3.-๐๐๐ด
Gilbert was walking through the castle at eight o'clock in the morning, when he saw Five's maid with a basin in her hands, he supposed it was for the maid to wash her face.
He approached her and said:
"Give me the bowl, I will help the prince" she seemed to want to reply. "Don't worry, if you don't tell anyone, no one need know.
After a moment she got the tray with the bowl and the towels.
"Thank you." she said before leaving.
She entered the maid's room, he was still wearing the mask that covered his eyes when he slept. The eyes of the maidens were sacred. From birth to the age of ten the people who could see his eyes for the first time in the day were his parents, after his tenth birthday the maiden who helps him with his morning routine joins him, and after he is married, only his husband can see them. These people can pull the mask off, but never themselves, unless her husband allows them to.
Gilbert knew that what he planned to do was unethical and unprotocol, but he didn't really care. The prince was standing in front of a large mirror that he probably came to by feeling his way around.
He must have heard him enter, because he said:
"Ah, Martha! come, take off my mask."
Gilbert approached him from behind and set the bowl aside.
Gently she stood behind him and removed the mask that covered his eyes.
"Good, now give me the bowl to wash myself." demanded the young man, who had immediately proceeded to adjust his belt. Gilbert, however, put his arms around his waist.
"What have you...?" Five looked at his reflection at last, realising that it was the foreign prince embracing him "You shouldn't be here."
"I know."
"This is unethical and unprotocol and..."
"I am aware of that." she interrupted him.
"And I could expel you immediately on the grounds of breach of the rules," the prince continued.
"Tell me Five," he whispered against his shoulder, "would you? Would you expel me for this?"
"I must." the green-eyed one was beginning to blush, Gilbert could hear his heart pounding, probably from embarrassment.
"Oh, I'm not asking if you must or not, my question is: do you want to expel me?" he finally caught sight of the mirror, noticing that the other's eyes were riveted on his person.
"You are original, I don't deny it, but that doesn't make much change. Sir, I certainly don't plan to marry you. Your expulsion seems logical to me."
"Hush, so you don't want to marry me?"
"No."
"I will make you change your mind."
"I doubt it."
"Oh, Five, do you think I don't hear your heart? It beats so hard it feels like it's about to leap out of your chest. You think I don't notice the flush on your face? You think I don't notice your rapid breathing? Tell me, do you like what you see in the mirror?" With his index finger he drew circles on her waist.
"Don't get confused, I'm just... intrigued by your originality, that's all."
"Five, answer me, do you like what you see in the mirror?"
"I feel no more interest in your person than one who sees a dog with a loaf of bread on its snout."
"I am impatient, do you like it or not?" he squeezed her waist tightly in search of an answer.
"Maybe, minimally speaking."
"Oh, Five, then you're forcing me to work to pique your interest, so you'll let me in here." making sure to touch all the way, he brought his hand up to the level of Five's heart.
"Good luck making it, and off you go, I'll be leaving the castle in an hour and won't be back until after teatime."
"I shall wait expectantly for your return, Five Hargreeves," he kissed the other's neck, it was barely a touch, but he felt him shudder in his arms and added, "No one need know what has just happened.
He released him and left the room.
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"There's a prince in my kingdom, he says he wants to court me," said Five. He had gone to Draco's kingdom, with whom he was close friends. He really liked being able to talk in confidence with the blond.
He left the castle an hour after what happened with Prince Gilbert. When he got into his carriage to leave to see his friend, he went to say goodbye, took her hand and kissed the back of it. Five caught a glimpse of his father's smile out of the corner of his eye.
"Well, what do you think of that?" asked Draco.
"...I hate it. As with every prince who tries," Draco laughed at this.
"You hate everyone Five dear. But look on the bright side you're allowed to choose."
"The world deserves my hate," he said indignantly. "Besides, this is the last suitor they'll let me meet."
"I agree with you, I hate them all too." The blond shrugged.
"Oh, right, and if you don't like him, what will they do?"
