5Fairytales for Gay Men
Sleeping Beauty
Once, long ago in a kingdom far away, there was a kind hearted king and queen. They had always wanted a daughter, but could never have a child. When they were finally blessed with a child, to their dismay it was a boy. They loved him none the less and wanted to raise him properly. To celebrate the 1st birthday of their beautiful son Henri, they decided to throw a party and invite everyone they knew to give their offerings unto the small babe. Eagerly the people of the kingdom prepared for the gathering, unable to wait to see the prince. When the day finally arrived, the kingdom was ready as the queen Elana prepared her son to see everyone. He was a beautiful baby and was smiling already. Her husband Lionel came in, rubbing his head in dismay.
"What's wrong?" She asked, handing the baby to him.
"The King of Valer wants a marriage between our kingdoms or else he will declare war." He said sadly. The queen gasped, spinning to face him. The kingdom of Valer was nearly 3 times the size of theirs. If they had a war, surely their people would be slaughtered.
"But Henri is our only child!" She protested "Is he aware of this?" Her husband looked away nodding sadly. "What should we do?"
"What other choice do we have?" Her husband asked placing the baby in his crib. "Either our people die or we find a way out of this, for Henri's sake." The two of them looked down at their sweet son, sucking on a knuckle. The queen sighed.
"Who should we speak to?" She asked, gently picking up some clothes for the baby.
~At the party~
One of their close friends gave the king a sword for Henri when he was older. It was a beautiful sword and they could be sure that their son would love it. The baby was sitting up, giggling at every present he got. His parents were smiling, happy at the plan they had made. They would have someone pretend to curse their son so they could hide him away and hope the king of Valer would give up trying to marry their sons. Yes the king of Valer only had male children he didn't seem to care about that fact. Speak of the devil, the king of Valer, Steven, came forward with his 5 year old son Carter, who peered at baby Henri who stared back, with big brown eyes. Stephen presented them with a cloak for Henri, made of fur from animals that only lived in his kingdom.
"I hope we have a deal with what I sent a letter to you about earlier." He said softly. Elana nodded, glancing over at Henri and Carter. Carter had picked up Henri and now sat him on his lap. She sighed gently, hoping the plan would work for Henri's sake. Then the three good fairies came in and she smiled. They would surely give Henri great presents and maybe some good luck. The first fairy Sarah stepped forward, smiling at Henri, still sitting on Carter's lap.
"I give to you the gifts of wisdom and beauty." She said gently tapping Henri on the nose with her wand, which gave off a pink spark. Henri giggled, grabbing at his nose. Sarah smiled at him and stepped back. The next fairy Marissa stepped to the baby. He was watching her wand, waiting for another spark. Carter was watching with silent curiosity.
"I give you the gift of a beautiful singing voice, sweet prince." Marissa spoke gently as a green spark left her wand and traveled to Henri, who tried to grab it gurgling happily. She smiled at the baby before stepping back and pushing the final fairy, Iris, forward. Iris stepped forward, unsure of what to do. She was the youngest fairy and had no idea of what to give Henri as a present. The other 2 had given him such great presents and she didn't know what to give him to match theirs. Just as she was stepping forward, a black cloud gushed up from the center of the floor behind her erupting like a deadly geyser. From it stepped Lilit, an evil sorceress. The entire room fell silent and Carter put Henri back in his crib. Then he stood in front of it protectively.
"I see you neglected to invite me to your party Elana, Lionel." She spoke and the room radiated with cold "Did you think I wouldn't give Henri a good present? Believe me I will." Elana looked to her husband, whose face was white with fear. This was not what they had planned. "On Henri's seventeenth birthday he will cut his delicate hand on a sword, and die!" Then she disappeared. Henri started bawling and Carter turned to try and comfort him. Iris walked over to him determined to fix this.
"Be not afraid sweet Henri." She spoke softly "If on your seventeenth birthday should a sword should slice your hand, not in death will you fall, but sleep. And true loves kiss will awaken you from that slumber." Then she waved her wand and a soft blue spark flew to the baby, who ceased his cries. Carter looked back at him, smiling gently.
"Oh my sweet boy!" Elana raced to her son, taking him up in her arms. "Thank you Iris, thank you so much!" She cradled Henri in her arms. "Oh Lionel what will we do?" She asked. Her husband stood beside her sadly.
"I wish I knew my sweet." He answered sadly. They had not planned for their son to actually be cursed. How would they hide him form the eyes of Lilit? Iris whispered gently in the queen's ear. She looked up at her husband and he, hearing the plan, nodded.
