François was so worried that he couldn't think today, which just happened to be his birthday. This whole week, he barely saw Lloyd. He sees him in the morning when he kisses his hand and at night when he kisses his forehead. He's been working nonstop. He hasn't been eating or sleeping enough. He looked sick again.

Nobody wished him happy birthday, only his grandparents and brother, which felt dull. Everyone was quiet. The dogs were nowhere to be found. His husband was somewhere else, and it seemed like no one cared. He sat by himself in the throne room, making stupid phone calls and notes well into the night.

--------

At night, absolutely defeated, he got ready for bed.

"François."

He looked behind him. He bitterly turned away when he saw Lloyd in an old looking suit with heavy mascara and lipstick, tears in his eyes. "You forgot my birthday."

"No, I didn't." Lloyd smiled as he took his hands. "I'm so sorry I didn't pay attention to you today, but it was for very good reason."

"What reason?" He was less bitter, though still upset.

He led the redhead into the dark hallway and into a place into a castle he didn't even know existed. He saw his husband smile. Who was he kidding? He couldn't stay mad at him. He swung open the door.

"Happy birthday!"

There was an orchestra that played him happy birthday. His friends were all dressed in 1930s clothes. Bella came up and hugged him as Lloyd laughed at them, hugging his shoulders. There were dancers, soldiers from the war, and even citizens from Vagu. He couldn't believe it. He was so overcome with emotion that he had to cover his mouth and bury his face in Bella's shoulder as he cried.

"You've always loved The Great Gapsy." He looked up as Lloyd looked over at him. He was so beautiful. "Me, Bella, and Beau were planning this for like months!"

"We've been working on this for days. That's why we've kinda been avoiding you, my guy." Beau's voice was deep. He's starting to man up.

François had to control his tears. "Oh my God, oh my God." He touched their faces. "This is the nicest thing anyone's done for me. Oh my God."

Bella was wearing a champagne 30s dress and looked like a flapper, a feather band in her cut hair. "Hey, you deserve it after everything."

---------------

He was having the night of his young life. He was dancing with different men and women, but he enjoyed the slow dance with his husband. The orchestra played A Nightingale Sang in Berkey Square in French. The way he was looked at like he was absolutely precious, the gentle hands around his waist, the warm look in the violet eyes, he was melting.

It was a bit embarrassing to have such a grand party all for him, but it was such a pleasure to have strangers toast in his honor and give him grand gifts. James gave him a portrait of him and his husband. He loved it, they looked so handsome.

"Franny!" Beau and Bella took him by his arms as he was talking with Lloyd. "Dance with us!"

"But I'm here-"

"Baby, it's ok!" Lloyd put down his glass of champagne. "Besides, I have a little woman here who would love to dance with me." He took Luna's hand, who was all smiles.

The redhead went with his friends to the dance room. It was like everything in the book, from the pool down to the music. He felt spoiled, but a part of him knew he deserved it.

"This is great! It feels like I'm in a movie or something!" François laughed with his friends, breathless from dancing.

Beau, who had cut his blonde hair to his shoulders, smiled at him. "I mean, isn't your whole life like one?"

"Huh?"

"Like, you're royalty, you have the love of your life, and he's totally awesome, and like, your life is just unbelievable!"

He laughed again as he took his and Bella's hands. "And I have two of the best friends ever!"

"Aww!"

----

When the party ended at two in the morning, it was just the couple. François was kissing Lloyd all over his face and saying thank you, but there were still more surprises.

"So, well, this was something I've been planning since last year." He was leading him somewhere again, this time farer outside.

"Baby, you didn't have to do all this."

The other smirked at him. "You only turn twenty-one once."

They stopped, Lloyd covering his eyes. François touched his hands. His heart dropped when he could feel his bones again. He tried not to think about it. He could hear him giggling.

"Here!" He moved his hands away. François gasped.

It was a garden full of beauty. A tiny pond, a birdhouse and bath, violets, white and red roses, apple trees, a blackberry bush, all different types of colorful chrysanthemums, and daisies.

"Oh no, don't cry! Don't you like it?" He came back when he felt Lloyd's fingers wiping the tears away from his eyes.

His voice was high. "Oh, I love you."

He picked him up and twirled Lloyd around, both of them laughing. His life really is like a movie.

"Ahh, Franny!" He got put down and bear-hugged him. "Happy birthday!"

They sat around the bush. François laid his head on his husband's shoulder. He smiled when he felt him playing with his curls.

