Real Person Fic - CW: By the Lion [Part 2/4]

[cherie_morte]

PART TWO

Back to Masterpost ♥ Back to Part One

Jared is back in the same bed of the hospital wing as before. He can almost pretend the whole thing never happened, except that Jensen never lingers by his side, talking and joking and smiling with him. He doesn't help him eat or try to distract him when his aches are at their peak. He's all business, which Jared deserves, but it'll drive him fucking crazy, it will.

His nurse comes in, and Jared smiles the best he can at her, making her duck her head and shake a rabbit paw at him like she knows he has something up his sleeve and can't refuse him. It's pretty obvious that Jensen didn't tell her why Jared was gone for a few days, and Jared is too thankful for that to question it.

"Gracie," he says, batting his eyes. "My favorite nurse. When will you leave Mr. Rabbit for me?"

"Oh, not that again, Jared," she says, almost giggling. "If Mr. Rabbit heard you speaking that way," she puts her paws on her hips, "He's a very respected war-rabbit, you know. Fought bravely in his youth."

Jared laughs. "Well, I wouldn't want to upset such an imposing spouse, but you keep me in mind if you ever decide to take another husband."

She rolls her eyes and brings him a cup of water. "And what does my patient want that he's trying so hard to charm me?"

Jared gasps, pretending to be shocked, and is met with a flat, unimpressed look. "You caught me," he admits. "I need to talk to the king. Please, won't you bring him?"

"The king is busy today and told me he would probably not be coming by."

"I know," Jared replies, breaking out his puppy eyes. "But I think I need my wound re-bandaged and you know he does it best." Jared tries to look as pathetic as possible. "It hurts so very much."

She sighs and gets up. Thirty minutes later, Jensen is sitting by his side, eyes staring determinedly at the wall behind Jared's head rather than at Jared.

"I knew what I was doing, you know," he says, hoping the ugly honesty will show Jensen he's past lying. "I wasn't thinking clearly, but deep down I knew it was wrong."

To his surprise, Jensen responds softly. "I know."

"Why'd you help me, then? You obviously hate me for it, and you know it was my fault. So why'd you stop them at all?"

Jensen quits working and looks down at Jared, then lets out a heavy sigh. "It was an easy mistake to make," he says. "She tried to get all of us to make it. I would have if I hadn't been looking out for Genevieve enough to see through her crap. Genevieve didn’t make it because I didn't give her the chance. You didn't have anyone to tell you otherwise."

"And Danneel?"

Jensen laughs. "I don't really know," Jensen admits. "She was here before we were." He looks speculative for about a minute, then smiles at Jared conspiratorially. "But could you imagine someone trying to trick her? When I picture it, the witch is more afraid than Danny is."

Jared laughs, because Jensen makes an excellent point.

"I don't hate you, Jared." Jensen sounds genuine, but Jared has to doubt it.

"Come on, man, I'm not an idiot. It's obvious from how you've been acting. Not that I blame you, just," Jared shrugs, "just don't patronize me by telling me you don't."

Jensen resumes bandaging Jared's wound, pulls a little tighter than seems strictly necessary. "I don't hate you," he replies heatedly. "I actually really like you. That's why I've been so…I don't know, I just expected better from you."

Jared nods slowly, and Jensen puts the finishing touches on the bandage, soothing his hand over it to make sure it set correctly. Jared can't help relishing the touch. He reaches out with his other hand and takes Jensen's in his.

"That’s what I regret the most, you know. I mean, I pissed off Danneel, and I got my ass kicked by the elements, and I saw some really awful stuff, but…" He licks his lips. "I owed you much better than that, and I really hate that I let you down."

Jensen doesn't quite smile, but Jared sees his lips twitch. "It's all right," he says. "You made a mistake. No use staying mad at you forever."

Jared squeezes Jensen's hand again and then lets go. "Thank you, Jensen, seriously, you have no idea."

Jensen gives him a rueful look and stands to leave. "And there he goes again with the thank you's." But he doesn't actually sound annoyed about it this time.

_______________________________________________________________

Jensen comes in earlier and stays later after that, and Jared feels a world of relief once they've cleared the air. They get back to the almost-friendly exchanges they'd had before Jared took off, even begin to surpass them.

"What is on your mind, man?" Jensen asks one morning.

Jared shakes his head and follows Jensen as he walks behind his curtain, and Jared begins to hear him stirring something up. "What makes you so sure there's anything on my mind, sir?"

"That vein on your forehead is about to explode," Jensen explains, peeking out from behind the curtain to give Jared a smartass grin.

"I was wondering how much your parents hated you and Genevieve," Jared replies, matching Jensen grin-for-grin.

Jensen pours something and then comes back out to the main area of the hospital wing. "Excuse you?"

"Jensen and Genevieve? It could have only been worse if you were twins."

"I guess you got me on that one." Jensen smiles. "I have no idea if my parents hated us, but that's definitely solid evidence in favor."

Jared laughs. "Glad I could help."

"Here, drink this," Jensen says, sitting next to Jared and handing him a goblet. "It'll taste like asshole, but it'll make you feel better."

"I don't want to imagine why you know what that would taste like," Jared replies. Though, well, he can think of a few scenarios.

Jensen snickers. "Drink it." He points and makes it very clear Jared is not going to talk his way out of this.

Jared sniffs, then pulls a face. "You can't be serious."

"Oh no no," Jensen says, bringing the cup to Jared's lips. "You brought this upon yourself, Houdini."

Jared is pretty much a saint, because he swallows the concoction and even manages to keep it down.

"Jesus," he says, wiping his mouth. "Which pit of Hell were you in when you were given that?"

"I invented it myself, actually," Jensen replies. "I'm flattered to hear it so energetically praised."

Jared doesn't answer, just glares as hard as he can.

"Aww, I upset him," says Jensen in a teasing tone.

Jared laughs, then remembers what he'd actually been thinking about when Jensen had asked and decides to go on a limb. He really needs to know. "Hey, Jen?"

"Yeah?"

Jared fidgets, unsure of how to broach the subject. "The other day you said something about when you first got here."

"Yeah?"

"When did you?"

"Get here?" Jared nods. Jensen looks at him closely for a few minutes, then shakes his head. "I have no idea," he admits.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…the longer I spend here, the less I remember the other world."

"The real world you mean?"

Jensen's eyes flash. "This world is real."

"Well, yeah," Jared concedes. "But it's not our world."

Jensen shrugs. "Sometimes I think maybe it is."

Jared frowns. "So, you're never going back?" he asks. "Do you know how to?"

"I don't think so," Jensen answers. He tilts his head. "Why do you ask, Jared?"

Jared looks down. "I don't want to sound ungrateful," he begins, "but I wish you guys knew a way. This isn't my life, you know?"

