[closed - Caden - April 21]

[just_another]

Spencer has been in the palace for four days now.

The ball is in nine days.

And Joel is no closer to having made a decision of what he wants to do. In nine days he'll be expected to choose a bride or his brother will and Joel has no idea what might happen. He's more confused and conflicted with every moment that passes because he thinks he knows what he truly wants. No, he knows what he truly wants, but he has no idea how he's going to be able to broach the matter with his parents. They want him to choose a princess, they want him to start a family, respectable and presentable and able to take over the thrones when and if necessary.

But the more time Joel spends with Spencer, the more he realizes what he wants is right there. All of it is within that man who cannot speak, who seems to be in pain every moment he's walking, a man who can't explain where he's come from or who he is, but none of that matters. Joel looks at him and he just knows. Their time together is spent mostly in silence, but Joel has never been much of a talker. Caden has always been able to put his thoughts into words better than he has and he's often relied on his brother to be able to understand what he's feeling.

This is all so new, but he still knows if there's anyone he can talk to about what he's feeling, it's Caden. Even when he can't explain what he's feeling, Caden has always been able to figure it out and after Joel leaves Spencer with a promise to see him in just a little while, he goes to find his brother.

Who is, of course, reading in the gardens.

As he approaches, Joel smiles despite himself. With everything going on, he hasn't been quite so prone to smiling lately, but its difficult not to, finding his brother in what must be the most familiar position he's ever seen him in.

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[writtenby_caden]

The palace has been abuzz ever since Joel brought home his new companion, the strange, handsome man with no words. He seems nice enough, given Caden's fairly limited interaction with him, but really, the look that he puts on his brother's face is all Caden needed to give his stamp of approval.

He's not even sure if Joel himself knows what that look means, but Caden does. He used to see it all the time in the mirror.

Between Spencer and the approaching ball, Caden has found more desirable than usual to slip out to the gardens with a good book and curl up under his favorite oak tree. He gives little thought to the ball itself. He'll attend, of course, and he'll smile and dance. He'll act the good little prince and make his parents proud. Just like he always does.

A shadow falls over his book and he looks up to see his brother standing over him. Caden gives him a smile and sits up, placing his bookmark and setting the book aside. He looks around for Spencer because for the last few days, it's been hard to spot one without the other, but it seems that he's alone.

"Slipped away from our visitor long enough to remember that you have a brother, huh?" He's teasing, of course, and that shows plainly on his face.