Later, when the pair are alone Gaius sees Marcus is upset

The day wore on. Gaius kept making more plans with his soldiers, discussing the garrisoning of castles, the disposition of the armies of the other great nobles and fortifying the borders with the other kingdoms surrounding theirs. He treated his men with respect, listening carefully to their opinions and giving his own only once everyone else had a chance to speak. When there were disagreements over what was to be done, he talked them through his thinking in a calm, precise way, bringing everyone around to what he wanted. Suddenly it wasn't so hard to understand why these officers liked him so much, even where they were willing to break their oaths and rebel against their rightful king.

Watching miserably from his place in the corner, Marcus couldn't help but compare how nice his uncle was to these men while still treating him like he wasn't even here. It just made him feel so small, his chest sore with prickly aches of jealousy and frustration. The young prince just wanted to throw that jug of water right over stupid Gaius' head, or run out the room and hide somewhere, that'd teach him! Only he didn't do anything...his uncle had told him sternly to wait in this corner, so that was what he did. He didn't know why he was being so obedient, it wasn't like Gaius would even care if he ran away...not when he had his soldiers to talk to. But...some part of him still wanted to be good and do as his uncle told him, a part of him he just couldn't seem to fight. Those same submissive desires Gaius had woken inside him that had led him to kneel and suck the older man's cock now held him in place, telling him he needed to obey.

Even when Gaius finally sent his men off with their orders, he just turned back to his maps, leaning over them with a thoughtful frown and still not saying a word to his nephew. That felt even worse, knowing that Gaius even preferred those stupid papers to doing...anything with him. The young prince was starting to wish his uncle would bark another order to fetch water or bring a quill or something just so he knew Gaius remembered he was even here. He wanted this to stop...he wanted to hate Gaius like he knew he should for attacking his home and hurting his father, but he just couldn’t deny the yearning need inside him he knew only the attention of the handsome older man would soothe. The more confused and lost he got, the worse it felt when his uncle just kept ignoring him, until he was slumped sadly against the wall, his chest so tight and sore he could hardly bear it.

At last, Gaius straightened from the table, a satisfied smile on his weathered face. He turned, his gaze flickering over the room until they found Marcus pressed into the corner. The young prince stared limply back, feeling his throat tighten painfully and the first hint of tears stinging his eyes. No...he couldn't cry...not now, not because of this.

"Marcus?" Gaius frowned, shock in his voice. He strode over with a few long strides, his large, muscled body looming over his nephew. The young prince froze stiff against the wall, the breath catching in his throat. He didn't know...what to do, or what to say. How could he tell his uncle why he was upset? It suddenly sounded even more stupid, on the verge of tears because the man who he should hate wasn't paying enough attention to him. Gaius slowly raised his hand towards his sniffling nephew, looking like he was about to cup the young prince's cheek, then seemed to think better of it, pausing with his fingers held out. "Damn it...what's wrong?" He asked instead. "Is this about Castor?"

"Yes...and my mother..." The young prince managed to gasp out, knowing his parents' fate was a far better reason for his tears than the truth could ever be. And of course he was worried about them too! It just...sometimes seemed to fade into the background under his yearning for Gaius' attention. He felt another stab of painful guilt at the awful reminder that he was willingly pining after the man who'd injured his father.

"That foreign whore." Gaius scowled darkly at the mention of the queen, his hand curling into a fist at his side.

"What...did you do to her?" The young prince asked, his voice trembling with worry at the older man's obvious hatred for his mother.

"She's in the dungeons, where she belongs." His uncle growled. Marcus flinched back at the anger in the older man's voice, his heart pounding. "Don't look so scared. I won't hurt her, much as she deserves it." Gaius sighed. "Despite all her scheming, she's just a weak woman and men...shouldn't hurt those who can't defend themselves. Doing that comes with a cost, something I've learned too well. Besides, I may have some use for her once I've been crowned." He glanced down, his brow furrowing thoughtfully.

"And...my father?" Marcus stammered. "What about him?"

"My surgeons have seen to Castor." Gaius replied. "He lasted through the night, so as long as the wound doesn't get infected he'll be fine. I've seen such injuries before on the battlefield, and men have recovered from worse. He'll never fight again though, and that makes him even less suited to the throne. I have my doubts, he's always been stubborn, but I hope he comes to understand that." He sighed, before raising his head to stare at his nephew again. "In any case, squire, I trust you're feeling better now, so it's time for you to see to your duties. Come, follow me." He turned and strode for the door. Marcus hurriedly wiped the last stinging tears from his eyes and darted after his uncle's broad back, helpless as ever to resist the older man's orders. At least Gaius was finally paying attention to him again...it was kind of scary just how much of a relief that was.

