NOVEL NEXT Chapter 235: Together [end of main story]
Wedding!! the Rosewood residents thought, their eyes growing hot. They grilled the Rosewood heralds, but the heralds didn’t know much more about the wedding aside from the fact that it was going to be biggest wedding of the century. The heralds could only explain, in very thorough detail, how Prince Rian proposed to Marquis Rosewood.
“Forget it, forget it, Marquis Rosewood will be back for the harvest festival. We’ll ask him then!”
“You dare?”
“I’ll ask my nephew’s wife’s sister to ask! Don’t you worry!”
Over the coming days, the news continued to spread, and people’s world views continued to be shaken. It was as though the world had changed overnight.
A prince, the crown prince of Sedaveria, had proposed to a male marquis of Sedaveria—yes, that marquis who had recently been promoted from earl and had been the topic of many past gossip sessions!
People thought back to when they had seen or met Prince Rian or Marquis Rosewood. Aside from their many peculiarities (i.e., their unusually strong work ethic), weren’t they quite normal?
The matter was discussed all over Sedaveria and the neighbouring kingdoms. Everything people knew about Crown Prince Rian and Marquis Rosewood was pulled out and re-examined. Their friendship was legendary. The two of them have worked together for many years. Exactly when did they fall in love?
People who once argued about who Marquis Rosewood was in love with now argued about when he fell in love with Crown Prince Rian.
Some people took out their old, long forgotten Rosewood booklets on gay people and read them properly this time. (Some took out their erotic male/male novels and read them again too.)
Some people had their own secret thoughts. If Crown Prince Rian and Marquis Rosewood could love a man, then maybe, they could imagine doing so too…
Some people discussed Prince Rian’s proposal. The proposal, from all angles, was very romantic and earnest. It wasn’t a political proposal, but a love proposal. The words he said, the music and petals he conjured, and the very expensive looking ring that he presented were all highly inspirational.
However, even though it wasn’t a political marriage arrangement, it had political impacts. It meant that Prince Rian and Marquis Rosewood would be working together for the foreseeable future, even more closely than they had before (if that was possible). There was increased interest in the Rosewood fief—this could be what Marquis Rosewood would force upon other fiefs.
As for the nobles who didn’t like Prince Rian and Marquis Rosewood, they continued to dislike them. Duke Blewitt formed his own little group of people who felt that Prince Rian was too unorthodox and extreme and not suitable to be crown prince. However, since Duke Blewitt supported the Royal Family, Prince Alexius was the only other option.
Duke Blewitt summoned Prince Alexius for a meeting.
“I have reviewed your work and studies. You need to study harder,” Duke Blewitt said coldly.
Prince Alexius glanced at him lightly. “Oh,” he said.
“You’re not a mere nobleman,” Duke Blewitt said, angry at Alexius’s perfunctory attitude. “You are a prince. Even though you’re not the eldest, you must still strive to be the best prince!”
“I’m already the best prince,” Prince Alexius said.
Duke Blewitt glared.
“—In certain areas,” Prince Alexius reluctantly admitted.
“Now that Crown Prince Rian has become engaged to a man—”
Prince Alexius blinked. “Oh, you mean my future big-brother-in-law?” He brightened. “Hm, I can’t wait until Ayden is my proper brother.”
Duke Blewitt felt choked. He tried to convince Prince Alexius to do more things, to train harder and study harder, but Prince Alexius acted dumb.
Next, Duke Blewitt demanded a meeting with Crown Prince Rian.
Prince Rian smiled faintly and inclined his head. “Your Grace, what can I do for you today? Please speak plainly.”
Duke Blewitt snorted. “Then you know that your actions have caused a major backlash and fractured the people’s support for you.”
“I believe that the benefits outweigh the losses,” Prince Rian said. “If certain people no longer want to work with either myself or Marquis Rosewood, then we’ll make a lot of money with others instead.”
Duke Blewitt: “…”
“Or, are you jealous that I like Ayden and that Ayden likes me?”
Duke Blewitt spluttered. “I’m older than your father!”
“Oh, you’re frustrated that you didn’t think of becoming the consort of my Imperial father or my late Imperial grandfather?” Prince Rian said ‘innocently’.
Duke Blewitt felt dizzy with anger. “Impudent!” He couldn’t stand Prince Rian any longer.
Finally, Duke Blewitt met with Queen Mira, who was his niece.
“I assume you’re here to express your disapproval of Marquis Rosewood,” Queen Mira said calmly.
“Let’s not speak in riddles,” Duke Blewitt said with a snort.
“I have already begun training him to fill my role in the future,” Queen Mira said.
Duke Blewitt’s eyes widened. “Pardon?”
“Marquis Rosewood has demonstrated the best management skills out of his generation, aside from Rian himself. Why, in six years, he has made the Rosewood fief more productive than the Blewitt fief.”
Duke Blewitt was hit where it hurt. Damn it! What secret spell had Marquis Rosewood cast on the Imperial family?? Why had they all become so infuriating to talk to and impossible to reason with???
