Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 10:35:38 -0700 (PDT) From: David Higginbotham <thefuturecanadian@yahoo.ca> Subject: Paradise - Chapters 8 and 9 Paradise -- Chapters 8 and 9 Usual disclaimer applies. So I'm sorry the delay in posting this installment. I've had some things going on that have kept me from being able to sit down, reconcile the edits and suggested changes from my editors, and get it all together. Since it has been so long, I wanted to go ahead and include Chapter 9 in the publication...as I way of saying thank you for the patience. The plan is that, in a couple of weeks, I'm going to put 10 and 11 up at the same time as well. Anyway...I hope that this posting finds you all well. If you have any questions please email me on thefuturecanadian@yahoo.CA (note that it's CA and not COM). Also, if you'd like, please join my yahoo group. I update it at the same time as I send posts to nifty, so you're likely to get to the stories faster. Also...all my previous stories are posted there, as well as a `proto chapter' for a story that I'm working on. The address is http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/futurecanadiansgroup . All you have to do is join and it's all right there for ya! Anyway. Happy reading. Let me know of any questions or comments! David :) Paradise Chapter 8 "Destiny" JD found himself, in the days after his mother told him that he would become the next King of Morovia, in almost constant thought. For days, he didn't sleep well, if at all. Not even being next to Tyler could bring him peace; having sex with the man he loved was a futile attempt to bring him relief for the suffering going on in his mind. He continued to go to work every morning, but he found himself delegating most of his responsibilities to others. When asked what was going on, he just responded that he couldn't talk about it. Most people just left it at that. On the night of the Fourth of August, a Monday that should have been like most other Mondays, JD closed the gym at eight, as normal. As he left a little while later, he found himself just driving in circles. He drove through neighborhoods where friends from high school and college used to live. He drove past places that were intimately familiar, but they made him that much more despondent. He made his way home after about an hour. Walking into the apartment, he found Tyler sitting on the floor at the coffee table, studying. He grabbed two beers and walked into the living room. Sitting on the couch, he reached down and kissed the top of Tyler's head. For once, he wasn't wearing a cap. "Did you have a better day today?" Tyler asked. "It was OK," JD answered. It had become standard to just answer the question and not elaborate on what was good or bad about it. "Just OK?" Tyler asked. "It's better now," JD said as a smile came across Tyler's face. "Why is that?" Tyler asked. "Because it's just me and you sitting in the condo," JD answered. "So what are you studying?" "Eo estudio el moroviano," Tyler answered in Morovian. JD smiled as Tyler spoke the words in his mother's native language. It would be obvious to a native speaker that he'd learned the language as a second one, but it was so cute the way he pronounced the words with a Southern accent. (I'm studying Morovian.) JD put his hand on Tyler's head and run his fingers through the brown hair. Even though he'd gone all day without washing it, it was still soft. "You know that's making me horny as hit, right?" Tyler responded after only a few seconds of JD massaging his head. "Really?" JD continued. "Yeah," Tyler said, "but we need to talk before anything happens tonight." "Uh oh..." JD said. "Are you scared or something?" Tyler said as he turned himself so that he could look at JD. "The last time somebody said that...it didn't end nicely," JD answered. "I know that there is a lot going on in your world right now," Tyler started, "and as much as I love you, I can't watch you go on any more without saying some things to you." "Are you dumping me?" "JD," Tyler looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "I'm not dumping you. I wouldn't have used the `L' word if I were about to dump you." "OK..." JD responded. "JD... The reason why I love you so much is for the person that you are. You are so incredibly sex. You have great hair; your eyes are a perfect color; your nose is cute; your lips were...very kissable. Your chest, your arms, your abs, they're all perfect. You have gorgeous toes, great, powerful legs. And your dick...let's just say that that's my FAVORITE muscle on your body. It's HUGE, and you know how to use it. In fact, I think that I should start calling it the battleship or something