"Alright, it's decided. Take good care of him." Lionel said "Just let us spend one last night with him, to get him ready."
And so plans were made for the fairies to take away young prince Henri, to protect him from Lilit. The king and queen spent their last night with their beloved son, before he was taken away for 17 years.
~12 years later~
Henri walked through the kitchen of the small cottage balancing a pan on his head. He practiced every day, and he was very good at keeping the pan from falling off. His Aunt Iris looked in at him, smiling. At 12 years old he was already becoming beautiful. He still had his big brown eyes, with soft curly brown hair that was always in his face. He was very kind hearted and gentle, just like his parents. Surely he wasn't twelve already? Only 5 years were left for her to raise him.
"Look Aunt Iris!" He said excitedly spinning for her "I have great posture!" He was grinning widely, spinning for her until the pan fell off. "Oh, that wasn't very smart was it?" He asked, smiling at her as he wobbled from spinning. She smiled, hugging him.
"You are great Henri." She rubbed his head "In no time you will be perfect." He smiled again.
"Aunt Iris, I had the most perfect dream last night!" He said, smiling as he picked up the pan. Iris smiled, he still needed grammar classes. "I was walking in the woods with a handsome stranger, and he told me that I was beautiful! Then we were at the cottage and he told me that he loved me! After that he took me up in his arms, and then- I got called down for breakfast." He looked so dejected and sad, she hugged him again. "Will my dream ever come true?" He asked her.
"I suppose it could, some day." Her words seemed to cheer him up.
"One day I'll meet my prince charming!" He said, "And then I will be more happy than anything, and you can come to the wedding, and-"
"Henri! Can you come here for a second?" Sarah called. Henri cut off with a sigh.
"Coming!" He called back "Thanks for listening Aunt Iris." Then he was gone running to another room in the house. Time went so fast.
~5 years later~
Henri walked out of the cottage smiling at the calls of his Aunt's.
"Take your time!"
"Don't go far!"
"Don't speak to strangers!" He smiled walking down the path. He knew they were doing something for his birthday, why else would they send him out to pick more berries when he had picked some the day before, and they weren't even out? He laughed softly to himself, titling his head back making sure the hood of his cloak had his face hidden until he was out of sight. Then he slid the hood back to allow the sun on his face in the cool morning. He had not yet met the man from his dreams all those years ago, but the hope was strong in his heart that he would. As he walked along, he gently hummed to himself. As the hums built in his throat, he sang loudly. There were no words to his song, just gentle tones that carried out across the air of the woods.
Carter rode his horse though the woods, cursing the lack of signs. He just had to take a shortcut, didn't he? And through a forest that no one ever came through on top of that. As he rode, a soft song met his ears that made him stop his horse to listen. It was a beautiful song that made him took a deep breath before turning his horse in the direction it seemed to be coming from. He was determined to find the person who sang like this, even if he was late to meet his father. Carter felt like something about that voice was calling him closer.
Henri sang as he picked some raspberries, lost in his tune, throwing some to the birds. Half of his basket was some beautiful blue and pink wildflowers he had found on his way here. Now he set his basket down and danced to his own tune, lost in his thoughts as he danced with an imaginary man. Just then, Carter peered at the beautiful boy, eyes shut singing as he danced with no one but himself. Carter knew the dance he was stepping through and stepped through the bushes to neatly grasp the boy's delicate hands, stepping with him.
When Henri felt someone grab his hands he opened his eyes in surprise. Standing in front of him was a handsome man, only a few years older than him judging by his looks. He was startled, and tried to pull away only for the man to grasp his hands tighter.
"Oh my!" He cried, causing the handsome man to smile at him. He worked one hand free and the handsome man smiled wider.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." The man had such a dreamy voice, it sounded through him easily, covering him like liquid silk. "You just sing so beautifully, I couldn't resist coming to see you." Henri blushed, looking down at the ground. When he glanced back up, the man had taken his hand to his mouth, and was now gently kissing it. He pulled away, blushing even more fiercely. This man was so mysterious and handsome his heart was pounding in his chest radically. Could it be… love at first sight?
"Tell me, what is your name?" Henri shyly looked up at him from under lowered lashes. The blonde man was staring at him so intently he couldn't look away.
"It's.." he stopped looking at the man again. Just then, he realized what he was doing. "I-I can't! Oh goodness, goodbye!" Henri dashed over to his basket.