Jensen hesitates, then smiles just a little. "I remember how we got here," he says conversationally. It's obvious he's trying to change the subject, but Jensen doesn't share much about himself-at least he didn't at first-and Jared appreciates the gesture too much to interrupt.

"How?"

"We were babysitting our cousins. It was the start of the summer, so their mom hadn't quite figured out what to do with them all day. Gen and I were off school, too, so we volunteered to watch them. We were playing hide-and-go-seek at the park, and I don't know. It's like we tripped. We tried to hide behind the same tree, and suddenly we're on the ground at some crazy queen's feet."

"Which crazy queen was it, Jadis or Danneel?"

Jensen cracks up. "I'll leave that to your imagination."

"How about Danneel?"

"Hmm?"

"How'd she get here?"

Jensen frowns. "I don't know."

"She already forgot by the time you guys arrived?"

Jensen shakes his head. "I don't think she's ever forgotten, but she never told us anything, either. Maybe she's told Genevieve." Jensen shrugs. "All I've ever heard is that she ran away."

"Well, it's good that you guys have such a communicative marriage." He doesn’t realize how bitchy it sounds until he can't shove the words back in.

Jensen doesn’t get upset, just smiles. "Some marriage," he mutters.

"You're not happy?" Jared asks. He immediately wishes there were trains here for him to get run down by, because who asks that question? "Fuck, I'm sorry I had no right to-"

"Jared, you really mean to tell me you haven’t realized Danneel and my sister are going at it like bunny rabbits?"

Jared blanches. He'd suspected, but he'd hoped it wasn’t true for Jensen's sake.

"Oh man, you look like you've seen a ghost." Jensen flat-out laughs at him. "Danneel and I are a business arrangement, man."

"Wait, so you've never-?"

"We consummated it, if that's what you're asking." Jensen sits back. "Wouldn't have counted if we didn’t."

"But that's it?"

"Yup," Jensen says easily.

"Man, that sucks."

Jensen laughs. "I know, she's missing a lot."

"She's doing fine," Jared says, feeling his lips shape a grin. "You're the one missing out."

Jensen puts his hand over his heart. "Ouch," he says flatly.

"No, but seriously," Jared continues. "How do you…we're the only people here, right?"

"Yup."

"So you, just…don't get laid? Ever?"

Jensen smiles ruefully. "You look like you wanna crawl into a ball and hide."

"I got a girlfriend back home," Jared says. "Starting to miss her."

Jensen frowns, then tries to look cheerful. "Hey, it's not exactly a fix, but when you're better I'll take you to meet some of the tree nymphs. They'll like you."

"Ah, so that's how you survive," Jared replies, wiggling an eyebrow.

"Something like that," says Jensen, though his eyes are evasive.

"What's the business side of the arrangement?" Jared asks. "I mean, what does you and Danneel being married accomplish?"

"Ah, that. I'm probably not supposed to tell you about it." He makes a show of looking around the room to be sure it's empty. "But I'll tell you anyway."

Jared lies back in bed and listens.

_______________________________________________________________

There's a tree, it's called The Tree of Protection (Yeah, I know, Jensen says. I didn't name the thing). The canopy umbrellas an entire valley, and the fruit it produces in the spring doesn’t cure people, not the way Jensen's vial does, but it makes them happy, all the way down to their bones, for days. The tree was planted in the first hours of Narnia-it's like kryptonite to the White Witch. Jared doesn't catch all the details, but that part is important. The tree keeps Jadis weak, keeps her out of Narnia.

But her power is growing, and the colder she can make the land outside of Narnia, the further the chill spreads. The tree is beginning to die. It isn't that far along; it will take hundreds of years before it wilts, but the signs are starting now.

It was always going to die. That's the part of the story that bugs Jared. The tree was planted by someone who knew the witch was a threat, but they also knew it was temporary. Apparently, this was good enough for them; they never tried to find another way. Jared attempts to say this to Jensen, but he gets touchy the way Jared's grandma had when Jared was five and fell asleep in church.

Once the tree is dead, Jadis will become Queen of Narnia. Period, end of story. It doesn't matter how hard Danneel fights, how many people Jensen saves, how good Genevieve is at thinking around it. When they're dead and buried, everything they're working for now will wither away.

There's hope, though, Jensen promises, his hand pressing firmly over Jared's when he sees Jared's horrified expression. At least, they think there's hope.

"Misha can explain that part better than I can," Jensen says. "There's a prophecy."

"Misha!" Jared exclaims, sitting up.

Jensen quirks an eyebrow. "You two old school buddies or something?"

Jared looks around, just having remembered. "I have to give him his coat back! He saved my life."

Jensen smiles playfully. "I don’t know if you're going to be as big a fan after you have to deal with him for a few hours."

"Shit, I think I lost it," Jared replies distractedly. "I just can't do anything right in this world."

"He took the coat back while you were passed out," Jensen tells him. "Spent 45 minutes bitching about how you'd forever ruined its spiritual integrity or something and then threw it away."

Jared frowns. "I didn't mean to."

"Oh, relax, man. That coat was big enough to fit you, and fauns don't need fur coats, anyway. He only had the thing to confuse people, he never would've actually worn it."

Jared nods, a little reassured. "Well, I still want to meet him."

"Okay," Jensen says, standing up. "He should be around."

"What? Not now! I mean, I don't want to interrupt or anything. Just when he has time."

"For someone new to harass? Jay, he'll make time."

Jensen tells Gracie to go find him and she comes back 20 minutes later with a fawn following behind her. Jared's first thought is that he's kind of weirdly hot for a faun, bright blue eyes and a big smile for Gracie, until she leaves and he scowls at them.



by ordinaryink

"What in the name of Aslan's shaggy mane did you need to talk to me about? Because I was very busy."

"First of all, watch your mouth," Jensen says with an edge that Misha, though still looking annoyed, clearly registers. Then Jensen smiles to put him at ease and lightens his tone. "Misha, again and again I tell you, you are not allowed to tell the turtles that you're a warlock and get them to do your bidding just because they'll believe anything."

Misha crosses his arms over his chest. "You have a whole kingdom of minions, I am keeping mine."

"Jared wants to know about the kings and queens prophecy," Jensen says. "I'm spotty on it."

The faun's face drops, and he immediately tries to dodge the subject. "Jared wants?" He turns to look Jared in the eye. "Your dumb ass nearly made me freeze my balls off!"

Jared tries not to look, but he's pretty sure the phrase doesn't apply.

"Tell him," Jensen says.

Misha sighs. "Okay, but for the thousandth time, there's no knowing this is the answer."

"I know." Jensen shrugs. "It's something, though, just tell him."

"It says that when two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve-"

"That's 'girls' and 'boys' if you're not in the mood to be bludgeoned with allegory, right?" Jared asks.

Jensen laughs; the faun doesn't seem to get it. The king shakes his head. "Other world joke," Jensen says, waving a hand. "Please continue."