"Well... my father will go back to see the suitors and marry me off to the most suitable one. Although... this one does look handsome."
"But-" Draco began and then burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked annoyed.
"You're welcome, you're welcome." she covered her mouth to stop laughing.
"I don't even know if this guy likes hazelnut chocolates. Because they all refuse them to me. The last one said he was allergic, so I turned him down."
"You should ask him."
"Ehhh... I don't want to ask him."
"Then you'll never know... I had Prince Cedric come to me one day and ask me out on a date with a bitter chocolate" Draco recounted and then laughed. "He left very sad, I think he did want a chance.
"Oops, Prince Cedric? I hear he's gorgeous. And I mean, from what I've seen he is, although the one who's courting me is better looking.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Or is it just because you liked him?"
"I didn't like it" Five frowned. Draco looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm just saying he looks cute."
Draco laughed at him.
"Whatever you say." he said still laughing.
"But! He's cute and a few days ago he was cute, but without overdoing it." he decided to omit the scene that took place earlier that morning.
"Ok, ok, let's say I believe you".
"How about you, how about the prince of Gryffindor?"
"Oh, alright I guess." he shrugged.
"Fine? Just fine?" Five looked at him questioningly.
"Okey he's handsome. But, he looks at me like a trophy."
"Well, I guess like everyone else. A maiden, something unique, delivers more money than all the princesses? Or so Allison said."
"Yeah. I don't like being looked at like that."
"Nor me. They're pretending to have us as husbands, really, do you think anyone would ever be interested in me? I mean, in you clearly, blond, handsome and at the end, you have a good character."
"I don't think anyone likes us."
"Oh please, there's Diggory who's handsome."
"You're right about that. But I promised mother and father I'd give Potter a chance." the blond confessed.
"You promised? You promised? Really, Draco? Oh God, you don't do that.
"I know, but they're desperate they won't tell me why, do you think it's a bad thing?"
"No. But you know, money moves mountains. Mine is crazy about me getting married too."
"But I'd rather do that than have them find me one."
"Seehh."
"Oh yeah, I think your father already wants grandchildren or for you to leave the kingdom."
"I don't know, maybe and they're looking for one that-" Five paused. "Draco Malfoy! If I leave the kingdom we'll hardly ever see each other! This man is from a far away place and I'd have to go with him!"
"Just kidding Five if you get married I'm going to steal you away and we'll go on adventures for years." the blond grinned.
"You've got that right. My father would search heaven, sea and earth for me. He'd let Vanya join the royal guard ahead of schedule to find me.
"Then I'll hide you under my bed. They would never look under my bed.
"You and I both know Vanya would find me sooner or later. She's the best at finding lost things and people."
"But late is better than early."
"Oh God, if I ran away they'd look for me and merely to punish me they'd force me to marry the guy I liked least of the previous suitors!"
"You're right it's a bad idea. We'd better kill ourselves" Draco laughed, but it fell flat when he saw Five's serious face. "Just kidding."
"Well you know I've already tried that! I'm not willing to be killed by a husband who can't stand my temper! I choose to do it first!" exclaimed Five.
"It went wrong, I still remember it was horrible, our parents were furious uuuhhh. And besides they found us crying, that was worse."
"And that was the bad one. Once I tried to die with sleeping pills, but I took vitamins and... I was disappointed in myself. I was disappointed in myself. The vitamin C was good, but it didn't kill me."
"Oh, I remember, I laughed the hardest that day."
"You don't laugh" Draco started to laugh. "That I know all your dirty laundry, Draco, laugh at mine and I'll laugh at yours."
Draco looked at him.
"You don't know."
"You tried to kill yourself by eating glass and it was candy glass that melts in your mouth."
Draco showed understanding on his face and then laughed again.
"It tasted good."
"But it didn't kill you either."
"Right. Having that much candy in my room isn't right."
A figure was seen approaching, wearing a cloak and heading straight for them. Five couldn't help but ask:
"And that's...?"
"But well you tried to kill yourself by hanging yourself with paper." the blond continued without paying any attention to him.