His uncle led him the young prince back down the corridor and then through into another room, where a small table and chair waited at the center. There was a plate piled with steaming roasted beef and vegetables laid out already on top, and a jug of wine as well. Marcus frowned at the sight, realizing it meant the castle's servants must also have decided to throw in with Gaius and do as he ordered. Then again, he could hardly take issue with that from his position, now could he?

"Never could stand the rich crap that all the nobles eat, and it does the men good to see their commander eat the same as they do." Gaius nodded to the simple meal, before stepping up to the chair and sitting himself down there. "Pour me some wine while I eat." He ordered, lifting his knife and fork and beginning his meal. The young prince scurried over to the side of the table and grabbed the jug of wine. Biting his lip with concentration, he carefully poured some into the cup, not wanting to overfill it and spill any. Any of his usual clumsiness would annoy Gaius, he knew, and this insistent need for his handsome uncle's approval made him **** to avoid that. When the cup was nearly full, he lifted the jug and stepped back, still holding it in his hands in case Gaius wanted more. The older man nodded once, even that slight hint of his approval sending a flood of warmth through the young prince's body that brought a little smile to his lips. Gaius paused at the sight, holding the cup of wine in one hand. His dark eyes flickered to Marcus, moving slowly over his nephew's slender body. "You want to sit as well, squire?" He asked suddenly.

"Yes..." Marcus nodded, though he didn't see any chair or place for him.

"I told myself, not in public...but you make it so hard to resist." Gaius sighed. "Fuck it, I told the servants I wasn't to be disturbed anyway. Come, sit here, Marcus." He reached down and patted one thigh. The young prince felt his cheeks burn as he realized just what his uncle meant, but...as ever he was helpless to resist. Shuffling forward, he turned and lowered himself down into the older man's lap, resting on top of the hard muscle of Gaius' legs. He could feel the warmth of his uncle's broad chest through his own light tunic and the shirt Gaius wore, a pulse of dizzy heat flooding through him at the thought. Between his own legs, his tiny dick ached and tingled as it stiffened up. "Feels good, right?" Gaius asked, smirking at his blushing nephew.

"It...does." The young prince admitted. He watched with wide eyes as his handsome uncle went back to his meal. He could feel Gaius' muscles shift and move underneath him as the older man ate and drank. Despite the enticing smell of roast beef and the fact that he hadn't eaten since yesterday, it was a different kind of hunger that stirred inside him as he sat in his uncle's lap. A little gasp of shock escaped his lips as he felt something hard and thick underneath him, pressing insistently into the soft flesh of his leg through their clothes. Gaius...was getting aroused just having him sit here. The thought made Marcus shiver with delight. This was how he got his uncle to pay attention to him!

Feeling bolder, the young prince shifted his weight a little against the hard thing, enough that he could just about pass it off as him finding a more comfortable position. He didn't want to make it too obvious what he was doing, after all. Gaius paused, a sliver of beef skewered on the end of his fork held halfway to his lips. Trying not to grin, Marcus wriggled a little more, bucking up in his uncle's lap until his butt was resting over the throbbing cock. He gasped out at the feeling of that stiffness against his soft cheeks, a swell of needy desire flooding through his belly. His tiny dick was throbbing with need, but at the same time he felt a strange, aching emptiness inside him, like some part of him was yearning to be filled with the thick thing resting underneath him. Suddenly Gaius shifted, setting the fork down and fixing his nephew with a heated glare that simmered with desire.

"You're such a distraction." The older man murmured, voice low and rough. "I'm trying to figure out how fix this sorry kingdom, and all I can think about instead is those sweet lips wrapped around my cock. Get under the table, squire, your duties await you." The young prince nodded eagerly, before slipping off the handsome older man's lap. As he knelt awkwardly to crawl under the table, he saw Gaius was already undoing his trousers. That thick cock popped free as he slipped them down, hard and demanding, the swollen, angry head waiting for a soft prince's tongue to soothe it. Marcus couldn't resist, just the sight of the older man's huge erection filling with a yearning need to taste it. Before he could even think, he crawled into place and leaned over his uncle's lap, wrapping his lips around the swollen shaft where they belonged. His tongue was already out, flickering deftly around the head of the cock, tasting as much as he could and pleasuring the older man at the same time. A hoarse growl from above the table was the reward for his diligent service, and he couldn't help but moan himself. "Stay down there until I tell you otherwise." Gaius ordered sternly, despite the edge of lust and need in his voice. Marcus whimpered with delight around the cock in his mouth, before bending back to his task, slowly sliding his lips up and down that pulsing shaft and working it deeper into his throat. "Fuck it, I can't wait any longer." Gaius growled. "Tonight, as soon as I've got you back in my bed, I'm going to teach you who you belong to." Marcus wasn't sure what the older man meant...only that those words made him tremble with longing for the night to come.