Misha raises an eyebrow. "Okay, but I don't have all day."

Jensen shares a look with Jared but says nothing.

"Right, so basically four queens and kings at Cair Paravel, two from each of your sexes, and Narnia will be safe and happy and forever free from Jadis. Of course the catch is that humans don't exactly filter through here left and right-you're the only four I've ever seen. And we don't know if it'll work because the prophecy seems to imply-"

"What we do know," Jensen cuts in, "is that the more true kings and queens there are on Cair Paravel's thrones, the safer Narnia is. There was a royal line once, but they died off hundreds of years ago. Things were starting to look pretty dismal until Danneel showed up, and then Gen and I did, too."

"The key there is the true kings and queens part. Usurpers, like Jadis, don't count," Misha explains. "There are only two ways to become a true king or queen if you're not born one. By deed, which is how Danneel did it. Or by marriage."

Jensen smiles. "Which brings it back to your question. Danneel and I married because that made me a king, and it made Genevieve the king's sister, ergo, also a queen by Narnian standards."

"It was Queen Genevieve's idea, of course," Misha says dreamily. "She's the only person around here who makes any goddamn sense."

"So you only need one more king! Sweet," Jared says, beaming.

"Maybe," Misha replies.

Jensen ignores him. "That's, uh." He looks away from Jared. "The meeting we were going to have about you before you took off? We were considering trying to find a task for you to prove you were worthy. We were going to discuss if we could trust you."

Jared feels sick. "Oh," he says stupidly.

Jensen looks sorry when he meets Jared's eyes again. "Not looking like that's gonna happen anymore, Jay. But you had my vote."

"I don't deserve it anyway," says Jared.

"I'm not so sure about that," Jensen answers, then dismisses it. "But they are, so it's moot."

He gets up then and leaves the room, and Misha glares at him.

"I didn't know," Jared tries.

The faun shakes his head. "He sent search parties out in every direction when you went missing. Big ones. He only sent one person-me-the way I found you, because he was still trying to convince the queens you hadn't run off to where you did."

Jared bows his head in shame, his cheeks burning hot. The faun is gone, the room empty, when he looks up again.

_______________________________________________________________

"Hey, wake up."

Jared opens his eyes to find Jensen smiling brightly beside him. "Why are you such a sadist?" he asks, turning over in bed.

Jensen shakes him. "Jared!"

Grudgingly, Jared rolls himself up in a cocoon of blankets and turns to glare. "What do you want this early in the morning, man?"

"Get up," he says.

"What?"

"Get up!" His voice rises, obviously excited.

"Jensen, I'm sick. You know I can't just-"

"The potion should have fixed you by now," he says.

Jared pauses, then realizes he really doesn't hurt at all. "Oh, hey!" He stands up, looking down at his feet and not even feeling self-conscious about the stupid white hospital shift he's wearing. "I feel great."

"Good, get dressed."

"Bossy this morning?"

"Comes with the job," Jensen replies, grinning. "Get dressed quickly, okay?"

"For what?" Jared asks, heading to the wardrobe he knows is supposed to be his and making confused faces at the clothing. "And how am I supposed to understand these frilly outfits?"

"You're capable, you'll get it." Jensen pauses, building suspense before answering Jared's real question. "The Tree of Protection is blooming," Jensen says. "There's going to be a celebration. I want you to try the apples. So you know I wasn't making it up."

Jared knows Jensen doesn't actually think Jared doubted him, but he remembers Jensen saying that the fruit was only shared with leaders, heroes, people of status, and the fact that Jensen is going to take him despite all his fuck-ups means something without Jensen spelling it out.

"Yeah, awesome," Jared answers warmly. "Just let me figure these pants out."

Jensen grins. "That's a shirt, Jared," he says and then practically flies out of the room to help everyone setting the party up get packed and ready to leave.

The ride is never-ending as far as Jared is concerned, made no better by the fact that talking Narnian horses are very particular about who can ride them and how. But eventually a scent reaches Jared-not just fresh apples, or that, but to an unfathomable degree. At first it's almost too strong, smothering, but the closer they get the more Jared starts to feel like he's made out of it, like he'll be dirty if he's not bathed in it.

Not long after the smell comes the cool air, a welcome change from the heat of travelling in the sun all day. Jensen explains that it's from the shade the tree provides, and, sure enough, they round one more hill before the bright green canopy stretches out, broken only by the sun glinting off silver apples.

"Holy fuck me," Jared says in awe.

"Really profound," Genevieve remarks, her horse passing his as he idles and gapes.

Jensen pulls up next to him and dismounts, feeding his steed a few more sugar cubes (Narnian horses are worse than cats with cat nip when there's sugar around) before dismissing him.

He leans against the side of Jared's horse and smiles up. "Get down," he says. "View's better down here. At least the first time."

Jared nods absently, swings one leg over and feels the tingling as his feet hit the ground. Jensen helps steady him. "Follow me," he tells Jared-as if Jared needed the instruction.

_______________________________________________________________

Jared's lying on his elbows with his head tipped back, his eyes closed, and a lazy smile on his face. The queens are entertaining the entire party telling a story, and Jared is both entirely wrapped up in it, fascinated, ready to learn what's next, and lost in his own thoughts, too content to follow. It's a weird place to be, but he likes it just fine.

For hours, they've been partying under the tree-dancing, singing, running around, and it's nice to have a few moments to relax. Everyone else seems to feel the same way, only the children (cubs, kids, calves) and the most stubborn of the fauns are still up and about.

Jared opens one eye as Genevieve picks up where Danneel left off-something about a Cyclops during the Giant Wars they fought a few years back-Jared smirks to himself, recognizing Odysseus's tricks for escaping, but not calling Genevieve out. Hell, applying ancient literature to stressful situations in an alternate universe requires enough clear-headedness that Jared figures she deserves the praise she's getting.

Beside him, he sees Jensen turned in his direction, thinks the king's eyes dodge quickly from his throat to the space just above Jared's head when he realizes Jared's attention is on him.

"What're you staring at?" Jared asks.

Jensen rests a palm in the grass between them and shakes his head. "Be really quiet and follow me," he replies evasively.

"In the middle of the story?"

Jensen nods. "That's why you've gotta be quiet, numskull."

Jared and Jensen sneak away from the group huddled by the tree's trunk, and Jensen takes Jared's hand and leads him.

"Where are we going?" he asks.

"By the time they're handing the fruit out, you'll be full," he explains, still walking and, Jared registers through a haze, still holding Jared's hand. "Want it to be the first thing you taste."

Jared nods and they continue quietly until they reach a pool with a small waterfall. The tree's canopy pushes all the way against the cliff walls, and it looks cramped, like it only stopped growing outward when there was absolutely nowhere to go.

