Marcus tries to mend his family

"Marcus, let go of him, come to me!" Jenny gasped, holding out her hand. Her voice trembled, her eyes wide and frantic. "Right now!" Marcus felt his heart tremble at the desperation in her voice, but he was still annoyed at her for meeting with their father in secret like this, without telling him! Did she still not trust him yet? He glanced up at the King, who was still staring down at him with stunned relief, large strong hands clinging to his body like he was afraid to let go.

"Jenny..." The young prince began. "I'm not..."

"Quiet, Marcus." She snapped, presenting her hand insistently to him. "I can't...let you go, now! Come back to me, please! You're my husband!" Her full lip trembled, her eyes widening with panic. The young prince wavered, his grip on his father loosening. Part of him wanted nothing more than to slip away and run to his wife, throwing his arms around her and soothing all her worries. Only...what if she sent his father away and he never saw him again?

"So it's true." The king groaned, sounding tired again. "I heard the guards talking, but I didn't...couldn't believe them. You really **** him to marry you. Jenny, taking my throne is one thing, making yourself queen, I can understand, but how...could you do that to him? Your own brother..." He raised his head, his jaw tight as he glared across the room at his daughter.

"I didn't **** him!" Jenny snarled, her eyes flashing with renewed anger. "He chose me! He's my husband, mine, not mother's, not anybody else's! He's mine...and I'm his! Forever and ever!" Marcus felt the king stiffen against him, feeling the hardness of his father's muscles against his own soft body. Was the king going to try and fight Jenny? No, he couldn't let that happen! He couldn't let either of these two be that stupid! Why were they being so stubborn anyway? Couldn't they just stop arguing and make up already?

"Enough both of you!" Marcus squirmed out of his father's grip and leapt to his feet, glancing between the squabbling pair with as much strength as he could muster. Jenny flinched back like his trembling glare stung her, while the king gasped in shock. Clearly they'd both expected him to just cower meekly like he always had, well not anymore! He was a husband now, a consort of this kingdom and a man grown and he wasn't about to let that be taken away from him! "Jenny, this is our father!" He turned on his sister first, his voice high and wavering, but growing stronger with every word. She shrank into the doorway, looking like a chastised child as he snapped at her. "You can't just banish him from the kingdom and say we'll never see him again! That isn't right! It wasn't when he did it to you, and it isn't now! You'll really regret it someday, I know you will...I'll make you if I have to." She shook her head tightly, her face pale. The young prince felt his heart clench, but he knew what he had to do. "If you do this, Jenny..." He snapped, feeling his throat tighten around the words he didn't want to say. "I'll hate you for it!"

"No, Marcus." Jenny gasped, trembling like a leaf. She collapsed into the doorframe, clutching at it like a lifeline as her legs shivered like twigs underneath her. "Please...don't hate me. Not you too. I can't....I can't bear that!" The young prince ached to comfort her, his chest sore and tight as he watched her start to sob, but he knew...she had to understand she couldn't send their father away!

"And father!" Marcus turned on the king, standing straight under his thin little shift no matter how much of his thighs it was showing off. Their father raised his head, meeting his gaze with obvious surprise. The young prince breathed in, mustering his words. "Jenny is right. We're married now." He explained. "And she didn't **** me into it either. She asked me to be her husband, she let me decide...and I agreed!"

"No Marcus, that isn't..." The king began, but Marcus hurriedly continued, interrupting his father for what must have been the very first time in his life.

"It's true." He said firmly. "I love her, father...not just as my sister, but my wife too." Jenny let out a soft, trembling sigh from the doorway, whimpering with relief. The young prince knew he'd have to tend to her later and soothe her fears, but right now he had to make the king understand! "We're...going to have a family together." The king shook his head again, his face pale, but Marcus continued hurriedly. "I know it must sound wrong to you, but we love each other. This is all we both want! Can't you...accept that, father?"

"Marcus...I don't know. I'm not sure I can." The king breathed, slumping over in his chair. "You're my children. I guess part of me knew all along...what Anabelle and..what Jenny felt for you, that my own wife and daughter both wanted my son, but I couldn't...let myself believe anything would ever come of it. I never imagined things would end up this way."

"Well they have." Marcus continued firmly, determined to make his father accept this. "Jenny..." He glanced at his wife over his shoulder, where she was still sniffling against the door. "Come here." He let his voice soften and held out his hand to her. With a **** sob, she stumbled across the room. He grabbed her arm as she practically fell into him, her larger body collapsing into his shoulder. Still sniffling, she wrapped her arms around his slender body and clung to him tightly, her head buried in his shoulder. With his sister cuddling into his side, the young prince turned back towards their father. "Listen to me, father." He began. "I don't want to lose you. I'm sorry this was how it had to happen, but but...Jenny is my wife now, and the Queen of this kingdom too. Either you can accept our marriage...of if you can't, I don't think you'll never see either of us again."

The king's face fell, his dark eyes miserable as they dropped to the floor. Wrapping an arm around Jenny and holding her tight, the young prince waited, his heart in his throat. If he was **** to choose between them, of course he'd pick his wife, but...he just hoped his father would change his mind as well. Was it...so very selfish of him to want them both in his life? And his mother too, no matter how distant a possibility that seemed now. Maybe if the king accepted them...he could get through to her as well! They could be a family again!