Opposition was nothing in Rian’s eyes. Why care about insignificant people? Meanwhile, Ren Xiyang cared even less about dissenters—there were so many more important things to do.
Eventually, as the days passed, life returned to normal. People started to become desensitised to seeing a gently smiling Crown Prince Rian holding hands with a deadpan-faced Marquis Rosewood. The big news was replaced with other news (such as the fact that Marquis Rosewood wanted to open his own university!).
Renovations at Rian’s Palace quarters (adding an extra desk, wardrobe, bookshelves, a new Rosewood-style shower, potted plants, landscape and food paintings and so forth) completed quickly. Ren Xiyang and Rian alternated between staying there and at the Rosewood house.
In the morning, if Ren Xiyang woke up first, then he could get up without delay, thus forcing Rian up. If Rian woke first, then he would softly gaze at Ren Xiyang until Ren Xiyang woke up due to the feeling of being stared at. They exercised or practised magical or physical combat, sometimes by themselves, and often times with others (such as the Royal Guards, visiting mages, and Alexius). Ren Xiyang would tend to his plants if they were at the Rosewood house, while Rian took his time getting bathed and dressed with the help of Gary. They had breakfast. And then, they prepared for and started work.
Ren Xiyang worked on several projects, from establishing the new mushroom production facility with Florence and Hespera, to expanding the national food charity and providing design input into the development of the maglev trains
However, his biggest focus was the reference healing clinic. The clinic’s funding agreements had to be re-negotiated because Queen Mira suddenly decided to contribute some money and elevate it to an official government-affiliated entity. Ren Xiyang had to hire another administrator to handle the additional paperwork.
It was great when he finally signed off the new agreements and handed the day-to-day management to others.
Rian was also busy, happily so. After he sent off hundreds of engagement party invitations, there was the engagement party organisation itself. It couldn’t be too good, lest it overshadowed the wedding. But it couldn’t be bad either.
Oh, Rian sighed to himself. The engagement party invite list was already so long. The wedding invitation list was going to be even longer. There was no space big and beautiful enough. Perhaps he needed to build a big event venue himself…
Rian was also monitoring the gossip and news, hiring mages to work on weather forecasting, starting the small-scale census trials in the fiefs that had agreed, working in the same office as Ren Xiyang, and making sure to hold Ren Xiyang’s hand whenever possible.
His friendship with Ren Xiyang was well known. He wanted his relationship with Ren Xiyang to be legendary.
Thinking back to their goals at that fateful re-beginning, they had achieved that and more.
The kingdom was more prosperous than ever, and the Rosewood fief especially so. The plague-curse and its creators were eliminated.
While life would no doubt bring unexpected events in the future, Rian and Ren Xiyang had many systems in place to reduce their harm, from Rian’s hardworking secret agents to the increased production and storage of food and the network of healers across the kingdom.
Rian’s eyes traced Ren Xiyang’s handsome working face. He smiled when Ren Xiyang glanced at him.
Everything was falling into place.
A few weeks later, before the mid-autumn harvest festival, Ren Xiyang and Rian came to the Rosewood fief.
The fields were either full of heavy golden grains ready to be harvested, or empty as they had already been harvested.
Crop processing factories were running all day and night. Jars, vats, silos and warehouses were being filled.
Other produce like vegetables and fruit were being picked and placed in cold storage, dried, pickled, made into jams, or otherwise preserved.
New buildings were being constructed all over the fief, and there were numerous travellers on the road.
The towns and villages in the fief were bustling with activity, but the people still had time to line the roads and streets when the Rosewood convoy floated in.
“Welcome back, Marquis Rosewood!”
“All hail His Highness!”
“Marry me, Marquis Rosewood!!”
At the Rosewood manor, all the staff who weren’t crucially needed elsewhere were waiting outside.
Mrs Cooks was very happy that Prince Rian had done the responsible thing and told the world about his relationship with Ayden, so her attitude towards Prince Rian was warmer than before.
“In the future, will Ayden live permanently at the Imperial Palace?” Mrs Cooks asked.
Rian smiled fondly at Ren Xiyang. “No, he will travel back to the Rosewood fief regularly.”
Mrs Cooks felt even more favourable towards Prince Rian. “Come in and refresh yourselves. Tonight, there will be a dinner with all your favourite foods!” When she said ‘favourite foods’, she looked at both Ren Xiyang and Rian.
Ren Xiyang’s lips quirked in amusement, while Rian inclined his head in appreciation.
That night, Mrs Cooks hosted a feast to celebrate the engagement of Marquis Rosewood and Crown Prince Rian. Mrs Cooks sat next to Ren Xiyang—all the better to ask him lots of questions that she and many other staff members had been dying to know. Ren Xiyang had to defer wedding-related questions to Rian. Rian’s description of a grand wedding, befitting the beloved Marquis Rosewood, gained him more approval from the Rosewood staff.
Ren Xiyang and Rian slept in and spent most of the following day relaxing. Together, hand-in-hand, they strolled around the Rosewood grounds and greenhouses.
