marlowemuses | Fools in Love, for gentry

"Oh, tell me all about that," Laurent said, returning the earring to its place with only a slight pang of regret. "That sounds both valuable and fascinating." Smiling flirtatiously, Laurent browsed through some more of the wares, often asking questions about the stones and the artisan's process. Picking up a jeweled tiara, he set it on Gansey's head with a playful grin. "That's very becoming."

Gansey looked in one of the mirrors at his reflection and laughed joyously, giving Laurent a flirtatious wink. "I do look dashing, don't I?" It sparkled as though joining in his humor. Delicately, he raised it off his head and placed it on Laurent's instead.

"For the prince of my heart," he teased.

"Anyway—it's a big deal for a lover to give their beloved jewelry. Particularly if it's a piece that belong to them before passing it on. To wear your lover's ring on your finger is obvious. When you wear it on a chain around your neck, it means you're in a spat."

Trying a handsome bracelet against his wrist, the prince continued, "Wearing your lover's necklace wrapped around your wrist means that you're committed and not to be flirted with. To wear their bracelet on your left arm means you've had relations the night before. Wearing it on the right means you haven't, and that you're salty about it.

"For women, wearing their spouse's wedding band means that they've recently discovered that they're pregnant. For men, wearing their spouse's wedding band means they're considering children. Ah, but it has to be the index finger. The other fingers mean other things."

"I suppose I'll need to be appraised of all the details," Laurent said. "I wouldn't want to indicate something incorrect. And I haven't any necklace to wrap around your wrist but this one," Laurent said, touching the heart with a fingertip and giving Gansey a promising smile. "Shall I take up the habit of wearing some other necklace for a few days so that I can loop it around your wrist?"

He browsed through the jewelry, considering what Gansey had said. "I might take up the habit of wearing a piece or two just to take advantage of such signals. Any additional significance to earrings? I admit I'd gain considerable satisfaction from making you wear one for me."

"You could. The importance would be for people in court to see you wearing it and know it's yours, and then to see me with it around my wrist. It symbolizes being tied down or otherwise entangled. That's where the necklace around the wrist bit comes in."

Gansey hummed and then glanced to his fiance again. "Helen would be able to give you excellent lessons. She knows more of that than I do. She's always on top of everything subtle."

At the mention of earrings, Gansey nodded. "Putting your earrings, or earring, on your lover is considered a possessive act. Claiming them as your own. It's a promise. It can also mean engagement when it hasn't been formally announced. Giving your lover a new pair has a similar meaning but loses some of the possessive feeling."

"I like the sound of that," Laurent said, with a playful smile. "Would you be willing to pierce an ear for me?"

He returned to the table with the earrings again, picking up the dangling sapphire and paying the artisan for the pair of earrings. He hung one of them from his ear and pocketed the other, flashing Gansey a little smile as he did so.

Then he picked out a necklace, gold and set with emeralds, and looped it experimentally around Gansey's neck. "It's handsome," he teased, "but it would look better around my wrist."

"I would," he admitted, skimming over the selection of earrings as Laurent paid for the ones he wanted, "as long as you are the one doing the piercing. My ears are very sensitive. I wouldn't trust anyone else."

Having Laurent wrap something around his neck gave him a thrill. More than he expected. "I have a necklace for that already," he said, wearing a pleased little smirk. "The more loved the piece, the more loved the one it's tied to. But I suppose I could tie this one around your other wrist. Make my point very clear with two."

Oh, he wanted to snake his arms around Laurent's waist and pull him in for a deep, loving kiss. That, however, would be too much for the public eye. So he settled on flirting with his eyes, glancing between Laurent's lips and up.

Laurent laughed happily at that, putting the necklace back and giving Gansey a lingering smile in return, heated and playful.

"Come on," he said, taking Gansey's hand and pulling him along to the next shop.

A few artisans later and Laurent expressed an interest in a leatherworker's shop, tugging Gansey inside. He let go of Gansey's hand as soon as they were through the door, innocently considering the intricate leatherwork.

"Gansey, look at these collars," he said, tone as polite and innocent as it had been three shops ago over some chintz. "They might be just the thing to send to my brother. I've told you he keeps dogs? Very handsome animals. There's a pair he's favored lately, two males." Picking up one of the collars, Laurent ran his fingers over the patterning. "What do you think, the brown or the black? They're both tawny, one of them a pale yellow and the other a handsome fawn color."

While Laurent looked around the shop, Gansey studied one of the leather saddles on display. It was a lovely piece of work, with excellent design, and soft, supple cloth woven alongside the leather. Something like that would be good for when Butternut gave birth, and Laurent could eventually ride the result.

But then Laurent called him and he slid into place beside his lover, glancing over the various collars. Somehow he managed to keep from allowing any color to creep up on his cheeks by convincing himself that Laurent was indeed talking about real dogs. He studied a few, running his fingers over the patterns, twists and grooves.