"Wait! Where are you going?" The man chased him as he left the clearing, grabbing his arm. "We've only just met!" He pulled Henri against his chest. "I don't even know your name."
"If you want to know more about me, and my name, come to the cottage in the glen this evening." Henri whispered into the man's chest.
"I will come to see you." The man kissed Henri on the cheek and Henri forced himself to pull away. "Wait for me."
"Goodbye!" Henri called, leaving the clearing. As he ran, his heart soared. His dream had come true, he had met a handsome prince charming, and who knew what would happen now?
~With Lilit~
"Why haven't you found him?!" Lilit screamed "Seventeen years, and you haven't found him? You are hopeless idiots!" Her minions cowered. She turned to her pet vulture gesturing it onto her hand. "My pet, you must find him. Look for those idiot fairies, or a boy that enchants all who meet him. Time is running out and that wretched boy getting married to Prince Carter will ruin everything!" The vulture turned and flew out the window swooping towards the kingdom below with ink black wings.
~At the cottage~
Iris threw the bundle of horrid pink fabric on the floor, hopping down off of the stool. Sarah had tried to sew a tunic for Henri, but one it was pink, and two it looked like someone had just wrapped pink fabric around her and randomly sewn it together. The former was exactly what Sarah had done. Marissa had tried a little harder with the cake, but she had tried to put it together before it was baked, and had attempted to put candles on it.
"Iris what are you doing to my tunic!" Sarah shrieked "Why did you do that?"
"We should think of Henri, and what he will think of this mess!" Iris argued "A pink bundle of frilly cloth called a tunic and a liquid cake that's dripping on the floor! We should use magic to fix this all up so he doesn't get a horrible birthday. It's his last day with us, so he should enjoy it!" Marissa looked over at her, nodding.
"She's right Sarah." Marissa closed the window next to her "Henri should enjoy his day here before he goes home, and gets married to Prince Carter." Sarah nodded.
"Shut every window, lock the door and plug up every crack." She instructed as she opened up her locked jewelry box and pulled out their wands. Iris and Marissa did as she instructed. "Marissa, you make the cake. Iris, you clean the room. And I'll make the tunic!" Iris sighed, waving her wand at the broom, mop and bucket. They started to clean as Marissa made the cake. Iris glared at the pink tunic that was being made. She gestured with her wand and it turned blue. Sarah glared back and made it pink. This went on for a few minutes until Marissa turned around and turned the tunic green.
"Henri always did look good in green." She said with a smile as the cake put itself down on the table. Iris and Sarah looked ready to change the color when they heard footsteps coming up the front walk. The three of them dove for cover, unaware of the vulture peering in a crack in one of the window shades.
"Aunt Sarah? Aunt Iris? Aunt Marissa?" Henri called as he opened the front door before he spotted the cake and tunic. "Oh!"
"Surprise!" the three of them yelled in unison. Henri whirled around, smiling beautifully.
"Oh thank you! I love the tunic, and the cake looks amazing!" He giggled "Oh just wait until you meet him!" The three of them looked at each other in awe.
"Him?" Marissa asked
"You've met someone?" Sarah asked eyes wide in awe.
"Yes, my handsome dream prince!" Henri giggled, before grabbing the broom and dancing with it. He hummed a little tune, smiling dreamily.
"This can't be!" Sarah said, stopping Henri in his tracks.
"You're not happy for me?" He asked in surprise.
"You are already engaged." Marissa said sadly "To Prince Carter." Henri looked at her skeptically.
"Nonsense, how can I be engaged to a Prince?" He asked "That would make me a prince!"
"You are, Prince Henri." Marissa said. "Tonight you are going back to your parents King Lionel and Queen Elana." After that, Iris' heart broke at Henri's sad face.
"No! He's coming here tonight to meet me!" He said, tears leaking down his face.
"I'm sorry Henri, but you can never see that boy again." Sarah tried to speak gently, but it was no use.
"No! This is the worst day of my life!" Henri sobbed, running upstairs to his room. In the flurry of tears, no one noticed the vulture leaving the tree outside, heading to its mistress's home. Iris sat down at the table, putting her head into her hands.
"And we thought he would be so happy at the news." She said sadly.
