Thank you all for being so patient. I know this has been a very long time
in coming, but I got really, really stuck. A lame excuse, I know, but it's
all I have. I'm sorry.
Special thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter: Archer, J.D,
VimesLady, Jinxster, Tipsy, Dionysus, gegr, manx, gina, sunny-historian,
HannahEccles, QueenSmithy and FinchMeister.
***
Commander Vimes found himself in the anteroom at the Palace at nine o'clock the following morning. He had walked into his office bright and early to find Carrot waiting for him. There was nothing unusual in that; Carrot was often there before Vimes, but then he had noticed the note in his hand and the worried look in his eyes.
"Message for you, sir. The Patrician demands an audience with you immediately."
He had met Carrot's eyes and shivered. They both knew what Vetinari would want to talk about. Vimes closed the door and stepped into Carrot's embrace.
"It'll be all right, Sam."
"Gods, lad, I wish I could believe you." Vimes sighed and pulled away. "Oh well, better not keep his Lordship waiting. I'll see you later." He kissed Carrot tenderly.
"I love you, Sam."
"I love you too. Now, I'd better go. . ."
Vimes glared at the clock. The arrhythmic tick was making him angry, and the fact that he was nervous as hell was not doing anything to improve his mood. He stood up, unable to sit any longer, and began pacing.
Ten minutes later the door opened and the Patrician's secretary ushered him in. Lord Vetinari was sat at his desk, looking at some paperwork.
"Ah, Vimes, do take a seat," he said, without looking up.
"Sir," replied Vimes, still standing and fixing his gaze at the usual place somewhere to the left and slightly above the Patrician's head. The Patrician pushed his paperwork aside and leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers and staring over them at Vimes.
"I presume you know why you're here."
"Sir."
"I take it that was a yes, Commander."
"Sir."
"It has come to my attention, Commander, that you and young Captain Ironfoundersson have become, shall we say, rather close of late." Vimes stared resolutely into space, saying nothing, his face a careful mask. Vetinari went on.
"Now, I myself have no problems with the nature of your relationship, and would have had no worries had it been kept secret. Unfortunately, one of your Watchmen overheard a conversation between you and the Captain last night, and repeated the conversation to a friend. It would not be good if this sort of thing became common knowledge, Commander."
"I will stamp down heavily on any rumours, sir."
"That will not be enough, Commander. The Guild leaders despise you enough as it is. If they should find out about this, it would give them an excuse to run you out of the city."
"But what can I do?" Vimes' eyes met Vetinari's cool, blue gaze for the first time. Vimes jerked as if stung. "You. . . you don't want me to. . ."
"It would be in the best interests of the city, Commander. And it would also protect yours and the Captain's reputations."
"No! I won't do it!"
"It is an order, Commander."
"I won't do it! I can't!" Vimes thumped Vetinari's desk. "I love him, sir! I trust you are capable of understanding that emotion?" An odd, closed expression appeared briefly on the Patrician's face, but it was gone before Vimes could register it.
"I am completely capable, Commander. As you wish, you leave me no choice. You will hand me your badge. You will give up your deeds and your title and you will leave the city. If you are still within the city walls at sunset you will be shot. I'm sure Lady Sybil will understand."
"But. . . but. . ." Vimes' mouth hung open for a moment, until he remembered himself and shut it. He opened it again to say, "You can't do that!"
"I rather think I can. I happen to be the ruler of this city, Commander, not you."
"But. . ."
"It's your choice, captain."
"Give up the man I love or give up my entire life? It's not much of a choice, sir!"
"Nevertheless, Commander, the choice is yours." Vimes removed his hands from Vetinari's desk and slowly and stiffly straightened up. He turned his gaze to the ceiling and blinked hurriedly.
"My choice is made, sir," he said, woodenly.
"Very good, Commander. You may go now. Try and make it easy on the lad, will you?" Vimes strode stiffly from the room, shut the door carefully behind him, and seconds later there was a resounding thump as he hit the wall. Vetinari sighed.
It was a shame that he'd had to offer Vimes such a choice, but if their relationship had been widely known of then all sorts of chaos would ensue. And Vetinari was against chaos, other than the mandatory amount you had to have in a city this size.
Oh, well. It was done now. Commander Vimes was obviously deeply in love with the boy, which was a shame, but better that than having to hound Vimes out of the city. While Vimes loved Carrot, Vetinari *needed* Vimes.
*
Sam Vimes walked out of the Palace stiffly, blinking his eyes rapidly to rid them of tears. Once out of sight of the Palace he sank down onto a low wall and groaned. How on Disc was he going to tell Carrot? Hello, darling, I love you but we can't be together anymore?