Jensen reaches up and plucks a perfect apple from the tree and turns to Jared. "It's illegal for anyone but the kings and queens to pick them unless you've got special permission. For the most part, the centaurs are in charge of harvesting the fruit." He holds the apple out. "Try it."

Jared accepts and bites in. The juices run down his face as soon as he's broken the skin, and the taste of it makes him moan without realizing it.

When he's capable of focusing on something other than the apple (embarrassingly enough, Jared doesn't get there until he's down to the core), Jensen is watching him again. He wonders what it means, if the foggy atmosphere and the smell and the whole celebration is as weirdly sensual as Jared feels it is for everyone, or if maybe the dark look in Jensen's eyes is just in his head.

Jensen shakes his head absently, eyes shifting from Jared's mouth to the apple core as Jared wipes the juice away.

"How do you feel?" he asks.

"Perfect," Jared admits. "Exactly like you said."

Jensen smiles, though not quite at Jared. "I thought as much."

Jared's about to ask what the hell that means when Jensen seems to clear his thoughts for the first time in hours. He bites his bottom lip and looks less happy. "Come on, one more thing to show you," he says. "Just so you know I keep my promises."

They walk back in the direction they came from, though Jensen doesn't lead Jared by holding his hand this time. When they get back, the party has broken back into groups, more dancing and singing and what looks like the beginnings of a feast.

Jensen walks towards one of the dancing circles, and the creatures all turn when he approaches. Jared gets it when he sees them, remembers Jensen's promise to introduce him to the tree nymphs. He tells them Jared's name and they smile, each one more beautiful than the next. They're all tall women with light pink skin and hair as bright and varied as flowers blossoming. Jared shouldn’t be so put out about it.

Jensen claps him on the back and looks away quickly, and before Jared can ask where he's going, one of the tree spirits has taken each of his hands and he's pulled into the dance.

He's with them for about an hour, and it's great, lighthearted fun. Jared can tell that pretty much any of them would be interested if he went for it, but the more they press in on him, the more he wonders where Jensen is.

After a while he excuses himself. The girls all make half-heated appeals for him to come back but have forgotten him and returned to dancing before he's even out of their sight. He finds Danneel before he finds Jensen. For once, she smiles at him, so he decides to pause in his quest and try to cultivate that.

"Hey," he says.

"You had an apple," she says immediately. She looks at him closely. "I guess I was wrong about you."

Jared's mouth drops open. "Jensen picked it-I swear."

"I know," she says. "I can tell."

"You can tell?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

She nods. "Yes, I can tell."

"How?" Jared asks.

"Jensen didn't explain it to you?" Danneel throws her head back on a laugh when he shakes his head 'no.' "It gives a little glow the first time you try it. If you're pure of heart and follow the rules, it's good for you. If not, you get sick right away."

"That's funny because?"

"The asshole was trying to prove a point, I guess," she says, turning and giving Jared one last brilliant smile. "Genevieve and I were both pretty sure it would kill you."

Danneel pats him on the shoulder and runs off to find Genevieve before Jared can process what she told him and remember he wanted to ask if she knew where he could find Jensen.

"Go left, dumbass."

Jared turns and sees Misha, a crown of flowers in his hair, dancing in a circle of fauns, and leaning toward him as the circle spins.

"How did you-?" he begins, but Misha is already past him and not listening, so Jared gives up on trying to understand anything around here.

Jared goes left and, once again, finds exactly what he's looking for. Jensen is standing at the edge of water, and Jared is about to run up to him when someone emerges from it. It looks mostly human, like the tree nymphs did, except its skin is light blue instead of pink and it's male instead of female. It's still freakishly hot. For a blue person.

It steps out of the water and stands next to Jensen, and Jared watches them exchange greetings, small talk that makes the man laugh and Jensen's eyes fold up in that way Jared loves. Then the man places a hand low and familiar on Jensen's back and he leans in to whisper something. When he pulls away, Jensen licks his lips and then shakes his head. The blue man looks disappointed, but shrugs, and they go on talking for a while.

"Dinner should be ready soon, if you would like to tell the king," someone says next to Jared. He turns and finds that it's another of whatever creature the blue man talking to Jensen is, and it has an arm around one of the tree nymphs' middles. She smiles at Jared and sways like a college girl on her 21st birthday.

"Oh, he's, uh, talking to," Jared feels his skin burning, because he totally just gotten caught spying, and maybe that's what the man is trying to tell him.

"Just talking?" he asks, like it's a joke Jared should get. Then he looks over to where Jensen is and he laughs. "I guess he really is just talking."

He staggers on, the nymph giggling happily into his arm, and they distract Jensen's attention when they pass. He waves a greeting at them, then spots Jared, and Jared is nervous how he'll react until Jensen breaks into a wide smile, claps the guy he'd been talking to on the back, and walks toward him.

"Hello again," he says. "Have fun with the ladies?"

Jared shrugs. "Feast'll be ready soon." He inclines his head towards the man Jensen had been talking to. "What were they?"

"River gods," Jensen answers, then changes the topic. "Man, you are not going to believe this food." He puts a hand on Jared's shoulder, and the stupid, entitled part of him that wanted to scream when the man touched Jensen settles contentedly. They start walking. "And the wine."

Turns out Jensen is right. Jared eats and eats and eats, and the food never runs out or gets less delicious. It's possibly the first time in history that Jared sits back and finally has to admit he's defeated.

Next to him, Jensen gave up on eating half an hour ago, responsibly saving room for dessert. He laughs at the distressed sound Jared makes when he pats his stomach and announces he'll never eat again.

A centaur at the end of the table stands and announces that the tree's fruit will now be sent around. Jensen leans close to Jared, places a hand on his thigh, which Jared writes off to all the wine Jensen's been drinking.

"Don't take one," he whispers.

"Huh?"

"It's bad etiquette to take more than one a year," he clarifies. "I know no one saw the other one, but just don't, okay?"

Jared nods slowly. When the basket reaches him, he passes it along immediately, and Jared sees Danneel and Genevieve exchange looks and give each other a discrete nod. Jensen smiles into his wine glass.

_______________________________________________________________

Now that he is officially not sick anymore, Jared is taken to a private suite and told that he's to make himself at home. The room is huge, but it's not decorated by much, just a bed, a set of drawers, and doors leading out to a small balcony. He has his own bathroom, too, with a bathtub roughly the size of a swimming pool and sinks with solid gold lions on the taps.

He's sure it's not the best living space in Cair Paravel, but it's definitely up there.

There's a knock on his door early the next morning, and Jared stumbles to open it. The night before, when he'd been so excited about his giant new room, he definitely hadn't thought about how much walking it took to cross from the bed to the door.

"Wah?" he asks, expecting to see Jensen on the other side.

Genevieve raises an eyebrow at him, and he swallows hard. "Uh. I meant good morning your majesty?"

"Nice try," she says. She pushes his door all the way open, and Jared almost screams like a child. She's got a huge sword in her hands, and behind her three or four of her fauns-in-waiting are carrying armor.