~With King Lionel and King Steven~
"So you understand why a joining of our lands would be very useful to defeat Lilit?" Steven asked "I am sorry I was so harsh all those years ago, but if we joined our lands, our armies would be able to defeat her armies, and maybe put an end to her evil once and for all. And after that, we can have the marriage annulled." Lionel nodded, staring out at the setting sun anxiously. There was an hour left until the sun went down, and even though all of the swords in the kingdom were locked away, his fears were still strong. A lot could happen in an hour.
"Yes, if that's what the children want, the marriage could be annulled, but you never know. As long as Henri and Carter are happy, I could care less." Lionel spoke softly, smoothing red hair back from his face. Steven looked at him, wondering.
"You don't have to be worried you know. I'm sure Henri will be fine." Steven spoke softly. "The fairies will take good care of him."
"After seventeen years, an hour still seems like forever." Lionel whispered "In the course of an hour, my son was cursed to die. I can't relax until he is here with me."
"Now announcing, Prince Carter!" One of the guards called out.
"Finally!" Steven said "I'm glad he isn't late." Then he excused himself to meet his son.
By the time he got downstairs, he noticed the odd looks the staff was giving Carter, and frankly he could understood, seeing as his son was dancing in circles, humming a happy tune. Carter was a very serious boy he did not sing or dance, and especially not in front of people.
"Carter are you alright son?" He asked, placing a hand on his elated sons shoulder. Carter turned to look at him, smiling widely
"Yes, I'm more than fine." He said dreamily
"Then go get changed. You can't see your future husband dressed like that." Steven pushed his son in the direction of his guest room.
"I did meet him father." He said with a smile.
"You did?" Steven asked, bewildered "Where?"
"In the woods," Carter responded
"That's odd, Prince Henri, in the woods."
"Father I never said it was Henri." Carter responded seriously.
"Yes you did you said-" Steven started confused.
"I said I met my future husband, not Prince Henri." Carter said, thinking deeply as he spoke "I don't know who he was, maybe a peasant boy."
"A peasant?" Steven asked, eyes wide "No, Carter you can't marry a peasant, you are marrying Henri!"
"Oh Father, no, I'm not. Carter said, before glancing at the setting sun. "I have to go! I promised to meet him!" Then his son was gone, racing down the stairs in a hurry. Steven stood there, wondering what to tell Lionel.
~With Henri~
He stood in a room he didn't want to be in, in a castle he didn't want to be his. The room was beautiful but it sounded the end of his dreams about his handsome prince Charming, whose name he didn't know. Sarah placed a gold crown on his head and the dam holding back his tears broke. He put his beautiful face into his hands, sobbing loudly. The crown fell off and fell to the floor with a loud clang. Sarah pulled the other two away to give him some time alone. He kicked the gold crown in his anger, denting it. He threw himself on the bed, only to feel something hard beneath him. He sat up to see the glistening sword lying on his bed in a beautiful scabbard. Henri picked it up, examining it curiously. Slowly, he slid it out of the scabbard. It was sharp, and he could see his reflection in it.
Something in the back of his mind prickled at the sight of the sharp blade, glinting in the light of the setting sun. He turned it in his hands, looking at it. He had never used a sword before he wondered what it was like. He stood with it, crossing to the window. Below stretched his kingdom, a place he had never seen outside of the woods. Henri lifted the sword to the window shining the reflection onto a guard he saw standing outside. The man looked up, seeming horrified after he spotted him.
~With the guard~
When he spotted Prince Henri, he knew it was him right away. He would have been happy except for the sword he held.
"Captain!" He called "Prince Henri is here, and he has a sword!" The captain spun around looking at the sun, beginning to sink below the horizon.
"Quick, go get it from him! Hurry! There is at least 5 minutes before the sun sets!" The captain called to him. He nodded and dashed up the stairs, right past King Lionel and Queen Elana.
"What's wrong?" King Lionel asked.
"Henri has a sword in his room!" He called over his shoulder as he ran up the stairs. Lionel looked past him, face white.
"No!" Elana cried "Henri!" She and Lionel raced up the stairs. Meanwhile in Henri's room, he held the sword next to his palm, turning it as it glistened in the sunlight. Someone was pounding on the door and he jumped, slicing open his palm.
"Come in!" He called. A guard came in, looking relieved. Henri recognized him as the man he was shining the reflection on.
"Thank god you're alright!" A woman who seemed familiar ran in, hugging him. Perhaps she hugged him too tightly because the room started to spin. Henri lifted his hand up to pat her on the back, and it left a line on the back of her dress from his cut hand.
"I'm sorry I got blood on your dress." He apologized as the room swam. The woman looked up, face white with fear.
