Chapter 6
Stephen felt nervous about meeting the Asgardian Prince. Prince Thor was going to officially court him. Everyone said how kind the prince was, but Stephen was scared of all alphas—because he knew how Kaecilius had treated him. And now, he was about to marry someone he didn’t even know. If it were someone he had known for a while, like Tony, it would have been easier.
No. Stephen shouldn’t have such thoughts. Tony was just his knight. He should never have had feelings for him beyond duty. This was his fate—marrying the Asgardian prince. At least it was better than being forced to marry the murderer of his family.
“Your Highness, Prince Thor is here,” May informed.
“Thank you, May,” Stephen said, standing up. He checked himself in the mirror and sighed.
Here we go.
As always, Thor had a cheerful smile on his face. Tony stood behind him, and Stephen felt a little relieved when he saw him.
“Prince Stephen, good morning,” Thor greeted.
“Good morning,” Stephen replied.
“Shall we go?” Thor asked, offering his hand.
“Yes, my prince,” Stephen said, taking it.
“Tony told me you enjoy spending time in the garden, so I thought I’d take you there,” Thor said.
“Okay,” Stephen replied.
Thor led him to the garden while Tony followed behind. Once they reached a bench, Thor and Stephen sat down.
“Your Highness, I will be nearby. You can summon me if you need anything,” Tony said, feeling awkward about third-wheeling them.
“Sure, Tony,” Thor responded.
Stephen watched as Tony walked away. Now, he was alone with this young alpha.
“Stephen, do you remember when Loki and I visited your palace as children?” Thor asked.
“Yes, I do,” Stephen said.
“You never came near me. You seemed afraid of me for some reason,” Thor noted.
“I… wasn’t a very social child. I preferred the company of people I was close with,” Stephen replied.
“Like Tony, right? You two were inseparable.”
“He is my knight,” Stephen said in a small voice. If he weren’t, he would never have stayed with me, Stephen thought.
“I have liked you since I was young. When this proposal was brought up, I didn’t hesitate. I immediately told my father yes and hoped for a positive response from you. I know you don’t know me well, which is why I want to court you properly—to make you feel comfortable. You can be honest with me,” Thor said, holding Stephen’s hands.
Stephen just smiled back.
Tony watched the two from a distance. Stephen looked comfortable with Thor… or was he just pretending for the good of his country?
“Tony, you okay?” Bruce asked.
“Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” Tony scoffed.
“Mmh… Mrs. Stark wants to see you,” Bruce informed him.
“Okay, I’ll go,” Tony said before heading to his mother’s chambers.
When he entered, she was sitting with a book in her hands.
“Mom, you wanted to see me?”
“Yes, Tony. Sit with me,” Maria said.
Tony sat beside her.
“Tony, your father dedicated his life to protecting Kamar-Taj and the royals. His last words before his death were that he had failed to protect the crown prince—and that you must succeed where he could not. Stephen is your responsibility, Tony. Until he is married.”
“I will protect him with my life, Mom,” Tony said firmly.
“I know you will. I trust you. The Kaecilius army will be here soon, so be ready.”
“This time, Kaecilius won’t escape. We will kill him and free our country.”
“Yes, we will. And what do you think of the Asgardian prince? Does Stephen like him?”
“This is only their first meeting, Mom. And Prince Thor is… nice,” Tony said.
“Good. Stephen has suffered a lot. I want the best for him.”
“You really think only a prince can be the best? People who care about him can give him the best, too,” Tony said softly.
Maria looked at her son. She could hear the helplessness and grief in his voice.
“What do you mean, Tony?”
“Nothing. I should go,” Tony said, standing up.
“Wait. Look at me,” Maria said.
Tony hesitated before meeting her gaze.
“Tony, you like him, don’t you?”
“What’s the point if I do or don’t? I’m not a prince. I don’t deserve him,” Tony admitted.
“You shouldn’t have feelings for the prince. Your loyalty must be to him as his bodyguard—nothing more,” Maria said sternly.
Tony stayed silent.
“I’m sorry, Tony. But Stephen isn’t just anyone. He’s a prince. Our duty is to protect the royal family.”
“I know. It’s stupid. I know it will pass,” Tony muttered.
“Let me go. I have duties to attend to,” he said before leaving.
But it didn’t pass.
Every time he saw Stephen and Thor together, he felt a painful ache in his chest.
It had been three days since the Asgardians arrived at the tower, and for those three days, Stephen had been with Thor. He looked so comfortable with him that Tony chose to stay away.
Now, Tony stood at Stephen's door, ready to escort him to the prince.
Stephen emerged, fully dressed and looking stunning—Tony couldn't deny that.
"Good morning, Your Highness. Shall we go? Prince Thor is in the garden," Tony said.
"Yes," Stephen replied.
Tony walked two steps ahead of Stephen, which made Stephen frown.