"I like the brown," he finally settled on. "The black might be too harsh. I think the brown would flatter either one." Running his finger along one, he smiled, "It's very soft. Excellent work."

"The brown, then," Laurent said, selecting a matching set and consulting briefly with Gansey over the sizing. "What do you think?" he asked, innocently holding up the collar. "Too large? Too small? Oh, I suppose you haven't seen them."

The impishness of the situation only increased the flawlessness of his performance, as he considered options before finally settling on a pair that he was certain would fit, along with a very sleek pair of leather leashes. He arranged to have them delivered to him at the palace, since he would of course want to include a note for his brother along with the gift.

"I'm very hungry," Laurent said, giving Gansey a flirtatious, wheedling smile, perfectly suited to an infatuated fiance. "Shall we stop for lunch, and then the bookshop?"

Truly, Laurent was a gem. And clever, clever as a fox. Gansey knew this, of course, but every time Laurent did something Gansey was struck all over again. He loved it. Loved the flawless way Laurent handled the situation. It was incredibly attractive.

Gansey played along just as well. If anyone was listening, they would never think that the collars and leashes would be for anything but a gift.

"That sounds lovely," Gansey answered as he leaned in, pressing a short, chase kiss to Laurent's forehead. Behind them, a group of women sighed, clearly taken with the sight of them and their beginning, innocent romance. "May I take you to a favorite place of mine? It's right near the bookshop, of course."

Gansey's lunch spot of choice was a bakery. It smelled delightful, and their specialty was baking different kinds of meats into breads. Pork, chicken, beef, whatever you might want. They also had desserts, like light rolls embedded with rich chocolate and cocoa breads, as well as cookies.

"Everything is always fresh," he explained, showing Laurent through the bakery. "It's one of the oldest bakeries in the capitol."

"It's lovely," Laurent said, looking over everything with interest. He asked plenty of questions, showing great interest in the bakery's function and the farmers who supplied the grain.

Flirting innocently over lunch as they ate, Laurent let their knees touch under the table, but nothing more. The earring he wore sparkled, drawing eyes even more than he naturally did, but Laurent had eyes for no one but Gansey. He kept their conversation as mundane as he could stand, talking about the region and the people. When they finished, Laurent made sure he knew the direction of the bookshop, and then kissed Gansey's cheek before he let go of him. "I want to run a quick errand. A surprise of my own. Can I meet you at the bookshop in just a few minutes? I promise I won't be long."

Gansey gave him a curious look but, of course, agreed. He was worried about sending Laurent off on his own but knew that if he stayed close by things would be fine; the people would look out for their future consort. "All right," he said, already missing having his lover beside him.

"Promise me you'll be careful." If anything happened to Laurent—Gansey simply couldn't even humor the idea.

So they parted, Gansey headed for the bookshop to wait. Luckily there was plenty to distract him from the absence of his fiance. Lovely leather books with blank pages. Books filled with words, of all sorts. Trinkets. Truly, the book shop was one of his favorite places.

While there he spoke to some of the children about books, laughing as they showed him their favorite ones. By the time Laurent would arrive Gansey would be surrounded by seven or eight boys and girls, all proudly showing him their favorite books and how they had gotten so good at reading.

Taking care of his errands quickly, Laurent made his way to the bookshop and grinned at the sight he found. He sat down on the floor in the midst of the children, pleased to join the conversation. He quickly ended up with a child on his lap and two more hanging on him as they demonstrated their reading skills. It took almost a half hour before he and Gansey could extract themselves.

Picking up a couple of books he loved and wanted to recommend to Gansey, he wandered through the shop with his lover, until they had a small stack and Laurent was aching with impatience to steal him away and kiss him properly.

"Can we head home, or is there more to see?" Laurent asked, shooting him a tired grin as they exited the shop.

"There's always more to see," Gansey shot back with a laugh, happily carrying their selection of books in his arms, "but we don't have to do it all today. I think we've covered quite a bit of ground for now. Let's head back and relax."

Likewise, he was longing to hold Laurent in his arms again, to be grossly affectionate in a way that wasn't proper out in the public eye. So he lead the way back to where the carriage was waiting for them, nodding and waving at people as they passed.

"Did you have fun?" he asked once they were safe and sound in the carriage, headed back to the castle. "The people were quite taken with you. There will be stories about you, yet."

Laurent was glad to be back in the carriage, letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Yes, thank you. It was lovely." He hugged Gansey's arm, resting his head on his lover's shoulder as they rode back to the castle. "And I was able to arrange for the surprise I wanted. It'll be delivered to the castle for you once it's done."

Smiling with pleasure at the secret, Laurent hugged Gansey's arm tighter. "Thank you for today. It was everything I had hoped for."

"I'm glad. And very, very curious." Pressing a kiss to the top of Laurent's head, he smiled, nuzzling his cheek against fine hair. "What would my fiance want to surprise me with? That isn't from the book shop?"