"Are you here to stab me?" he asks. "Because today just isn't going to work for me."

She rolls her eyes, but he catches the barest hint of a smile. "We're going to teach you how to fight. These are for you. Be in the courtyard in 45 minutes or Danneel probably will stab you. You never know with her."

She drops the blade on his bed, and the fauns lay his armor out, following her to the door.

"But I-"

"You're big and you have imposable thumbs. You're learning how to fight."

Jared's seen Genevieve with a bow, so he bathes quickly and manages to figure his armor out just in time to not die for being late.

Danneel and Jensen are engaged in some kind of argument (which is how Jared has learned to tell they're in a good mood) when he arrives; Danneel waves Jensen off when she sees Jared.

"You look ridiculous," Jensen says.

"Oh, shove it. I didn’t design the stupid armor." Jared would probably sound less annoyed if he didn't know Jensen was right.

Genevieve pats him on the back, and her rings knock on the metal with a tinny sound. "You grow into the armor," she promises. "Just have to get used to it."

"Only pussies wear armor," Danneel adds helpfully. She smiles gleefully. "Wanna get started, pussy?"

The first few hours of the day, Danneel teaches him formations, foot placement, and Jared spends most of his energy focusing on being able to move in the heavy armor instead of falling over, rolling into a ball, and sobbing.

Jared is a really manly guy.

He gets the hang of it, though. At least, he thinks he's getting the hang of it. Once he starts to feel a little more confident and Danneel is able to keep him going for a few minutes longer with every attempt at a fight, Jensen and Genevieve decide to stop being considerate. They sit at a table set up a few feet away from where Jared and Danneel are practicing, and Jared has to try and remember all the moves Danneel taught him, not die in his armor, and ignore them at the same time.

"My God, it is hot, Jensen," Genevieve says loudly. She takes a long sip from her lemonade.

Jensen looks up at the shade over their heads. "And this sun. Murder."

"We probably shouldn't be working so hard," Genevieve continues.

Jensen kicks his feet up on the table and smiles. "True that."

Jared glances at them, and Danneel's blade touches him lightly in at least five places that would have done him in before he can turn and block her.

"Focus!" she snaps.

"They're distracting me," Jared whines.

"That's the point, moron," she tells him, pausing to wipe at her forehead. "You're going to need to know what to filter and what not to filter on the battlefield. And don't think about lemonade. Endurance is important-you'll never even make it to the field if you're thinking about things you don't have."

"What should I think about?"

She smiles. "People who need you to guide them, who need to believe you feel fantastic even when you want to cry. Their families, and how you're suffering to keep things safe and easy for them. Think about the rush of battle-you'll know what I mean when you get there-and the way people will remember you long after you're gone. Think about whatever you care about enough to fight for. Just don't think about lemonade."

Jared nods, still feeling unsure, and, to his surprise, Danneel taps him with the flat side of her sword and gives him a warm smile. "Hey, you have it in you, I know it," she says.

Jared smiles, puts his helmet on, and works twice as hard.

By the next day, Danneel is calling others in to work with Jared so he can get a feel for their fighting styles. The fauns, she tells him, will prepare him for fighting minotaurs, though the witch's creatures are much bigger and more prone to violence. He fights smaller animals-mice, foxes-to get a feel for dwarves, and the drastic height difference is the hardest thing Jared has to adjust to. Then she calls the great cats out, panthers and leopards, and Jared doesn't need to be told what they'll prepare him for. All he can think is that the next time he meets a wolf, he'll be ready to kill it.

The centaurs, Danneel tells him on day three, are better fighters than anything the other side has. Jared only has to try to hold his own against one for five minutes before he's pretty sure he agrees. Sometimes Jensen and Genevieve watch, but more often it's just Danneel and whoever she brings along to help that day.

By the start of the next week, Danneel proclaims that he's actually ready to duel and challenges him. It's supposed to be some kind of compliment, and Jared knows he has no choice but to accept, but he doesn't like the idea of actually being expected to match Danneel.

The night before, Danneel and Jared are still practicing long after the sun's set. The cool air is an improvement after the sweltering torture of fighting through the day, and Genevieve and Jensen are both watching this time.

Jared actually manages to best Danneel for the first time ever, and even though he only had a moment's advantage, he had it. He feels pretty great about that.

"Incredible, Jared," Genevieve calls out. "Your form is probably the best I've seen without years of practice."

He's grinning at them when he hears a growl, and he has just enough time to catch Danneel running at him, trying to sneak an attack. Jared manages to dodge it and block her. Genevieve claps and yells something at Danneel about the student becoming the teacher. Danneel looks pretty pissed for a few seconds before she nods and concedes that he's done well for himself, and Jared can see that she shakes off the anger. He's pretty sure she's happy for him, just having a little bit of a jealous fit.

Jensen claps him on the back when they're all resting, getting ready to pack up and head home to the castle. They start walking idly, because the entire party has broken up to explore the woods, and Jensen loves showing Jared around Narnia about as much as Jared loves discovering the land. "You're getting pretty good at that," he says.

Jared smiles. "It's kind of fun, actually."

"Yeah," Jensen agrees. "Scary once you get out there, but you'll do great."

Jared feels all warm and fuzzy inside, high off the adrenaline of fighting all day and the smile Jensen is aiming only at him. "Do you think I'll be okay? In battle I mean?"

"Definitely. If you don't die tomorrow."

Jared barks a laugh. "Thanks, asshole. I'm not already shitting myself about fighting her for real."

"Don't worry, kid, I'm pretty sure she won't kill you. But if she does, I've got you covered." He pats the vial strapped into his belt and winks at Jared.

Jared laughs. "As if you'll waste your precious resources on little ol' me."

Jensen bumps his shoulder. "Come on, now. It would reflect poorly if I just left you to die, even if you're not worth much."

Jared has a brilliant retort right on the tip of his tongue, but someone starts calling out for Jensen before he has time to get it out.

Jensen glances towards the voice and his lips turn down. "That's Gracie," he says. "She wouldn't be looking for me unless someone was hurt."

Jared tenses. "Are we being attacked?"

"Definitely not," he replies squeezing Jared's arm. "We'd know if we were. Honestly, it's probably one of the goddamn squirrels again. They can't go five minutes without falling off something. Or one of Misha's poor turtles." Jensen shakes his head, fond smile playing at his lips.

"Want to go back?"

"I think I have to, just in case," he says. "But you stay! If I've got my hands full, I'll make sure someone comes to get you. I know you wanted to see the woods, so…" He points ahead. "I was taking you to the river. It's one of my favorites. Just go straight and you'll find it."

Jared nods and they go their separate ways, until Jared finds the river Jensen had mentioned. The pebbles along the bank are all different colors, and the water reflects them. Jared can see why this would be a favorite spot.