"I...I think I should leave this kingdom, as Jenny wants." Their father murmured at last, still staring at his feet.

"No!" Marcus gasped, his heart dropping like a stone. "You can't!"

"It's the only way, Marcus." The king sighed, rising from the chair at last. He glanced between the two of them, staring at his sobbing daughter for a moment before his gaze flickered back to meet his son's. "You're right. Jenny is the Queen now, having me around...will only cause problems for her. There'll be questions why I've been kept alive, I'll be a symbol for dissent and rebellion to rally around. Her position will be fragile enough, as the first Queen this country has ever had. I can't...in good conscience make it any harder for her. I watched her grow up, Marcus. I saw her become so brave, strong and smart, a girl any father could be proud of." He smiled at his sniffling daughter, who raised her head at last and met his gaze, trembling against Marcus like a leaf. "Jenny, you're going to be a far better ruler than I was." The king said to her. "A failure like me shouldn't stand in your way."

"But...father." The young prince began, but this time when the king raised a hand he fell silent, letting his father speak.

"And, you two are married, you're right that I can't change that either." Their father continued, his voice breaking for a moment. "I...didn't want this for either of you, and seeing the two of you...my own children as husband and wife, I don't know if I can take that on top my losing my throne and having my wife in the state she's in." The young prince gasped, tears suddenly stinging his own eyes. His stomach clenched in guilt. He knew he'd made his choice...but in the heady moments of love with Jenny he'd hardly even considered how his father might see it. "I...need some time." The king continued hoarsely. "I'll take Anabelle...and we'll go into exile in the Free Marches, somewhere quiet and calm where I hope she can find some peace. That's the least I can do for her."

"Father, I'm sorry." Marcus sniffled. Suddenly he was the one leaning on Jenny as she straightened beside him.

"Me too, Marcus." The king smiled back at him sadly. "This...isn't goodbye forever. I can say that much. Someday, whether...it takes months or a year, I'll find my peace with this...with everything. And I promise, when that day comes, we can all see each other again, you and Jenny, Annabelle and me. If...you can face us again, Jenny?" He glanced at his daughter.

"Father...I'm sorry as well!" She gasped, holding Marcus tightly to her side. "I...know I **** you into it! I should have done things differently this time. I just...it was so hard, so painful...when you exiled me...with nothing! I just wanted to come home, to see my...brother again! I had to do anything for that!"

"I know...it was so wrong, to let things go that far, to ignore what was happening just because it was easy, to let my children suffer while I turned my gaze elsewhere!." The king stammered, his breath hitching. Suddenly he was crying too, tears filling his dark eyes. "I've made so many mistakes, Jenny, but exiling you the way I did was the worst one of my life. I know...I don't deserve it, but...can you forgive me for that, daughter?"

"I...don't know." She was sobbing too, and so was Marcus. The young prince felt so helpless clinging to his poor, trembling sister, but...he knew there was nothing he could do. "I...think I need some time as well. Can....you wait until we meet again, father? I...want to forgive you, but..." Her voice died in a strangled gasp.

"I understand, Jenny." The king smiled at her through his tears. "I hope when...if we meet again, I can see you smile, daughter." Jenny let out a trembling whimper, her tears dripping onto Marcus' shoulder. Her grip on him was almost painful, her fingers digging into his skin through the shift, but the young prince clung to her in turn. It seemed...they'd only have each other now. "Now...I suppose I should be getting ready to leave." Their father sighed, wiping away his tears with a hand. "If we head out tonight...under cover of darkness, it'll cause less trouble for either of you. A clean break." His lips pursed and he straightened under his tunic, clearly trying to look strong. Soon the only sign he'd been crying at all was a slight tension to his jaw and the wet stains on his clothes.

"I'll arrange for mother to be set free so she can go with you, and you to have horses, father...and enough money to be comfortable." Jenny stammered hoarsely. "I...want you both to be safe."

"Thank you, Jenny." The king replied. "I wish...I didn't have to impose on you any further, but...yes, we'll need both. I have friends in the Free Marches, and your mother's family as well, but...I cannot trust solely in their charity." She nodded hurriedly, seeming not to trust her voice any longer. The king slowly turned towards the door, shuffling away.

"Goodbye father." Marcus sniffled, wishing things could be different, but at the same time, understanding why they couldn't. What had happened here...the tragedy of his family, wasn't something that could be mended in just a night, no matter how much he wished otherwise. His father had hurt Jenny, so had his mother...and now he and his wife had done the same in turn. He could only hope that, with time, the wounds started to heal. Then, he could...see his mother and father again, but...for now, he knew he'd have to wait, no matter how hard it was. "Until...I see you again." He called out, as his father stepped for the doorway.

"Until then, Marcus." The king turned back and smiled at his son. "Goodbye...and I wish the both of you the best." With that, he slipped away, stepping through the doorway and out of their lives for now. As soon as he was again, Jenny collapsed like a doll to the floor. Marcus fell with her, landing in a heap on top of his wife and sister's sobbing body. The new couple clung to each other, their tears and sobs mingling with the other's.