"It's time," Dreki said very seriously.

"For what?" Islo asked with a sigh.

"For you to be married. The country needs a distraction and now is the time for a grand wedding."

"And what of this?" I asked and tapped the choker. "Won't it look bad on all of the pictures?"

Dreki chuckled. "Don't worry Quinn, we'll exchange that for bracelets. We've had some amazing engineers working on everything. Funnily enough the baseline for it comes from the Aatskina tribe and their roprothesthics. It's called remote technology." He pulled a small device out of his pocket. It had a little black button embedded in the shiny metal. "It's so nifty. All I have to do is turn this and you'll be in so much pain, you won't even be able to make a feather fly."

I swallowed hard, the choker feeling tighter around my neck.

"It's not necessary," Islo said and took my hand in his. "Quinn can control it now."

"Sure," Dreki snorted. "And nothing stands between that freak next to you and my life. He's keeping the choker. Even for the wedding."

"But you just said-"

"And you keep pushing me," Dreki interrupted and sent me a hard look. "Keep pushing. See where it gets you."

I clenched my jaw and Islo squeezed my hand.

"The party will be grand, and all of the nobles will be invited. Your cousins, Quinn. You should be happy about that. A tailor will come by tomorrow to measure your suits. A silver crown has been commissioned. Can't go wearing gold on your own wedding day now, can you?"

I shook my head, stunned into silence. Gold were for the widowers. Not for grooms to be.

"The food will be great too. We're finding the best caterers for it. And you'll be adopting Isla. Both her and Charred here will change their names to av Stál, to reflect their status as royalty. And after this, we will start to look for a surrogate. Congratulations, Quinn. Within a year, you will be a father. And not just an adoptive one."

"You..." I stopped myself. I didn't want to make things worse. Neither for me nor for Islo. "Thank you."

A smile crept over Dreki's lips and he rose to his feet. "You're welcome, Quinn. I do so aim to keep you both happy."

He turned on his heel and left my apartment. I was still holding on almost desperately to Islo's hand.

"It's moving too fast," I whispered. "It's too fast."

"I know," Islo murmured and pulled me close. "I know it's too fast."

"I can't have a kid right now, Islo. I can't. Not one of my own. I can't. I'm not good enough yet. It'll be corrupted and broken." Tears ran down my cheeks.

"Quinn, no."

"I'm broken inside and ugly and the kid will be too, and I can't do that to a kid, Islo. I can't."

Islo pulled me into his lap and guided my forehead down on his shoulder. He put his hand on top of my head, slightly pressing down on it. The weight was comforting. Just the smell of him and the feel of his hand on my head grounded me in reality. It grounded me before all of my emotions took off.

"Sweetness," he murmured and kissed my cheek. "Beautiful, sweet boy. You're not broken. You're strong and powerful."

I was too tired to fight him on this. Too tired to do anything but just sit here, letting him place soft kisses on my cheeks.

I looked sickly. My hair was getting thin and I had lost more weight. With the white fabric draped over my shoulder I just looked ashy. My skin looked dry and my lips were chapped.

Islo came up behind me in the mirror and smiled. "You should really wear white more often. You look so handsome in it."

"Don't lie," I murmured. "It looks like I haven't slept in ten days."

Islo snorted and turned me around on the small podium in front of the mirror, so I was facing him and not the mirror.

"Would I ever lie to you?"

You have before, I thought to myself, but I didn't want to ruin the mood. He was in a good one today. He tried to get excited about the wedding by getting me excited about it.

"I had the funniest thought. Dreki really knows how to throw a party, doesn't he? Do you think he has a binder filled with plans for our wedding?"

I snorted. "You think he planned it?"

"He seems like a total wedding planner to me." He smiled up at me, his one hand on my hip, the whole weight of his body leaning on his good leg and the cane in his other hand.

"My lord, we've brought the cane samples," Àbram said and bowed, holding something covered in cloth in his hands. He blew some of his dark hair out of his eyes. Usually it was slicked back, but it had untangled itself now.

"Cane samples?" Islo asked and glanced up at me.

I shrugged. I had no idea what cane samples were.

Àbram laid the cloth on the table and unfolded it, exposing several canes inside of it. He placed them carefully, so they were all on display.

Islo frowned and limped over to the table. "Is this a joke?" he asked with a dark voice.

"No, my lord, the royal advisor sent them."

I jumped down from the podium and joined Islo, looking down at the canes. They were all covered in various designs that all included thorns.

"Of course, he did," I muttered. "I'm the bastard king of thorns after all."

"What does that make me?" Islo growled. "One of your many thorns?"

I shook my head. "It doesn't make you anything." I pulled the white cloth off my shoulder and tossed it aside.

"These canes are perverse," Islo spat.

I rolled my eyes and picked up a cane with minimal decorations on it and handed it to Islo. "Who cares."

"I care! I'm the idiot who has to limp around with this shit. They might've as well modelled one after your cock!"

I couldn't hold back a choked laugh. Islo couldn't help but laugh either and looked down at the cane I had handed him.

"I guess this one will do just fine."

I couldn't hold back anymore. I laughed loudly and went for him, circling my arms around him. He laughed too and supported some of his weight against me. His fingers found their way into my hair, tipping my head up and softly pressing his lips against mine.

"We could have one made for you. Modelled after my cock," I laughed against his lips and he chuckled.

"I don't think Dreki would like it."

Despite it all it was a beautiful cane. Black shiny wood as a base with silver thorns curling around it. The handle was a simple silver ball, connected to the actual cane with more thorns. They disappeared into the handle, but an outline was carved into it.

And Islo looked good with it in his black suspenders with silver buckles and black dress trousers.

"I don't care what he likes," I breathed and pressed him to me. "My only care is what you like."

"Hmm, I think you know what I like."

I could feel him smiling, his teeth grazing over my lips. "Do I?"

He exhaled loudly, his fingers tightening in my hair. "I like your soft mouth on me."

"Mmh, yeah you do like that. Now I remember."

"And your tattooed hands."

"Oh yeah, that was another thing."
"I love when you moan my name when you cum," he whispered. He grabbed my arm and hauled me with him to the bedroom. I sent Àbram and apologetic look which he replied with a bow. He left the front of the apartment, leaving me alone with my very flustered fiancé.