"Blood? What happened?" She asked softly. He held up his hand to show her, sitting down on the bed from dizziness.
"I cut my hand on this sword." He said gently, confused at the heart-broken look on her face.
"Oh no! Do you feel dizzy?" She asked "Sleepy?" Why is everyone so worried? I won't die form a little cut. Henri thought.
"A little why?" Henri asked "I… I feel... fine." Then the world went black and he fell asleep on the bed, falling backwards. Lionel came in looking at his sobbing wife and sleeping son as the sun set. He went to her and held her tight, crying with her. They were so close, why didn't someone stay with him? Why didn't the fairies tell him about the curse? So many questions and his son was asleep, for God knew how long. All light in their lives seemed lost.
~With Carter~
He rode through the woods, heading straight for the sweet little cottage he saw. It was perfect for that sweet boy. He climbed off of his horse and walked up to the front door. Taking a deep breath, he knocked before a voice called him in. The lights were off, strangely enough. When he entered, he was attacked by several goblins. He struggled to throw them off with no use. In a few angry minutes he was on the floor, tied and gagged. Above him stood Lilit, he had seen her face before.
"Look at this, I set a trap for a peasant and I catch myself a prince!" She cackled. "Bring him to the mountain I have special plans for him." Carter struggled the entire way out the door, kicking and writhing. Lilit laughed, it seems her plans were coming to fruition.
~With King Lionel and the Fairies~
"I can't believe it." Iris whispered "After all that."
"And on top of that, Carter is refusing to marry Henri." Steven said, "He met some peasant boy in the woods and now-"
"Peasant boy?!" the fairies said in unison
"He met him in our woods?" Marissa asked
"Why yes, he did." Steven said confused, "He's going to meet him now."
"Henri!" Sarah said "Oh no!"
"Henri told us he met someone in the woods today, and he was coming to the glen tonight!" Iris said "It must be Carter, which means he can awaken Henri!" Lionel brightened up, whirling to look at them.
"That's wonderful!" Elana smiled "All we have to do is go get Carter!"
"But Lilit might know all of this, so we have to hurry!" Marissa said "Let's go girls!" The three of them flew out the window, large wings unfolding. Iris glanced back at Henri, lying asleep and flew faster. They had to find Carter, and before Lilit did.
~With Lilit~
Lilit walked down the stairs to the damp dungeon, smiling to herself. When the door opened she saw Prince Carter, chained to the wall.
"Enjoying your stay, Prince Carter?" She asked "I hope you are, because you will be here for a very long time." She had already told him all about Henri, and the fact that he could never save him. Carter sat there, glaring at her. "Keep watch on him." She said to one of the goblins. It nodded. She left to join the celebrations.
"Pity, you can't save your true love." One of the goblins teased "What a horrible Prince Charming. Poor Henri must be waiting for you to never come!" Carter lunged at him, pulling at the chains. The group laughed at him as he pulled on the chains. "You can't break those chains fool!" Anger flowed through him, along with adrenaline. He pulled harder and one of the chains popped out of the wall, ripping out chunks of stone. The entire group fell silent, watching him with large eyes. The other set of chains pulled out of the wall and he stood, pulling the gag out of his mouth. Bending down, he picked up one of the goblins. He only had one question. And his eyes flashed when he asked it.
"Where is Henri?" He asked, in a soft dangerous voice. The goblin grabbed his hand, not answering. He tightened his grip on its throat, leaning in closer. "Where. Is. He?" He asked
"King Lionel's castle." It gasped, choking for air. He slammed it into the wall, knocking it unconscious. 5 minutes later the entire group was chained on the floor and Carter stalked out of the cell, rubbing one wrist as he kicked the door shut behind him. The three fairies came down the stairs, stopping in their tracks when they saw him.
"Told you he would be fine!" a fairy in blue said to the other 2. He walked right past them, grabbing a sword from one of the guards, before smashing his head into the wall, sending him crumpling to the floor. He walked out into the courtyard of the black castle, pushed a goblin off of his horse and climbed on. The three fairies watched him defeat the goblins in the courtyard and ride off towards Lionel's castle. Iris shrugged before flying after him, smiling at the other 2.
"He certainly is a Prince Charming, but so serious, I'm surprised Henri fell for him." Sarah commented as they watched him ride into the distance.