"I'm sorry for like, kinda avoiding you this week. It's been very hectic." His voice was gentle as he played with his hair, running through the tangles with his fingers.

"No, I get it. I was busy too. What's been going on?"

"Well, for starters, Sarah doesn't want to be our heir anymore." There was a hint of sadness in his voice.

François raised his head. "Really?"

"Yeah, she says she doesn't think her and Luna are safe because of what happened. I told her it was a one-time thing and all that, but after she said she wanted to keep Luna safe, I couldn't argue with that." He sighed, but he didn't want to smoke. His husband was around, so for once, he wasn't worried. "I have no idea who could step in."

"We don't need to worry about it right now. We have years." He hoped they would have centuries together.

"You're so right." He kissed his cheek. "And like, the thing for Hunter is kinda stressing me out."

"Yeah, I did some paperwork about it." He crossed his arms. "Fuck him."

"Ain't that the truth."

"I'm so happy he's getting executed, he's just a waste of space at this point." He wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "He can't hurt you anymore."

"I know." It was Lloyd's turn to lean on him. "It should happen in September, they said."

"Why so late?" He rubbed Lloyd's back, then stopped. It was beginning to feel boney again.

"The other day that was planned was on our anniversary, and I don't want that happening on such a happy day."

François chuckled. "It would've been great, our biggest problem gone on our special day."

"True, true." He sat up. "I'm just worried about my uncle Ho, I don't know how he's going to take it. He doesn't handle change well."

"He doesn't need to know." He looked over at him. "I know it's not right, but we could lie to him."

"Like how?"

"I'm not sure yet, but we'll figure out." He rubbed Lloyd's knuckles. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Ah, you're right. What's been going with you? I've been talking about myself."

"I'm worried about my grandparents. They're still not doing well, they sound so different." He thought about his mother. For some reason, she was always nicer to him on his birthday. She would've loved the birthday party, even though Lloyd would rather be eaten by lions than invite her if she was alive.

He touched François' shoulder. "That's really hard. Marcel texted me and said they're starting therapy recently, I think that should help."

'Yeah, I keep thinking about her. I think about how pretty she looked or what she liked to do. I don't think bad of her as much as before."

"You're so strong, really. I know it's difficult to lose someone like that."

François smiled. "It is, but I'll be ok."

Lloyd kept smiling, turning his head slightly. "Your mustache is growing." He rubbed it with his finger, his ring hitting the other's big nose.

"You like it? I'm trying to get a beard."

"A beard? You'll look so hot."

The redhead played with his husband's earring. It was a pearl earring that hung down. "Thank you, sweetheart. This is a really good birthday."

Lloyd swung his legs, crossing his hands together. "Hehe, thank you."

The taller led his face to his shorter, their lips locking. He touched his face, feeling his light peachfuzz. Lloyd reached into his pants pocket for a box.

"There's something behind your ear." The shorter broke away, trying not to grin.

He blushed. "There is?" He touched his ear and felt something. He brought up to his face, chuckling. Lloyd covered his smile as the other opened the box. "Oh, wow."

He held up the sliver locket, entranced. It looked like it was made with the utmost of care and love. It was craved with flowers and patterns of roses and curvy lines.

"Me and appa made it, he's good at that stuff." He touched François' face, making him look up. He's so weak for those bright blue eyes. It's his favorite color, afterall. "Open it."

He carefully opened the square locket and got teary-eyed again. It was a picture of them on their wedding day. They looked so beautiful. Overcome with emotion yet again, he threw his arms around him and wept into his shoulder.

"I love it! I love you!" He kissed his neck, his laughter making him go for more.

"Anything for my dear one!" Lloyd exclaimed as he hugged his shoulders, kissing them.

They were going to kiss again, but they heard someone crying as they walked closer to them. It was Luna, holding his phone that he let her borrow.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Lloyd walked over to her, François giving her a soft smile behind him. "Did you break my phone? It's ok, I'm not mad. Mistakes happen."

She was crying so much that all she could do is shake her head as she gave him back the phone. It was perfectly fine, not even a scratch. Her uncle put her on François' lap, who had more patting than he did. He found it very attractive to watch him act so fatherly, rubbing her back and rocking her back and forth. It made him want to have his own children someday.

"What happened?"

Luna wiped her tears, sniffling as she spoke. "I t-took a-a picture and mom and mommy are fighting! It's my-my fault!"

"No, it can't be. Let uncle see what you did." He unlocked his phone. He had to scroll a bit before he saw it. "Oh my God. No way."

The other looked over. "What is it?" His eyes went wide.