Shit!
Oh well, nothing for it. Vimes stood up, wiped his eyes and started to head back to Pseudopolis Yard, via The Bucket in Gleam Street.
***
Commander Vimes found himself in the anteroom at the Palace at nine o'clock the following morning. He had walked into his office bright and early to find Carrot waiting for him. There was nothing unusual in that; Carrot was often there before Vimes, but then he had noticed the note in his hand and the worried look in his eyes.
"Message for you, sir. The Patrician demands an audience with you immediately."
He had met Carrot's eyes and shivered. They both knew what Vetinari would want to talk about. Vimes closed the door and stepped into Carrot's embrace.
"It'll be all right, Sam."
"Gods, lad, I wish I could believe you." Vimes sighed and pulled away. "Oh well, better not keep his Lordship waiting. I'll see you later." He kissed Carrot tenderly.
"I love you, Sam."
"I love you too. Now, I'd better go. . ."
Vimes glared at the clock. The arrhythmic tick was making him angry, and the fact that he was nervous as hell was not doing anything to improve his mood. He stood up, unable to sit any longer, and began pacing.
Ten minutes later the door opened and the Patrician's secretary ushered him in. Lord Vetinari was sat at his desk, looking at some paperwork.
"Ah, Vimes, do take a seat," he said, without looking up.
"Sir," replied Vimes, still standing and fixing his gaze at the usual place somewhere to the left and slightly above the Patrician's head. The Patrician pushed his paperwork aside and leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers and staring over them at Vimes.
"I presume you know why you're here."
"Sir."
"I take it that was a yes, Commander."
"Sir."
"It has come to my attention, Commander, that you and young Captain Ironfoundersson have become, shall we say, rather close of late." Vimes stared resolutely into space, saying nothing, his face a careful mask. Vetinari went on.
"Now, I myself have no problems with the nature of your relationship, and would have had no worries had it been kept secret. Unfortunately, one of your Watchmen overheard a conversation between you and the Captain last night, and repeated the conversation to a friend. It would not be good if this sort of thing became common knowledge, Commander."
"I will stamp down heavily on any rumours, sir."
"That will not be enough, Commander. The Guild leaders despise you enough as it is. If they should find out about this, it would give them an excuse to run you out of the city."
"But what can I do?" Vimes' eyes met Vetinari's cool, blue gaze for the first time. Vimes jerked as if stung. "You. . . you don't want me to. . ."
"It would be in the best interests of the city, Commander. And it would also protect yours and the Captain's reputations."
"No! I won't do it!"
"It is an order, Commander."
"I won't do it! I can't!" Vimes thumped Vetinari's desk. "I love him, sir! I trust you are capable of understanding that emotion?" An odd, closed expression appeared briefly on the Patrician's face, but it was gone before Vimes could register it.
"I am completely capable, Commander. As you wish, you leave me no choice. You will hand me your badge. You will give up your deeds and your title and you will leave the city. If you are still within the city walls at sunset you will be shot. I'm sure Lady Sybil will understand."
"But. . . but. . ." Vimes' mouth hung open for a moment, until he remembered himself and shut it. He opened it again to say, "You can't do that!"
"I rather think I can. I happen to be the ruler of this city, Commander, not you."
"But. . ."
"It's your choice, captain."
"Give up the man I love or give up my entire life? It's not much of a choice, sir!"
"Nevertheless, Commander, the choice is yours." Vimes removed his hands from Vetinari's desk and slowly and stiffly straightened up. He turned his gaze to the ceiling and blinked hurriedly.
"My choice is made, sir," he said, woodenly.
"Very good, Commander. You may go now. Try and make it easy on the lad, will you?" Vimes strode stiffly from the room, shut the door carefully behind him, and seconds later there was a resounding thump as he hit the wall. Vetinari sighed.
It was a shame that he'd had to offer Vimes such a choice, but if their relationship had been widely known of then all sorts of chaos would ensue. And Vetinari was against chaos, other than the mandatory amount you had to have in a city this size.
Oh, well. It was done now. Commander Vimes was obviously deeply in love with the boy, which was a shame, but better that than having to hound Vimes out of the city. While Vimes loved Carrot, Vetinari *needed* Vimes.
*
Sam Vimes walked out of the Palace stiffly, blinking his eyes rapidly to rid them of tears. Once out of sight of the Palace he sank down onto a low wall and groaned. How on Disc was he going to tell Carrot? Hello, darling, I love you but we can't be together anymore?
Shit!
Oh well, nothing for it. Vimes stood up, wiped his eyes and started to head back to Pseudopolis Yard, via The Bucket in Gleam Street.