The Void of a Future King (mxm)

18. Everything Unfolds

"Remiul, don't you dare put your hands on me like that!"Guinevere exclaimed. She looked him up and down. He looked like a mess. His shirt was wrinkly, his pants were twisted, and his hair was all over the place. Guin couldn't believe what she was seeing. She couldn't recognize her son. He's not a cheater, that's what Guinevere thought. Apparently she was wrong.

Sam stayed shuffled in the corner. He was petrified of what her reaction would be. She could do anything she wanted to him and get away with it. She could banish Sam from the kingdom, from her home... He was desperate to stay, more than he'd like to admit. He had no where else to go.

Flashbacks of Sam coming out to his dad played through his mind. He slid down the wall and closed his eyes, trying to fight them off but he couldn't. His heart beat sped up and his eyes stung with salty tears.

"I'm sorry mom. I'm so sorry."

There's nothing he can do, nothing else he can say, to make this right. Not even expressing his sorrow to his mom could ever make things right, he knows that. His mind was blank.

"No, Remiul! You're not! If you were you wouldn't be sneaking around with him every chance you get!"His mother yelled at him. She felt overwhelmed by disappointment. She realized she had been wrong not to confront them the first time. Remiul made it her business when he brought Sam into her home. She has every right to know what's going on and involve herself.

"What're you talking about?"Remiul asked. In his mind, she had never seen him and Sam alone together.

Guinevere scoffed. She was absolutely appalled by the fact that he had the audacity to lie to her. She had only seen them kissing once but she knew they've been alone together numeric times. Guin wouldn't be surprised if they had already slept together before.

"I saw you two sucking face at the pool."Guin told Remiul, making his cheeks red. His stomach dropped knowing that she had known already and hadn't told him.

Sam heard everything. He felt so terrible for the part he played. He stayed at their home and snuck around with their married son. Remiul's parents have been nothing but kind while Sam was betraying them, right under their noses.

Now Remiul would leave Sam too, just like everyone else. He knew it was bound to happen, eventually. Anyone he gets close to leaves him because they realize how terrible Sam is. Now Remiul will realize that he can never love Sam, he thought. He thought Remiul was bound to leave him after this happened.

"Mom I didn't mean-" Remiul tried to explain but his mother cut him off.

"Didn't mean for me to see!? Or didn't mean to cheat on your amazing wife!? I didn't raise you like this Remiul!"Guin went off. She was getting tired of all this arguing. Remiul has showed to her that he was immature and irresponsible. That maybe he wasn't ready to be king like she thought he was. Maybe he never could be.

She turned around to walk away from the tent. Her feet stomped angrily and purposefully.

"Mom, where are you going?"Remiul asked, going after her. Sam got up too, wiping the tears off his face with his shirt. His legs were wobbly but he ignored it.

"I think everyone deserve to know the truth, don't you think?"she answered him, continuing to walk out. With each step she picked up her pace.

Remiul jumped in front of her right before she could walk out. His eyes were filled with panic. This is not how he wanted it to happen and certainly not before the crowning. He didn't want to be known as a cheater and wasn't ready to tell anyone he's gay.

"Not like this."he pleaded. She ignored him and pushed forward. He walked backwards to stay in front of her.

The crowd swarmed all three of them as soon as they walked out of the tent. The chatter of everyone filled the air as they waited for Remiul's speech. When they finally saw them they all went silent. They were so taken aback, seeing the state that they were all in.

They all noticed how fuming mad Guinevere was, seemingly at Remiul. Rem looked like a hot mess and panicked.

"Either you do it or I will."

Guinevere stopping her walk for a moment and crossed her arms tightly. Her voice was low, so no one could here, but still intimidating. Remiul was scared off her for a moment. He's never seen this side of his mother. He didn't like it at all.

Remiul opened his mouth to say something but he couldn't. He wanted to say that he could do it but he knows that's a lie. He's tried saying that he's gay to himself in the mirror but he can't even do that. He still didn't want it to be true. Remiul just wanted it to be a bad dream and wanted to wake up, in love with Arabella and Arabella only.

Guinevere pushed him out of her way and ran on stage. Remiul rushes up to follow her, as well as Sam, but she was too fast.

She reached the microphone. She held it tightly in her right hand as she tried to catch her breathe.

"There's something you all must know."-

"I've got it honey." The king interjected. Guin looked at him sideways, confusion and craze in her eyes. She had been set on exposing Remiul and now she didn't say a word.

King Oliver took his place in front of the podium, calmly. Too calm for someone who knows what he knows; that his son is a cheater and homosexual. His breathing was steady and he even had a smile on his face.

Seeing this, Remiul stopped in his place beside his mother. There seemed to be a war going on in his brain. He was fighting the urge to try and empty the butterflies from his stomach.

"I had been preparing how I was to present this information to all of you. My loyal followers, my kingdom, my family. But nothing has seemed appropriate. My silence for many months is also not right." the queen found herself exhaling, even if she had been so ready to tell the truth about her son just a minute ago.

"So I must hold myself up to a higher level of transparency. I have been taking part in a battle with my health. A battle I am loosing. With cancer."

At that moment, Sam tore through the tent he had been hiding out in. He was trying to work up the nerve - and clean himself up- to go out. When everything fell silent and he heard the kings announcement he didn't think twice about leaving. Images and thoughts of Remiul clouded his mind and sight.

"Dad..." Remiul whispered, looking up at him. He felt, and looked, like a small child again.

His father pulled him away from the spotlight, his mother following suit.

Remiul's feet dragged as he was guided by his father. The once bustling noise in his head was replaced replaced with questions, seemingly a million per minute. Nothing felt real anymore. It reminded him of dreaming, it was like you were there but couldn't see anything while also knowing what's there. And when you wake up you don't remember if it was really you.

But he is awake.

"Look at me Remiul." his fathers voice grounded him. Suddenly the fog cleared and he could see more clearly than ever before. His fathers eyes sagged and were a faint color of black. His hair looked thinner, along with his fathers face. Remiul thought he ought to take a nap when he gets home.

Then he remembered the cancer. He would need more than a nap.

"You're dying."

"I am."

His lips trembled and throat hurt from holding back the tears.

"You're so strong, my son. You will get through this. You and your mother."

He couldn't hold back anymore. All that was running through his head was how much he needs his father. His whole life flashed before his eyes; a life lived without the man who gave him everything he could ask for. Remiul did not want to live if it was not with him.

Salty water poured out of his tear ducts, racing into his mouth. No matter how much he gasped for air there seemed to be none left to breath. His lips twisted into a wayward smile. His cheeks were strained but he didn't notice.

All he could feel was an overwhelming hole in his heart.