For tonight, Luna was kept in their room and comforted by her uncles. They stayed up gossiping in a spare bed as they heard Sarah and Clara yelling from across the castle.

"Girl, what a whore." They whispered to each other, holding hands.

"Never liked her anyways, but my poor sister."

"Yeah, it's sad."

"Thank goodness you're not a whore."

"I'm your whore. All day, everyday."

-

"You're a bitch! I can't believe you!"

"Sarah-"

"And at my brother-in-law's birthday party?! Unbelievable!"

"Let me explain!"

"No! Our, no my, daughter had to catch you! You traumatized her!"

"Your daughter?! She's our child, Sarah!"

"I gave birth to her, didn't I?! I have the c-section scars to prove it!"

"We could work through this!"

"Fuck you!"

------

"Just in, former Princess of Wales, Sarah Doh, and her partner, Duchess Clara Anderson, are getting a divorce. This arose last night after the duchess was caught having an affair with a guest from Prince François' birthday party. The guest wishes to stay anonymous.

This came shortly after the princess dropped out of the accession line on fear of her daughter, Princess Luna. The king hasn't released the new heir to the throne as of now...."

-----

Since they were legally married in Canada, the pair were going through the divorce process there. It was messy, the papers were coming out right and left about the stories. Both were suing for full custody. Both wanted to move out of Canada after it was over. Lloyd paid for Sarah's lawyer, it was a very good one too.

Luna stayed with her grandfather in her home country for the time being. It sucked. She cried every night despite all the attempts to comfort her or detract her with gifts. She was asked who she wanted to be with, and she didn't know. She wanted both of them. Her uncles and aunt tried to ease the pain with outings. The royal couple stepped up the most, it was very fun to have a child in the castle. There wasn't much stress, Lloyd didn't have a single seizure during that time.

Finally, after nearly two months, it was finished. Sarah earned full custody, one-fourth of Clara's salary until she dies or remarries, and she was offered the car. She refused, she could buy a better one. Both of them moved back to their home countries; the princess went back Vagu and Clara, who was stripped of her title, moved back to Denmark.

The night Sarah came by, she pulled a Princess Diana. She cut her once long curly hair up to her shoulders. She wore traditional Vagian clothing, which the country ate up while her smiling face stole the cover of every magazine and newspaper.

"Luna," she picked up her daughter and carried her back to the house they lived for a brief time after Lloyd's coronation. "things are going to be different now. Mom isn't going to live with us anymore, and you won't see her as much anymore. But she still loves you very much and you'll see her every year on your birthday and Christmas."

Luna started to cry again, rubbing her eyes with her fist. "Why are things different? Why can't they just stay the same?"

She kept it strong. "Because sometimes, people make mistakes, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"It's not fair!"

"I know."

She cried herself to sleep again, surrounded by toys. Sarah cried as well in her own bedroom. How ugly did she have to be to be cheated on? She was twenty-three, they've only been married for three years. They were supposed to be together forever.

----

The king had a seizure the night after, and it was the worst one in a very long while. It lasted for more than thirty seconds, which sent the prince into a panic. It was the longest two minutes ever. This was especially bad, considering he had a tiny one in the morning.

He was working too hard, the doctors said. And he was stressed due to the work and his sister's divorce. What frightened everyone was the change in eye color. It was slight, barely noticeable. Instead of the light purple, it was darker. His mother fussed, his father carried him to bed, his husband demanded the doctors to do something to fix it.

"It's fine." The king would say. "I feel fine, there's nothing to worry about."

The king was concerned this would ruin the happiness that was bubbling, their anniversary was in less than a week.

"I suggest going to the coast." The doctor told the couple when they were laying in bed. "The sea air and water should aide in recovery and bring good health."

"But we're landlocked, and I can't leave the country." Lloyd yawned, spooning François' body.

She fixed her glasses. "You're husband will-"

François was very quick to answer. "-No. I'm not leaving him."

"Your father will take care of things while you're away. I suggest only going for a short while if you're that worried."

The shorter rubbed his head. "Well, it'll be a nice little vacation for our anniversary."

"True." The other turned over to face him. "Where could we go?"

"The next country on our list is America, we could go there."

"I saw The Sopranos, that was in New Jersey, I think."

The doctor spoke up. "Yes, and New Jersey is an excellent place. I suggest Cape May, Atlantic City-"

"-I've heard about it before! It looks so cool. I think we should go there!"

François smiled and turned to her. "Can you make that happen?"

"By tomorrow night at the latest."

"Perfect."

---

J. C. Leyendecker
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