He stands and looks at it for a while, then sighs. "I really don't think I can do this much longer," he says to himself. "I think, maybe, he likes me, too. I just don't know if I should tell him how I feel."

Jared looks at a boulder he'd very nearly used at a seat. The moss looks like a face, a nice little old lady's face, so he goes with it. "I don't imagine you have some advice?"

"Are you talking to a rock?"

Jared nearly jumps out of his skin. He turns to face Misha and shrugs. "Everything around here talks," he defends. "I thought it was worth a shot."

"Rocks aren't sentient," he says, like this is something everybody knows. And, okay, Jared does know that. He just didn’t know that in Narnia.

He shakes his head and tries to save his dignity with a poorly-cloaked subject change. "Is it time to head out?"

Misha nods, so Jared begins to walk by his side.

"The rock thinks you should, by the way."

Jared really hopes this is just Misha being Misha and not Misha-heard-everything-you-said being Misha. "Should what?"

"Or maybe it was saying jelly beans are delicious. I don’t fucking know, I don't speak rock fluently." He pokes Jared in the side. "Either way, pretty wise for a rock, right?"

_______________________________________________________________

So, Jared doesn't win the fight, which was expected. But he does hold his own, which was only hoped for.

After the fight, Danneel promises to let him win next time, which they both know is a load of shit, and disappears with her arm around Genevieve's waist. Jared spends over an hour fielding congratulations and slaps on the back. He grins his way through it, but he's more than ready when the last of the party fizzles out and he gets a moment to breathe.

He sits down on one of the empty seats in the courtyard and closes his eyes, basking in the silence for a long time. No one bothers him, and he's too tired to move, so he's probably drifting in and out when Jensen sits next to him, takes his hand, and starts wrapping the blisters Jared got from fighting too long.

"You only want me because of my awesome, manly charms," Jared murmurs, not bothering to open his eyes and check who it is.

"Darlin'," Jensen says, almost drawling, which is definitely not something he did when Jared first showed up. "If that's what I was after, I'd be chasing the winner right now."

"Meh," Jared answers, waving his other hand.

Jensen snickers and fastens the bandage, immediately letting go of Jared. "Don't worry, Jaybird. I'm sure someday someone will love you, even if you fight like a-oh, no. Sorry. You got beat by a girl, didn't you?"

Jared finally opens his eyes so he can glare. "I didn't see you fighting her, Tinkerbell."

"Look back on this moment when you're bleeding to death and no one comes along to revive you, okay?"

"Medical malpractice!" Jared declares. "I'll have Misha avenge me in court."

"Misha hates you, Jared," Jensen reminds.

"No more than he hates everyone. Plus, I'll make sure to let him know he's allowed to force you to pay your settlement in ink."

"All the picketing turtles weren't enough, now he's got you on that, too?" Jensen rolls his eyes. "I get it, I get it! We have to pay for his ink."

Jared smiles. "Tell him that, not me."

"You did really great today, Jared," Jensen says.

"What was that? Was that praise?"

"I have no idea what you think you heard," Jensen replies, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"I don't even remember. Something about a grate-I must have imagined it."

"Must have," Jensen agrees. He stands up. "You coming with?"

"To Super-Secret-Kings-and-Queens-No-Lowly-Jareds-Allowed time?"

Jensen grabs his arm and pulls him to his feet. "It's invitation only. I'm inviting you."

_______________________________________________________________

The time formerly known as Super-Secret-Kings-and-Queens-No-Lowly-Jareds-Allowed time (now Not-Nearly-as-Exciting-as-You-Think time) turns out to be the hour and a half before dinner that Jensen, Genevieve, Danneel, Misha, and Nestor the Centaur spend in the conference hall yelling at each other in order to make Serious Decisions about what the following day and coming weeks will entail.

"What's he doing here?" Genevieve asks when she comes in, though her tone isn't exactly hostile.

Jared fidgets uncomfortably, considers standing to go before Jensen gets in trouble, but Jensen puts a hand on his thigh under the table, forcing him down. "I think he needs to be ready," Jensen says. "So I brought him, in case."

In case what? Jared wants to ask, but, at least until Danneel consents to him staying, he's not saying a word. Probably not then, either.

"Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't ya Jensen?" Genevieve asks, giving Jensen a look Jared doesn't completely get.

Danneel puts a hand up before Jensen can respond, and the siblings drop their argument to listen to her. Jared swallows hard, but she smiles kindly.

"You saw him fight today, Genevieve. It's perfectly likely that an opportunity will present itself if we go to battle and he will prove himself worthy of being a king-"

"King?" Jared sputters.

Danneel ignores him and continues, though she looks like she's trying not to laugh at him. "If he does, I want him to be as prepared as possible. King Jensen will vouch for him?"

Jensen nods when she meets his eyes.

"He stays, then, and is welcome in council as long as the king's invitation stands."

They settle in their places; Misha wastes no time before running off what basically amounts to a fifteen minute State of the Union. Most of it is good: this land has paid its tribute, that lord sends invitation to his wedding, and so forth. It's not until an hour of boring-but-safe bureaucratic drivel is dealt with that things get pressing.

"There are reports of another of the witch's camps gathering near to our borders," Nestor says when it's his turn to take over from Misha. "We should stomp it out before it becomes a threat."

"It won't be a threat," Jensen says, like he's already weary of the subject. "They can't cross into our land, we have the tree. There's no reason to continue looking for battles."

Misha pipes in with, "Jensen is right," which earns a pretty nasty scoff from the centaur.

"Your mild race is better suited to planning picnics, faun. Leave the battle plans to warriors."

Jared sees Jensen's hands tighten into a fist under the table, and Jared scowls, pissed that the centaur is obviously taking a dig at the king through his servant.

"That will be enough of that," Danneel says sharply. "Genevieve?"

"We can't leave it. They may not be able to come to us, but they can hurt our allies, any Narnians outside of the boundaries, and there's always the issue of the tree's uncertain lifeline to take into account. We can't let her gather her forces any more than we absolutely have to."

"The tree won't die," Jensen says.

Danneel shakes her head sadly. "Leaves fell last winter, we all saw them."

"He won't let it die."

"Oh, not those fairytales now, Jensen," Genevieve says, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"Aslan is real," Jensen says. "He won't let the tree die. Not unless we doubt him," he adds the last bit with a pointed look at Genevieve.

"Real or not," Danneel says, "Jensen, we can't bank our security on something we want to believe in. The end of the matter is that if he's real, he hasn't bothered to help Narnia in hundreds of years."

"Narnia hasn't needed him, not really. Not yet."

"When I came here, things were pretty nasty," says Danneel.

"Not-" Jensen begins.

"I know, not horrible, but not great, either. If he cared, he would have stepped in."

"Maybe bringing you was how he stepped in," Jensen argues. "I may not know how you got here, but I'm sure it wasn't your idea."