"Well, he doesn't waste a word does he?" Marissa asked. Carter could hear them babbling, but he didn't really care for their gossip. All he cared about was saving Henri. When thorns erupted from the ground around Lionel's castle, Carter got off of his horse, not wanting it to get stuck full of thorns. He began to hack away at the thorns surrounding him. He knew Lilit had done this, but he was getting to Henri, whether or not she liked it.
From atop her tower, Lilit saw Carter leave the forest of thorns, looking up at the inhabitants of the castle, terrified by the forest of thorns. She appeared in front of him, raging and screaming.
"Now you face me!" She screamed. Carter looked completely unfazed, holding his sword up in front of her as a warning.
"I will get to Henri, even if I have to kill you a thousand times over." He spoke seriously, face conveying no emotion "We may not have known each other long, but he makes me feel things I haven't felt in a long time." Lilit cackled, changing into the form of a dragon. Carter fought her, spinning and parrying her claws, dodging the flames. He could never get close enough to strike. When flames caught his side he whirled over, sword crashing to the floor beside him. She loomed over him, eyes wide with triumph. Grasping his side in pain, he looked up at her.
"Now you DIE!" She screamed rearing up to stare down at him. As she did so, Carter grabbed his sword and stabbed her, sinking the sword deep into her stomach. "No!" Lilit changed back into her human from, clutching her bloody side. Carter punched her, hard and she fell unconscious to the ground. He stepped over her and ran into the castle, up the stairs. As he ran up the stairs the guards pointed him in the right direction. When he came to Henri's room, his father and the others filed out. Lionel shut the door and Elana hugged him happily.
There was his sweet Henri, lying there. His lips were still a soft pink, and even in cursed sleep, he was beautiful. Carter lifted him up into his arms, gently tracing his fingers over Henri's face. Slowly, he leaned forward, kissing Henri on the lips. Pulling back from the sweet kiss, he looked down at his Henri again. His big brown eyes fluttered open, and he gasped seeing Carter. Carter was so happy he leaned down and kissed him again.
"Wait! We can't!" Henri protested, pushing at his chest weakly barely pulling away. Carter's lips were lightly brushing his, and he could barely focus, seeing as he just woke up.
"Why not?" Carter whispered, smiling at Henri blushing as their lips brushed with every word. Henri looked up at him, eyes tearing up. Carter looked confused.
"I'm engaged to Prince Carter." He said, a single tear rolling down his face. Carter gently wiped the tear away.
"I never told you my name." Carter smiled as he brought Henri close. "My name is Prince Carter." Henri looked up at him, eyes wide with happy surprise. He smiled, before grabbing Carter by the back of his head and kissing him again. The door opened and Lionel and Elana came in, all smiles. Henri and Carter broke apart, smiling at each other dreamily.
"I suppose there was never a problem with the wedding after all!" Lionel said, smiling at Henri and Carter. Steven nodded, happy that his son was happy. "When do you to want to be wed? Be reasonable of course, we haven't seen Henri in 17 years."
"2 weeks?" Carter asked, staring into Henri's eyes. Henri smiled, cuddling closer to him "Would that make you happy?" Henri nodded, leaning his head on Carter's shoulder.
"Of course not!" Lionel said "We need at least a month to get the wedding ready, and we haven't seen Henri in-"
"Can you wait a month my sweet?" Carter asked Henri, who shyly nodded.
"I do want to spend some time at home." Henri said, to his parent's relief "Maybe 3 months?"
"3?" Elana asked "You better visit every week young man!" Henri giggled, wiggling out of Carter's arms to hug his parents. Carter stared at him, smiling gently. "I missed you, my sweet Henri." Elana whispered into her son's hair. Lionel hugged him as well and Henri felt at home.
"I missed you too." He whispered, closing his eyes in drinking in the warmth of his parents. He truly felt at home now.
~3 months later~
Carter ran out of the church with Henri, smiling at the lack of crowd. People may not have been happy about the fact that they were getting married, but he didn't really care what they thought. Henri looked a little sad at the small gathering off people, but he swept him off of his feet into the air, making him laugh. Over the 3 months they had spent together, they had gotten even closer than ever. And if it was possible, they had fallen even more in love.
"Carter!" Henri shrieked and giggled "Put me down!" Carter shook his head, before depositing Henri in the carriage with a soft thump. He jumped in as well, shutting the door.
"I love you." He whispered to Henri. Henri smiled, waving out the window to the small crowd and their families.
"I love you to Carter." He whispered, wrapping his arms around him. Carter hummed a soft happy tune they both knew well as they rode into the future, and hopefully towards a happily ever after.