"Tony, wait," Stephen called.
"Yes, Your Highness?" Tony asked.
"Is something wrong?" Stephen asked, his frown deepening.
"I don't understand, Your Highness," Tony said.
"Can you stop calling me that?" Stephen said, frustration evident in his voice.
"When you came to save me at the palace, I thought I had my friend back. I missed spending time with you. But now, you're avoiding me like you don't even want me here. I thought you saved me because you still saw me as a friend," Stephen said.
"Stephen, you're a prince, and I'm a knight. I can't behave closely with you, especially when your future alpha is here," Tony explained.
"You weren't like this before," Stephen said, frowning.
"We were kids back then. But now we're not, Your Highness."
"So, you've just been doing your duty all this time? I was an idiot to think we were friends. We never were," Stephen said with a sad smile.
"It's not like that—" Tony started.
"It's okay, Stark. You don’t have to accompany me. I will go alone," Stephen said.
He quickly walked towards the garden, feeling his eyes well up with tears. To Tony, he was just the prince, and taking care of him was only a duty—nothing more.
Thor was sitting in their usual spot, and Stephen joined him. Thor immediately noticed the gloom on Stephen’s face.
"Are you okay?" Thor asked, concerned.
"Yes, I am," Stephen replied.
"You know, I will be going back to Asgard today. But I will return with an army to fight for you," Thor said, holding Stephen’s hands.
"I will always be grateful for this favor, my prince," Stephen said.
"Anything for my queen," Thor said with a flirtatious smile, cupping Stephen’s chin.
Stephen felt his cheeks heat up.
"Stephen, I know it’s inappropriate for princes to have any kind of physical contact before marriage. But can I kiss you? Just to remember you until I’m back?" Thor asked softly.
Stephen wasn’t ready, but fear held him back. Alphas didn’t like to be refused—Kaecilius had always warned him to submit.
Stephen nodded.
Thor's grin widened, and he leaned in, placing a soft kiss on Stephen’s lips. He effortlessly took control of the kiss, while Stephen simply went with the flow. After a brief moment, they pulled away.
"Stephen, you’re beautiful. I can’t wait to make you mine," Thor said, pressing a small peck to Stephen’s lips again.
"I will come back soon, and together, we will fight and win," Thor said.
"We will," Stephen replied.
"Alright, I need to go and get ready to leave. See you soon," Thor said.
"Yes, see you," Stephen said with a smile, watching as Thor walked away.
He didn’t feel anything special for Thor, but he was a nice alpha. Stephen had heard how brutal and demanding alphas could be, but Thor didn’t seem like one of them. He was kind and willing to help their kingdom. Perhaps it was best to accept his fate.
Meanwhile, in Thor's chamber, Tony and Steve were helping organize the departure. Thor entered the room with a big grin.
"Your Highness, you look very happy," Steve remarked.
"Yes, I am! Guess what? I kissed Stephen, and he kissed me back," Thor said.
Steve noticed the change in Tony’s expression but chose not to acknowledge it.
"Your Highness, royals should never engage physically before marriage," Steve reminded him.
"I know, but I couldn’t help it. We won’t see each other for a long time," Thor said.
"How was it, brother?" Loki asked, nudging him playfully.
"It was amazing. I’ve kissed many, but this one felt special. Maybe it’s because I love him," Thor admitted.
"You love him after such a short time?" Loki questioned.
"I’m not sure, but I do know I want him to be my queen," Thor said, smiling.
Tony’s face turned red, but his eyes reflected something else—something Steve recognized as sadness.
Without a word, Tony stormed out of the room.
Steve quickly followed and found him sitting on a bench outside.
"Tony, what’s going on?" Steve asked.
"Nothing. Go back and serve the prince," Tony snapped.
"Why do you hate Prince Thor?" Steve pressed.
"I don't... It's not that... I don’t know, Steve," Tony groaned.
"Tony, I don’t know what your problem with him is, but we need Asgard’s help to win this war. We need to bring back our kingdom’s glory. We don’t have time for this," Steve said firmly.
"I know. Killing Kaecilius is the priority," Tony said in a small voice.
"Yes, and for that, I need you to be civil with the princes," Steve said.
"I’ll try," Tony muttered.
"Good. Now, come on—we have a lot to do before their departure," Steve said.
Tony nodded.
Finally, the Asgardian princes were ready to leave. They bid their final goodbyes.
Thor turned to Stephen.
"I will come back soon," Thor promised.
"I will be waiting for you," Stephen replied with a smile.
"I know," Thor said, smiling back.
Then, turning to Tony, he added, "Tony, I want you to take care of Stephen."
"I will do it anyway. It’s my duty," Tony said flatly.
"Of course, you will. See you," Thor said, hugging him before winking at Stephen and walking away.
Stephen let out a deep sigh. Finally, he was free from all the courting business—at least for now.