like that." JD giggled a little bit. A little smile came to his face. Even though it was little, it meant something. "And that's just on the surface. You are one of the smartest people that I've ever met. You speak three languages; you know how to help people get healthy; you're well read. You are, quite possibly, the nicest man on the planet. You don't know any strangers; you'd give somebody the shirt off your back if they needed it." Tyler moved from the floor to the sofa so that he could sit beside JD, to look into his eyes as he redoubled his efforts to rebuild this man who felt like he was shattering with every millisecond that passed. "Take for example," Tyler continued, "that first night that we went to the Morovian restaurant. That waitress was so new, and you put her at ease in a second, and it was all just by being yourself. You're not just strong of body, but also of mind and character. Look at all that was going on with my brother a few weeks ago. When he stepped to you, you didn't let him push you around. When he left, where were you?" "Inside..." JD answered. "What were you doing?" Tyler asked. "Holding you..." JD responded. "You weren't just holding me, JD. You were being my rock. You put aside any animosity that you felt toward him, any anger that he'd created in you, to make sure that I was alright." JD looked away from him for a second. "Look at me," Tyler added to bring JD's attention back to him instead of all that was bringing him down in his mind. "That's what I was supposed to be doing...at least in my mind," JD responded. "JD. That's bullshit. You care about everyone you meet. If it were my mom, you would have done the same thing...or Ronnie...or Dad...Lindsay...Jen...the man that I saw earlier walking down the beach in a Speedo that...really shouldn't have been wearing a Speedo, but that's a story for later!" Tyler went on. "JD. It's all these things and so much more that I can't even describe with words that make me love you. And if I can love you, with everything that has gone on around me, then I know that every...single...Morovian... will adore you. I will admit that I know nothing about politics. Frankly, it bores me a little, but that doesn't matter. As long as you do your best, and you do, in your heart, what you think is right, then you will be a great King. And when it comes down to it," Tyler said with an evil little grin on his face, "I will enjoy being one of your subjects." JD laughed. "You realize that you might have to give me one of these little pep talks every single morning for a while." "No. I won't. Because I have an idea on how to teach you to believe it yourself...and quickly," Tyler said. "Oh God! What's that?" JD asked. "I'm not gonna put out for a while," Tyler said. "Really?" a look of concern and pain came across JD's face. "I've gotten...kinda...used to it." "I know. I have, too. And trust me. This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you," Tyler said. "I guess it's me and you for a little while, Rosie," JD said, jokingly, looking at the palm of his right hand. "No. Rosie's on my side in this," Tyler argued. "JD. I love you so much, and I hate thinking that you're hurting in any way. Depriving yourself of something will help you think about the things that I've said. Once you do that, you will deal with them. Once you deal with them, you will believe them. Once you believe them, you will be able to enjoy sex again, instead of just using it as a crutch to temporarily numb yourself." "That makes sense," JD agreed. Tyler moved in close to him for a moment and gently kissed his neck. "I, on the other hand," he added between kisses, "will be whacking it three times a day until we do it again." "Why do you get to, and I don't?" JD jokingly asked. "I'm exerting my dom-bottom essence on you, JD," Tyler said as he sat back down. "In fact, I think I'm going to right now," Tyler said as he reached into his pants and stroked himself a couple of times. He didn't intend to follow through with it; he just wanted JD to go crazy for a minute, as well as to realize that Tyler only wanted what was best for him. "Ugh!" JD proclaimed. "How are you going to know that I've accepted all of this?" "When you decide on your coronation name," Tyler answered. "You see. I've been doing some research. Of the last twenty monarchs of Morovia, your grandfather was the only one to use any of his given names. He took his great-grandfather's name, David." "What else have you learned?" JD asked. "Since the founding of Morovia, there have been fifty-one monarchs. Of those, forty-one have been male; ten have been female. Of the males, there have been twelve Davids, nine Luixs, five Joans...which I