"Oh, shut up and tell me who that guy is."
Draco turned to look at the figure, Five noticed how his breath caught in his chest and then he said:
"It's Potter."
"Potter? Wao, since when do you avoid his title?"
"Since I keep looking like a piece of meat." Five choked on air.
"He did what?"
"Stare at me like a piece of meat."
"Oh, good heavens, that gives me something." he felt the cold sweat on his back.
"Why?" Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Why?" he asked in surprise, "because that's not protocol. You can ask for his immediate expulsion, you plead breach of protocol and that's it."
"And you think he cares? My parents will kill me."
"At least it was like looking at some tasty meat?"
"How else? Can't you see I look beautiful?"
"Yes, yes, I do." The prince was very close, he would walk another little way and overhear their conversation. "Come, let's turn around, that prince is too close."
"Come on," Draco said. They linked arms and began to walk.
Five stayed for tea and then left.
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"You are late. Gilbert had asked King Reginald for permission to visit Prince Five in his bedchamber.
The other young man was startled and looked at him with annoyance.
"I ask you to leave my room."
"Your father has allowed me to come and see you."
"More respect, please, you and I hardly know each other."
"Oh, if we don't it's because you've avoided me all week. However, I would like to be able to meet you."
"Again, more res..."
"Well, if that is your wish, then I will treat you as you, Prince Five, but it does not detract from the fact that I would like to get to know you better."
The prince frowned.
"No."
"Why?"
"The relationship you desire will never bear fruit. I don't see a reason to..."
"Please stop saying this, you are too intriguing, you have no idea how much I would like to enter your life..." Five looked at the other young man and sighed.
"Sit down." He pointed to the armchair in his room, and he and Gilbert sat down, facing each other.
"You look worried, is something wrong?"
"I told you a week ago I didn't want to delude myself with the idea of getting your love, and I stand by this."
"If you allow me to be under the illusion of your love, I ask you to be under the illusion of mine.
"Oh, but prince, don't you want to- "
"Yes, I do want to love you. I must admit, your images travel all over the world, seeing them I could only think of your beauty and I daydreamed about your person..."
Five moved a little closer.
"Should I be scared?" he asked.
"And finally, meeting you, all I could think of was that those pictures didn't do you justice." with his right hand he cradled Five's cheek. "Please, seeing you I feel an emptiness in the pit of my stomach, my heart is racing, well, what can I say, I find myself somewhat incoherent."
Five looked into his eyes, Gilbert did the same.
The curly-haired man looked at his lips. Five noticed.
The stranger approached. Five was startled.
Their breaths collided.
Their lips met.
A contact of less than thirty seconds and they parted slowly.
"We shouldn't have done that." said Five.
"I liked the feel of his lips against mine." said the other.
Five moved closer to him and kissed him again, it lasted less time than the previous one, although it awakened the same sensations in him. His heart seemed to stop and his breathing stopped for a moment.
After pulling away, she looked up at him again and couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face.
"If in a week's time your feelings for me haven't changed, if you continue to show the same interest in me, I'll give you a chance.
"You tell me, should I try to fall in love with you too, will you allow me to get to know you, will I be able to look forward to kissing you again, this time without fear of it being wrong, will you allow yourself to love me?"
"Yes."
"Yes to what?"
"To absolutely everything."
Gilbert wrapped his arms around Five's slender waist and the other allowed himself to wrap his arms around the other's neck, drawing him in for another kiss.
"I thought you..."
"Shut up, please, shut up. You..."
Gilbert stroked his cheek and made Five look him in the eye.
"Okay, I get it." He put their foreheads together and listened as Five took a big breath of air.
He kissed her forehead and said:
"It's time for me to go to sleep."
He got up from the couch and walked to the door. Five had stayed on the couch watching him walk, lamenting the loss of the other's warmth beside him. As Gilbert was about to open the door, Five exclaimed:
"Just a moment!" he got up, ran to him and kissed his cheek, "come back tomorrow, please."
Gilbert smiled.
"Count on it."