He truly wasn't sure. Gansey, however, was a patient man, and could easily wait until Laurent decided to bestow it upon him. Just being in his lover's company was able to sooth any of his needs.

When they arrived at the castle Gansey stepped out first so that he could gallantly help his fiance out, looking for any excuse to touch him.

"Would you like to retire to the screen room?" he asked. "There's a lovely hammock we can read in together." Unless, of course, Laurent had something else in mind.

"That sounds delightful," Laurent said, stealing a soft kiss as he descended from the carriage. He slid his arms around Gansey's neck, watching his eyes with open adoration for a moment before he let go so that they could continue on their way.

Making a detour to fetch the journal that Gansey had loaned him, Laurent smiled as they settled into their hammock. He tucked himself against Gansey's side, kissing his cheek and resting his head on Gansey's shoulder as they read. Every so often, he let his fingertips stray along Gansey's arm, loving the small miracle of being able to touch him any time he pleased. "Gansey."

Gansey was happy to see that Laurent was going to read the journal. It might have been old tales and notes but it was still important to him; no one else really cared to look through it. On his end, Gansey settled on reading one of their new books. It was merely for pleasure, one of the books by an author making his breakout in the capitol. Yes, Gansey loved history and language, but he also liked to keep up on what was popular with his people. Apparently star-crossed lovers were all the rage. Or... continued to be the range? That seemed to be a popular theme for a while.

It was everything he could want out of a relationship. Tucked together on a hammock, comfortably reading books with one another. Sharing little kisses. Birds chirping in the background, sunlight gentle around them, and bugs kept at bay because of the screen all around the room.

Whenever Laurent touched him he let out a soft sigh, delighted at every brush.

"Yes, darling?" Leaning in, he brushed a kiss against Laurent's forehead.

"Love you," Laurent murmured in response. He bumped his head affectionately against the side of Gansey's, then tilted his head to kiss Gansey's neck.

He laughed suddenly. "I've forgotten all day that my throat is utterly covered in your marks. I'm sure that has started a few rumors. Everyone will be talking about the betrothed princes necking like teenagers."

None dissuaded by the possibility, Laurent nipped the side of Gansey's jaw.

It was an image that made Gansey chuckle as he brushed back some of Laurent's hair to admire a few of the marks. They were obvious. And obviously not bug bites.

"I'm fine with it," he said happily, leaning down to get a nip in himself. "Then they'll all know I'm serious about you. That, and if they try to flirt with you, they'll have to deal with me." Which was something no one really knew how to handle, be it in the capitol or at court. Gansey was usually so forgiving and amicable. To cross the prince? No one quite knew what would happen.

"And to be fair... we're not old. There's plenty of energy left in us yet." Perhaps not young teenagers first learning that touching a dick feels good, but nowhere near peaking out of their prime.

Laurent laughed with delight at Gansey's insistence. Dropping the book gently to one side, he rolled onto his side so that he could hug Gansey's waist. "Oh, I know. You proved that very thoroughly last night."

He kissed Gansey's cheek, grinning playfully. "I love the thought of you being jealous over me. I am almost tempted to occasionally allow other people to flirt with me, just for the pleasure of seeing you jealous, but I would honestly much prefer just never to leave your side."

"I'm pleased to hear so," he chuckled, abandoning his own book in favor of properly embracing his lover. "I'll prove it as many times as you'd like."

At the mention of Laurent's pleasure at having Gansey jealous, the man chuckled again. There was no doubt that he would be jealous—even if they were clearly in a relationship, there were men in court that would flirt with Laurent regardless. Some merely out of fun, some for a more serious purpose. Not that he was worried about Laurent cheating on him.

"Please don't leave my side," he begged with a little bit of a laugh. "I would be bereft without you."

"I won't," Laurent promised, nuzzling at Gansey's throat. "I can't. I don't ever want to live without you."

Laughing softly, Laurent hugged close to him, snuggling into Gansey's arms as they tangled up in each other. "I never imagined I was capable of feeling like this. I love you so hopelessly."

The hammock swung gently as they tangled together, and a gentle breeze played across their hair. "I feel the same," he admitted, resting his chin on the top of Laurent's head.

"I've never even come close before. Everything else... never felt like it had any meaning. I feel like you're my true love." He knew it was cheesy, possibly the cheesiest thing he'd ever said in his life, but he couldn't resist. "I'll actually have to thank my mother."

"I don't think we're ever going to stop thanking your mother," Laurent said, and laughed. He kissed Gansey's throat, heart swelling with affection and joy. "I don't know if I believe in the concept of having one true love. But I find it even harder to believe that there could be anyone in the world that I could love more than I love you. My handsome prince."

He squeezed tighter to Gansey, wanting to wind himself up entirely in his beloved. "My Gansey."

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