thought was weird, cause I was thinking Joan was a girls' name," Tyler started. "It's from the period of when the House of Navarre ruled," JD answered. "Joan is the Navarese version of John." "Well," Tyler smiled. "I know that now. But my point is that you have to choose a name that will guide your whole monarchy. You're not Prince, after all, you're A prince." "I could go with my grandfather's name," JD said. "That would be too easy, and you'd constantly be living in his shadows," Tyler responded. "Luix would be cool," JD added. "No. The last two kings named Luix went crazy." "How much have you been reading?" JD asked. "As much as I could find on Wikipedia," Tyler responded. "And why do I have to start with this?" JD asked. "Because the sooner you figure out what people are gonna call you, the sooner you can figure out what it is that you want to happen of the course of your reign, which could last fifty or sixty years," Tyler answered. "Give me a suggestion or something," JD begged. "Nope. You gotta come up with it on your own. And no cheating by talking to your mother, aunt, or cousin." "Jen's still fair game, though," JD joked. Tyler punched his leg. "Oww!!! I was just joking." "You better have been!" Tyler responded, following it with a deep yawn. "I'm so tired." "Me too," JD said. "I think I'm gonna go take a shower, jack off, and climb in bed," Tyler said as he stood. "You're not gonna help me think of a name?" JD asked. Tyler turned around and rubbed his hand along his furry midsection. The way his hand was moving, it gave JD a short glimpse to one of his favorite places on Tyler's body. "Nope," Tyler said, letting JD know that he was fully aware of what he was doing to JD. "And while I'm in the shower, if you touch yourself, I'm make you wait longer!" "Yes sir," JD smiled as Tyler did the same, turned, and walked into the bedroom. He thought about it as he took a sip of the beer that he'd brought for himself from the kitchen when he got home. Tyler was right about so many things, but JD was just too stubborn in that moment to admit that once he made that little decision, other things would fall into place. But the name was a big deal? How could be both pay homage to the monarchs before him while setting the tone that would carry through his entire reign? Then, in a moment, his mind stopped. Everything was moving around just stopped as he came up with it. He jumped up from the couch and walked through his bedroom into the bathroom. He pulled off his shirt and his shoes simultaneously before slipping out of his shorts and the jockstrap that he'd been wearing all day long. "What do you think you're doing?" Tyler asked as JD opened the door to the shower and climbed in with him. JD kissed his neck as the flow of the water pelted Tyler's chest. "I've got it." "You think it's gonna be this easy," Tyler said as he turned around and found himself wrapped up in JD's arms. "I'm not going to use another name from history. Where there was a David XII, there was a David I; where there was a Luix IX, there was Luix I." "So?" Tyler smiled. "If I'm going to the kind of king that you think I'm going to be, then I have to be comfortable in my name." "Right..." Tyler added as he looked into JD's eyes. "So why not just call myself King Joseph David? Juan Carlos did it in Spain when he was crowned, and he followed a brutal dictator." Tyler smiled as he reached up and kissed JD flatly on the lips. "Well, let me be the first to congratulate you, King JD," he said after their kiss broke. "That does kinda have a nice ring to it," JD added. "Now. Turn around!" JD winked as Tyler laughed. That night, they made love just as they did most every night, but this time, it was the way they'd always made love. It was powerful and sensual, just the way that both of them liked it. JD still didn't sleep well that night. After the glow of their orgasms wore off, the thoughts began anew. He woke at four that next morning, unable to go back to sleep. Quietly, he slipped from the bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. He emerged and watched as Tyler peacefully slept away in the bed. Rather than just dressing for work, though, he felt compelled to dress differently. In his closet, he pulled on a pair of boxers rather than a jockstrap. He went for a pair of shorts, but it wasn't what he wanted. It wasn't what he felt like he should be wearing on the first day after accepting the fact that was his...destiny. He pulled out a grey suit that had been in the dry cleaner's bag since he'd last worn it, months before. He pulled it on to find that it still fit, relatively well. As he buttoned a white shirt, Tyler woke and came into the closet. "Morning," JD