Page 73 of Jonathon, After All

“How curious,” Leo murmured and gave his head a little shake. “I don’t care what you do to anything or any part of the castle if it makes you happier and gives you more closure. Are you sure you won’t mind, when Sabine needs to visit?” he asked carefully, but Jonathon shrugged it off.

“We had some very long chats in Vienna and I believe her. She was so scared you’d lose the title because of me and that it would go to Theo. And why would she think it was serious? We snuck around like criminals so Sabine had no idea how happy we were together. All she could do was assume the worst about the both of us and it was her job to handle damage control.”

“Possibly… But I told her how much you meant to me and that you loved me,” Leo argued. He still had a hard time getting past that part. That should have been enough in Leo’s mind, but she had overridden all of his wishes in order to keep them apart.

“Where would we be now, if the Foundation had taken one look at me ten years ago and given you the boot?”

Leo’s eyes narrowed as he considered. “Ireland?”

Jonathon’s jaw opened and snapped shut. “Really?” he asked and Leo nodded.

“It’s very green and rainy. And it’s politically progressive.”

“I love Ireland, but that’s not the point,” Jonathon sighed at him. “Would we have withstood the stress of that? Would you have been as happy, if you couldn’t accomplish everything you set out to do because I cost you the title? That kind of regret could kill a relationship,” he said with a shake of his head. “We don’t know how long we would have lasted, but we know there’s a good chance Theo would be Margrave now if it weren’t for Sabine. So, for that reason, I’m thankful that she was there to buy you that month and that she had risked so much to make your dreams come true.”

“I wish I had some of your grace,” he replied. Leo was talking to Sabine, but only to discuss what was necessary. “But we were the casualties of those dreams.”

“I don’t think we would have lasted before,” Jonathon said with a decisive nod, making Leo frown.

“Why? I meant everything I said and I believed you loved me.”

“I did, but we were both young and drunk on each other and the fairy tale of this place,” he said with a wave around them. “I think reality would have ripped us apart, just as Sabine had predicted. She wasn’t wrong about what they would have said about us and how the Foundation would have reacted. I don’t know if either of us could have handled that ten years ago.”

“We deserved a chance to try, though, and there’s no guarantee we wouldn’t have made it work.”

“Maybe, but we can make it work now. We’re both smarter and stronger and have a better support system. I’m choosing to look at it like we were put on pause, until we were both ready,” Jonathon declared and tipped his nose back, signaling that the matter was settled.

Leo humphed dubiously. “You’ve forgiven Sabine already?”

“Not completely…” Jonathon said slowly. “I’ll keep her at arms’ length. But I’m glad she’s here to serve you and watch as I live my very best life with the prince of my dreams.”

“That part, I like very much,” Leo groaned contentedly as he squeezed Jonathon and kissed his cheek. “Mein Liebster.” He grew quiet as they considered the illustrated prince above the first chapter of the story Jonathon had selected. “My journey to find true love and happily ever after was just as twisted as the tales in these books. But I believe we were meant to be together and that no evil trick or spell could have kept us apart,” he added.

Jonathon turned, arching a brow at Leo. “How? This could have been so much easier if we weren’t such a terrible match.”

“Don’t say that. We’re a perfect match,” Leo said and gave Jonathon a stern look. “Whatever the Foundation or the rest the world thinks doesn’t matter. I’m at peace when I’m with you because you understand me. You care for the man, not the Margrave, and you suit him so perfectly.” He gave Jonathon’s bottom an affectionate knead and pulled him closer, illustrating just how well they fit.

“True,” Jonathon said, yawning and snuggling against Leo’s side.

“We both tried and learned that no one else would do, and we learned how terrible it feels when we’re apart,” Leo continued, earning a jerky nod from Jonathon.

“I was meant for you,” he agreed shakily.

Leo shushed softly and kissed his hair. “You were meant for me and no tower—manmade or metaphorical—could keep us apart,” he said, causing Jonathon to laugh softly.

“I was going to run away to Ireland with Muriel.”

“What?” Leo chuckled and Jonathon nodded.

“I told the Ashbys I wanted to sneak away with Muriel, the night before you found me. She has another old friend who’s an Irish lord with a place we could have crashed at indefinitely.”

“I’m so glad you didn’t,” Leo winced over Jonathon’s shoulder at the book. “I would have followed and waited on his doorstep. On my knees if necessary,” he admitted and whispered an apology as he kissed Jonathon’s cheek again.

Jonathon made a thoughtful sound. “That would have been very romantic.”

“Yet very wasteful with all that extra flying,” Leo said, laughing softly at Jonathon’s weary sigh. He gave Jonathon another squeeze. “That would be one more mark against Sabine, but I suppose we can forgive her since we aren’t villains.”

“No.” Jonathon shook his head. “We’re the heroes, and a prince and his archduchess would be graceful and forgive her,” he proclaimed, then snorted. “Although, I’m not sure she deserves Markus. He worships the ground she walks on and knows what he’s doing in the bedroom, as far as I can tell,” he said, making Leo roll his eyes.

---