Danneel closes her eyes. "I know, Jensen, it's just. If he brought us here, it's because he wants us to act. We can't sit around and wait for one lion to come along and fix everything while Jadis thrives."

"Lion?" Jared asks, remembering the roaring in the woods, the wolves and their fear, one of them crying out the name now being argued over. "Aslan?"

"I'm sure Jensen will be happy to give you story time later," Genevieve says, though she looks sorry once the catty words are out of her mouth. "Look, there's no use in fighting here, okay? Can we just take a vote, please?"

"I say we wait," Jensen grits out.

"Well, I say we don't," Genevieve retorts.

"Nestor, I take it you're in favor?" Danneel asks. The centaur nods. "Misha, against?"

Misha hesitates. "With no disrespect to Aslan or the king," he says, and Jared sees Jensen's body sag slightly in disappointment, "Queen Genevieve's logic has rarely been wrong. She makes a good argument."

"Jared?"

"Huh?" he says.

"What's your vote?"

"Me? I'm just here for the food," he tries.

"Everyone who sits at council gets a vote," Jensen says. He lowers his voice so only Jared can hear him. "I know you want to go to battle, Jay, it's okay."

Jared hesitates, because, yeah, he kind of really does. But then he remembers all of the good advice he hadn't listened to before. "The last time I didn't listen to Jensen, I looked pretty stupid," Jared says. "Whoever Aslan is, I say we wait for him."

The centaur makes another nasty sound, and Jared is starting to really not fucking like the guy.

Everyone looks to Danneel, who sits in meditation for a few minutes before speaking. "I'm sorry, Jensen," she finally says. "I believe in Him, but I can't let the kingdom down because of something I believe in. We ride tomorrow."

Jensen nods and stays solemn through the plans for preparing the siege, but he's resigned to it by dinner and doesn't let his bad mood dampen anything.

_______________________________________________________________

It's still dark when they're woken to head out for the battle, and Jensen is already in the stables when Jared gets there to find a horse. Jensen smiles, motions him over, and brings a horse out for him.

Jared pets the steed's snout and feeds it sugar to get it warmed up to him, but he doesn’t let himself get too excited. "Should I stay?" he asks, absently petting the horse's mane. "In protest or whatever? I will."

Jensen, who is also petting the horse, actually looks a little annoyed by the offer. "I'd be a pretty shitty king if I wanted Narnia to lose just to prove a point."

"No, of course I know you don't want us to lose," Jared says, forgetting himself and putting his hand over Jensen's. "I've never even been in a real fight. It's not like they're going to lose without me."

Jensen doesn't pull away, just gives Jared a muted smile.

"You're sure you don't want me to stay?"

Jensen shakes his head. "I want you to be fantastic, like I know you can be, and not come back with some nasty wound for me to have to worry about."

"I'll try not to get myself killed," says Jared.

Jensen flinches. "I can come," he says very suddenly. "It's your first battle and all. I do know how to fight, Jay. I can come if you're-"

"You hate it."

Jensen shrugs. "Yeah, but-"

"But nothing. My war stories are going to be way more awesome if I can come home and lie to make myself look good."

Jensen's smile widens and he shakes his head, patting the horse's side one last time before backing away. "Just don't come back crying, okay? I can't handle crying."

Jared laughs and watches Jensen leave to give his sister or Danneel what help he can. It's not until after Jensen's left that Jared realizes he is nervous-really, really nervous. He remembers Danneel's advice, though, and figures out what he's going to be thinking about pretty quickly.

Jared will come home with stories for Jensen to be proud of, and they won't be fabricated.

_______________________________________________________________

Jared learns three things that day that serve him well during his time in Narnia:

1. Fighting in battles is way scarier than he expected. Not that he wasn't terrified, because he was. But if he'd really given thought to the clashing of swords right in front of his face, watching things dying around him-causing it-having to ignore that and keep fighting, just how little room there is for humans on a field when centaurs and minotaurs are going at it, maybe he would have stayed with Jensen. Not that Jensen stays because he's scared-Jared genuinely believes when Jensen tells him he can fight-but that's what would have kept Jared in, and he's hardly even embarrassed to admit it.

2. He's glad he didn't think about those things, because fighting in battles is also exponentially more exciting than anticipated. The rush of wind on his face as they charged in, the adrenaline and burn and satisfaction of moving exactly the ways he's been taught to, almost graceful, which is not something Jared has ever been, the warmth of stopping an attack just before it can down one of his allies and having them do the same for him. It's like nothing he's ever even imagined, and he could do it every day happily.

3. Don't think about lemonade on the way back, either. As wonderful as the fighting was, even the singing and rejoicing from the crowd when they're returning to the gates of Cair Paravel cannot distract Jared from this one thought: ow, ow, sore, ow.

Jensen is waiting for them outside instead of holed up in the hospital like he usually is when they arrive.

"You're okay," he says, a little out of breath as he approaches Jared. Jared nods and Jensen stands in front of him, hesitates for a few seconds before pulling Jared in for a tight hug.

Jared can see the relief in his expression when he lets go, so he doesn't make fun of Jensen. Well, not too much, anyway. "Aww," he says. "You were worried about me."

"Shut up," Jensen says, shoving him away like the embrace had been Jared's idea. "You hurt? I figure your dumb ass must have at least broken something."

Jared grins, holding his hand up. He's got a pretty nasty cut across his palm, but it's nothing Jensen should be worrying about. He takes Jared's hand into his anyway, sucks in air and shakes his head. Jared snatches it back.

"Jay, let me-"

"Later. There are people you need to worry about before me."

Jensen closes his mouth, nods after a few seconds, and Jared claps him on the back as he leaves to get started on healing.

_______________________________________________________________

Weeks pass, maybe even a month, and Jared goes on plenty of raids with the other warriors. He fights well, bravely, at least according to everyone else-and he would be lying if he said he wasn't proud of himself. He pulls some stupid shit a few times, risks his life to save others, and every time Danneel lights up, rides back to the castle with a bright smile on her face.

It's all for nothing, though. Whatever the sign is that means Jared is good enough never comes. It's incredibly presumptuous to be disappointed, of course-who is Jared to just assume he should get to be king? He fights, sure, but he doesn't give anymore than anyone else does, and no one expects any of them to be crowned.

But it's not a selfish disappointment, so he can't quell it. Jared doesn’t even know if he wants to be king, but he knows it'll help in ways he doesn't quite understand. He knows it because Danneel cares more about Narnia than anything, and she's putting all her hope in him. He knows it because Genevieve invented practical, and even she says it's the most logical way for things to progress. He knows he deserves it, too, because every time he rides home, Jensen is expecting it.

It doesn't matter. Apparently, nothing Jared does is king material.

"Are we really going to talk about this again?" Jensen asks. "It'll happen when it happens."

"I just don’t get why it isn't happening," says Danneel.