“Look, there’s the place where I first saw you,” Rian pointed out.
“Hm, and there’s the place where I first made you work,” Ren Xiyang pointed out.
“Oh, the rose garden, that’s where we had our first date,” Rian said with a laugh.
“You gave me gold for the first time,” Ren Xiyang remembered nostalgically.
The Royal Guards walking behind them were numb.
When the afternoon came, Rian became visibly more excited. They were going to attend the festival with their real identities!
In contrast, the Royal Guards were becoming more stressed. Although this meant that they could come along as well to guard His Highness and his partner, it was also riskier!
And since Ren Xiyang was going, this meant that many Rosewood staff were also going, as well as Alexius and his friends who had just arrived.
“Don’t worry, Marquis Rosewood and I can handle matters,” Rian told the guards.
However, the guards still worried.
Ren Xiyang thought, Perhaps we should go incognito—
No, Rian replied.
And so, an hour later, a large group of people arrived at Redmond town.
Warm late afternoon light slanted through the town. Colourful bunting, fluttering ribbons and glowing paper lanterns hung along and over the streets and roads. At some stalls, there were paper lanterns in the shape of pumpkins, while some other stalls had lit carved-out pumpkins. Big trees had tiny fairy lights strung up.
The town was full of chatter. Families, couples, and friends strolled on the streets. Music and the mouthwatering scent of food wafted through the air.
Rian held Ren Xiyang’s hand, forming the most handsome couple in the festival. Their clothes were a couple set, with the same patterns and alternating colours.
Unfortunately, a very chatty Alexius walked by Ren Xiyang’s other side. “Wow, that looks so cool! Ohh, that looks tasty, let’s try some!”
“Alright,” Ren Xiyang said.
Rian: “…” Arg, they should have gone incognito!
Alas, it was too late now. Rian was pulled by Ren Xiyang to the enticing doughnut stall, featuring plump round doughnuts filled with jam, chocolate, pumpkin, salted egg and so forth. There were hand-sized ones and miniature ones, very cute. A big vat of oil was cooking several more.
The two stall owners—a wife and husband pair—froze when they realised what was happening.
“We’d like one set of everything, the small and the big ones,” Ren Xiyang said, after considering the size of their group.
“A-a-a—” the man said.
“Earl—Marquis! Marquis Rosewood,” the woman said.
This wouldn’t be the only set of stunned stall owners tonight.
Rian beckoned a handy Royal Guard over, who silently produced several silver coins to pay.
“Right away, my Lord!” the man said. The two stall owners slowly got to work, sped up, and then glanced at the big group again in a daze, before continuing to pack all the orders into paper bags.
Alexius licked his lips. “I want the big chocolate one,” he said.
Rian and Ren Xiyang decided to share. After they ate half, they fed the rest to the other.
“Indirect kiss,” Rian murmured.
A background Royal Guard offered a handkerchief so that Rian and Ren Xiyang could wipe their hands and mouths.
Rian leaned into Ren Xiyang.
Ren Xiyang looked over and was gifted by a light kiss on his lips. Ren Xiyang’s eyes softened.
Rian pulled back and smirked, which made Ren Xiyang roll his eyes.
“What do you want to do next?” Ren Xiyang asked.
“Many things,” Rian said meaningfully.
Ren Xiyang looked at the bustling streets in front of them.
The zombie apocalypse was far behind him. His dysphoria was far behind him. Tonight, he had no worries. He could feel the many years that stretched ahead of them.
Yes, there were many things for them to do, together.
🌟END OF MAIN STORY🌟
Farming ✅✅
Fief-building✅✅✅✅
BL✅✅✅✅✅✅
There will be an estimated 10-20 chapters of extras, so this is not the end end!
There won’t be a chapter on Wednesday (as I take a break + plan the extras as to be requested by the winners of the 2-year anniversary event). Now, onward to the announcements!
Firstly, one final entry from Rae! 💞
2-year anniversary event
There were 11 entries in total, from Nitsuga, Eliana, 𓆝Goldfish𓆝 (x2), toutcequonveut, Eignsweign, Murk (x2), itsjidan, dreaming, and Rae. After running the number generator twice, the two winning numbers were 5 and 6, corresponding to toutcequonveut and Eignsweign! Congratulations!!!
(Wow, I didn’t expect two consecutive numbers! Such is randomness 😆)
toutcequonveut and Eignsweign, I will be in contact~ Prepare your extra chapter/scene of choice!
Thank you so much to everyone who participated.
AND thank you so much to everyone who drew or wrote something before the event happened (CC, Stairs, Ezra, LinXueLian, seleneandartemis, Killokii, _stairswell, august finnitesimal, Klin_2_0, whoislikeaparadox, Kno, mii-ruku, Anti-Re, NiNi/Nitsuga)!!!
Also, thank you for everyone’s comments and suggestions, many of which have made their way into the story 🥰!
Onwards to the extras~ See you on Sunday!
P.S. I’ll be talking at the BL Palace Banquet on Saturday, 3rd August. Details here.
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