was silent a moment. "My father passed away several years ago, and I still miss him dreadfully."

Rocky squirmed a bit awkwardly. "Oh yes, I remember that. There was some sort of laboratory accident, wasn't there?"

Frank nodded. "Yes. While he was in the midst of an experiment, he combined two chemicals that shouldn't have been flammable, but they exploded. He was killed instantly. It turned out one of the chemicals was mislabeled. Whether it was accidental or deliberate, we still don't know."

Rocky shook his head. "I still remember how shocked I was when I heard about it. He was a brilliant scientist, wasn't he?"

A fond smile lightened Frank's expression, which had grown somber during the discussion of his father's death. "Yes, he was. I used to love to keep him company in the laboratory. I still remember how excited I was the first time he walked me through an experiment. It felt like...magic. As far as I was concerned, my father was creating magic. I still feel that way. My love of science was the greatest gift my father gave me." His smile widened. "He was perhaps the most unlikely member of a royal family one could ever imagine. But considering he wasn't born to royalty and disliked all its ostentation, he handled it very well. He was a wonderful man. Both my mother and I loved him dearly."

Despite the smile, tears had come to Frank's eyes. He blinked them back furiously. "Forgive me. I haven't spoken to anyone about my father in years. I do hope you don't mind my unburdening myself on you this way."

Rocky looked at him sympathetically. "Of course not." Suddenly, a panicked expression came over his face. He looked at his watch and groaned. "Oh, no. I was supposed to be in a training session with the Lord Chamberlain ten minutes ago. He'll be furious."

Frank waved away his concern. "Don't worry about it. I'll let him know you were with me. How can he possibly object? Besides...I need you more than he does."

Rocky looked at Frank intently. "What do you need me to do?"

For a long moment, Frank was silent. He seemed to be engaging in some inner struggle Rocky couldn't quite fathom. Finally he answered, in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I need you to love me."

Rocky, stunned and thrilled, again stared into Frank's eyes. This time surrendering to their mutual desire, their lips met in a deep, hungry kiss. When they finally broke the kiss, he softly responded, "I think I already do. Please allow me to show you how much."