Jared is sticking to his usual routine when this fight gets going-staring at the table, pretending it's not the most awkward thing in the world for him.

"Danneel, may I cut in for a moment?"

All eyes in the room dart over to Genevieve, and Jared realizes she's been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the conference.

"Please, for the love of Aslan, we could use someone with a brain talking," Misha murmurs.

"I have an idea," she says. "It's, uh. I'm not sure how it'll go down."

"I'm sure it'll be brilliant," Danneel answers with a smile. "Tell us."

"Jared and I should get married."

Jared gets as close to doing a spit-take as he can without any liquid in his mouth.

Danneel's eyes narrow and her tone freezes over. "Excuse me, what?"

"We don't know what he needs to do in order to become king. We could get lucky and he trips into it tomorrow, or it could take decades, maybe never happen. If we marry, like you and Jensen did, he's in just like that."

"That was a long time ago," Danneel says. "Before. You know what marrying Jared would entail, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but it's for the best. I think that's what we all want here, right?"

The implication that Danneel does not want what's best for Narnia hits just as hard as Genevieve intended, though not to the desired result. Jared looks over to Jensen, who is staring down at his hands, and Genevieve seems to be the only one willing to even think about facing Danneel.

The queen absorbs the hint calmly, sits in angry silence for a few seconds, and then, just as calmly, tells Jared in a thin voice that she wants him out of her castle by the next morning. She stands and walks out after that, gives no one room for argument.

Jensen glares at his sister. "That was a really smart move," he snaps.

"I didn't know she would take it like-"

"Bullshit," Jensen replies. "You know how she'll take everything. You just thought it was worth the gamble."

"Look we need Jared to be king, I saw a way in, I tried. Can't-"

"Yeah, and you didn't even think about what it would mean for m-for Jared." Jared looks over in time to see Jensen's cheeks flush, and Jensen doesn't meet Jared's eyes when he turns to face him. "You're not leaving, okay? I just need to talk to her."

He exits the room, presumably searching Danneel out, and Jared is left alone at the table, sitting across from his would-be wife.

"Uh," he says.

"I'm sorry," she admits. "Fuck, Jared, I'm really sorry."

He shrugs. It's not really okay, he has no idea where he'll go or what the hell to do without Jensen, but the whole mess has just reminded him of something he'd too-easily forgotten, which is that he's been a guest all along. At Danneel's mercy.

Genevieve rises. "Come on," she says. "I'll make it up to you." Jared hesitates. Genevieve laughs. "Trust me, Jared, I have no interest in taking advantage of you. There's something you deserve to know."

Jared shrugs and takes the hand she offers. They walk quietly down the hall, until Genevieve pulls him into a nook Jared had never really taken notice of. She points and Jared sees light filtering in through a small hole in the stone walls.

"In the spirit of full disclosure, this is where we hold private meetings with representatives from other nations. The guards use this to make sure were safe without letting our guests see that we don't trust them." Jared looks back at her and she smirks. "It was my idea."

Jared peeks through the hole and sees Jensen sitting at the conference table, Danneel pacing in front of it.

"Don't understand why you're always defending him," she's saying. "It's not like he didn't betray you."

"Oh, come on, Danneel. You know this hissy fit of yours has nothing to do with that. Let it go already."

She turns sharply and glares. "You forget who you're talking to."

"What, the high queen?" He scoffs. "You're acting like a fucking toddler."

Jared feels his mouth drop open, and Danneel must be making the same face from the way Jensen responds to her.

"Don't look at me like that," he says. "I'm not scared of you. You're on a power trip because Genevieve made a suggestion that she sleep with someone else once."

"You wouldn't like it if it were you, either."

"I understand that, but it's not like you didn't do exactly the same thing for exactly the same reason."

"It was before she and I-"

"I know. It was a bad idea. You know how she can get, Danny. So wrapped up in what makes sense, she just forgets to be considerate. It's just how she is. It's not Jared's fault."

"But what if he tries to-"

Jensen laughs. "He's not going to try to steal your girlfriend. Even if he was that rotten-which we both know he isn't-he's definitely not that stupid."

Danneel looks down, and her voice is weaker when she speaks. It's the first time Jared's ever heard her vulnerable. "What if she brought it up because she wants that, Jen? What if she's over me?"

"You can't really think that."

"I want him gone."

"Fine," Jensen says easily.

Jared is about to pull away, give up on the whole thing. Jensen doesn't like confrontation, Jared knew that. He just kind of hoped Jensen would forget that for his sake. But Genevieve doesn't let Jared move, and Jensen speaks up again. "But I'm going with him."

Danneel laughs. "What?"

"It's your castle. You can make him leave, I can't stop you. But I'll go, too."

"And Genevieve?"

"Will follow whoever she chooses to follow. If you want to take that gamble, fine by me. But I'm leaving."

Danneel hesitates. "We've been working, the three of us, for almost ten years. You hardly know him."

"You're in the wrong."

"That's not the point." She crosses her arms over her chest. "Tell me what it is about him, and maybe I'll change my mind."

Jensen casts his eyes down at the table and mumbles something Jared can't hear.

"What?" Danneel asks sharply.

"I'm in love with him," he replies, crisp and steady this time. "I think I'm in love with him."

"But you…"

"Yeah, I know." He laughs and scratches the back of his neck. "But there it is."

"And does he-?"

"I don't know," Jensen says. "It doesn't matter. It's just been you and Gen for years and I've been trying to pretend it doesn't bother me. But now that…he's all I think about, Danneel. I'm going with him, whether he wants me or not."

She falls into a chair at the head of the table and lets out a long breath. "Oh," she finally says.

Jensen nods, reaches forward to take her hand and waits until she meets his eyes to start talking. "I haven't asked you for anything, Danneel. I haven't put my foot down. I've kept my mouth shut and done my job. I'm asking you for this. Don't make him leave."

Danneel nods. "Of course not, Jensen. I'm sorry I even suggested it."

"It's okay," he says.

"But why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Jensen shrugs. "It's not like it really matters. Nothing is going to come of it."

"You told him?"

Jensen shakes his head 'no.'

"Well, why not?"

"He hasn't given any indication that he is anything but 100% interested in girls," Jensen answers. "And if I tell him…he'll think he has to. Because I'm king. Even if I tell him he doesn't, there's always going to be a difference in status there. It would be unacceptable."

"Come on," Genevieve says, tugging at Jared's arm. Jared hardly even registers it, is frozen in place, trying to decide between fleeing with Genevieve or running into the room, grabbing Jensen into his arms and making sure he never looks this put-out because of Jared again.

Danneel looks over to where Jared is peeking in on the room after Genevieve's whispered words, and he almost thinks her lips curve up for a moment.

Jared lets the queen lead him away then, figures he can tell Jensen it's mutual in the morning.

ON TO PART THREE
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