And that was precisely what his mother suspected would happen. “Would your father nae object to his son fooling around with a man?” He knew things were different in Udynea, but his lover was still a prince. Surely, the Mhanek expected Darshan to have children of his own should he need to take the throne.
Just how far down the line of succession was Darshan?
Before he could ask, his lover chuckled mirthlessly. “If you had asked me a few months ago about whether or not my father cared when it came to who I slept with, I would have agreed with you. He rather despairs over the fact.” Darshan ran a considering gaze over Hamish.
Heat started to warm his cheeks despite the cool ocean breeze.
“But,” Darshan purred. “Not this time, I would think.”
“So, he’s objected in the past?” He should’ve known travelling to Minamist with Darshan sounded too easy. His lover would be bound by his own obligations to his family. Hamish wouldn’t exactly factor into plans likely years in the making. “You dinnae strike me as the type to fash himself over what his father wants.”
Darshan leant forward until his lips almost brushed Hamish’s ear. “Can I tell you a secret?” his lover whispered conspiratorially as if they weren’t sitting alone near the cliff edge. He waited until Hamish nodded before continuing. “Being sent here was somewhat of a punishment.”
“Punishment?” Hamish echoed. The emperor thought sending his son to the other side of the continent, where Darshan was far from under his eye, could be considered in any way as a reprimand?
Tipping back, his lover nodded energetically. “Oh yes. I will admit, I was less than thrilled with the idea of venturing to a foreign land on my own, especially given that I was to learn what I could about your lands whilst journeying to it. But father insisted I take Countess Harini’s position.” He tipped his head, glancing over his shoulder at the forest as if to reassure himself they were alone. “Between you and me, I am certain he was the one to have her assassinated. Almost.” If he was expecting Hamish to be shocked, he didn’t seem disappointed in the lack of reaction.
“But why send you here?” Had Darshan’s father been anything like Hamish’s mother, he would’ve found himself under constant watch, not being allowed to stroll through a whole other kingdom.
All at once, Darshan straightened, his chest puffed out and his nose tipped to the sky. “There are no men like you in Tirglas.” His voice took on an inflection that Hamish guessed was meant to be his lover’s father. “It shall teach you discipline and respect for the law.” His lover grinned, laughter hissing through his teeth. “And then I met you pretty much within an hour of setting foot in Tirglas. The gods have such a sense of humour.”
Hamish remained silent. The Goddess didn’t meddle in a single man’s life like that. She was more focused on the balance of the world, keeping the sun rising and the tides flowing. People were just ants busying themselves through the years.
His lover’s smile faded, bitterness darkening his eyes. “And then what do I do with my good fortune?” He threw his arms wide, rocking back to the point where he almost tumbled down. “Same as always. Mess things up for everyone but me.”
“To be fair, things were going south before you arrived.” Hamish had long since made peace with the knowledge that his life had more-or-less stagnated into a routine that saw him waking only for duty.
Darshan snorted. “That does not excuse my actions. Not then, not now.”
“So, what happened that was so scandalous? Did you kill someone?” It didn’t sound like something that would be of concern to an emperor, but if it was someone of equal importance, such as an ambassador or… “Did it have something to do with the one who wound up in your bed with another?”
Wrinkling his nose, Darshan flapped a hand as if shooing a midge. “That one was years back. My last foray involved a man who I had no idea was…” He frowned, his lips pursing. “No, that is not entirely truthful, I knew he was engaged and kept fooling around with him. Long story short, we got caught. Or rather he did. Word got out and it set a few noble houses against each other. Minor nobles, granted, but troublesome nevertheless. Father thought my attitude towards what I had done was unbecoming of a prince.”
“I would think so. A prince has a duty to his family to assist in keeping the land running smoothly.” At least, that was what his own father would’ve said.
Darshan chuckled. “He would be rather enamoured with you. I am…” That hazel gaze slid off into the distance, his shoulders sagging. “Not really what he wanted in a son.”
“Sounds familiar.”
His lover hummed an agreement. “Right down to him wanting me to marry and have children.”
“You dinnae seem any worse for it.” If anything, the man had been relatively shameless in his pursuit of Hamish and likely hadn’t been hiding his wants in Udynea either. Nae like me. He had done his best to quash any desire towards men to no avail.
“Unlike your mother, my father saw little merit in curbing my desires. And he understands that even marriage would not have altered my affairs. It is not exactly unprecedented for a noble to have a lover, sometimes the same one for years.”
“Is that what you have planned for me?”
Smiling, Darshan shook his head. “Of course not. You would be there as an ambassador, being my lover would be considered a perk rather than an obligation. I would not even ask you to stay exclusively mine if you found someone more to your taste.”
“I thought we already established that I dinnae have any taste?”
Darshan grinned. “Besides, my father gave up on me marrying years ago—he just wants grandchildren now—so you most definitely would not have