said with a smile on his face. "Good morning to you, sir," Tyler said. "You're gonna look all fancy today?" "I was thinking about it," JD answered. "How do I look?" "I think, JD, that you're going to cause me to develop a fetish for guys in suits." "Oh yeah?" JD grinned. "Yeah," Tyler said. "Last night was amazing, by the way." "You rocked, baby," JD responded. "We both rocked," Tyler grinned. "Thank you," JD said as he stuffed the shirt into his pants. "For?" "What you said," JD answered. "Well, it's what you needed to hear. And I personally cannot wait until we're in the Royal Apartment, lying on your bed, making sweet love." "At least we won't have neighbors who bang on the wall," JD noted as Tyler laughed. "That will be a perk," Tyler said. "So what are you going to do today?" "I'm going to go talk to my Dad, and then I'm going to the gym. Then I think that I'm going to come back here, pack a bag, and then take my man away for a few days, if he's up for it." "I have classes today, and then my only final on Thursday." "What class?" JD asked. "Morovian," Tyler said. "I could call your professor," JD said, "and tell her that I'm giving you an oral exam in Morovian." "And what would that consist of?" Tyler asked. "Something oral," JD smiled, wrapping a black belt around his waist. "Oh yeah?" Tyler stated. "Words like...tchupara and xodera..." JD said. "I already know those words." "But do you know all the...conjugations?" JD asked with a wink. "I'm sure I could figure them out," Tyler said as he scratched his chest and yawn. "Would you be offended if I went back to bed?" "Not at all," JD said as he took the coat off the hanger and carried it to the doorway. "Not if you'll let me kiss you first, though." "Um...OK," Tyler smiled. JD kissed him square on the lips. "I'll see you this afternoon?" JD asked. "You better believe it, you sexy motherfucker!" Tyler said as JD walked from the bedroom. After another second, JD was walking out of the apartment. After taking the elevator down to parking area, he climbed into the truck and headed away from his apartment. In the air at 5 a.m., there was always peace. He put the windows down and turned on the iPod. Luke Bryan's "It's Time to Take My Drunk Ass Home" came blaring through the speakers. It was a funny country song, uplifting to JD, in an odd way. As he drove through the virtually deserted streets of Paradise, it was like the whole place had taken on a completely different feel. When he was growing up, it was the coolest city in the world to live; in college and to just the few days before, it was his hometown. That morning, though, it was like he realized that home is where one makes it. Paradise had been a good home, but he was on his way to bigger, better places where all his talents and skills could be totally put the test. His truck, though, still knew exactly where he was going. It was as if it knew he was going to his parents' house, the home in which he'd lived most of his life, the home in which he'd experienced so many firsts: his first steps, his first solid foods, his first kiss. As he pulled into the drive, a single light from the kitchen was shining, signifying that at least one of them was up. Quietly, he parked the truck and walked up the front steps. He was all smiles as he thought about how he knew that they were going to take one look at him and ask what was wrong, all because he was wearing a suit and didn't have to be told to put one on as he had every single other time he'd worn one. "Morning," he said as he walked in to find his mother sitting in the living room, sipping a cup of coffee and watching the news. "What's wrong?" she asked after a second, much as JD's thoughts had predicted. "Nothing. I just thought that if I'm gonna be a King, I need to dress like one," JD answered. "Bi," his mother said with a smile. "You really do look very good in a suit. You should wear them more often." "Tyler was telling me that he is probably gonna develop a suit fetish," JD answered. Maxima snickered. "Did his plan work out?" she asked. "His plan?" "Yeah. About not putting out..." "You knew about that?" JD asked. "I know everything, JD. The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be!" she smiled. "It did." "So what did you decide?" she asked. "About the name?" "Yeah," Maxima answered his question. "I thought about it. I could take David, but then that would make it sound like I was JUST trying to live out grandpapa's reign. I thought about Luix, but Tyler pointed out that the last two went crazy." "What about Alfonso?" she asked. "Nope," he said. "So what?" "The way I figure it, Morovians need a fresh start. They need a clean slate; they need a King who can help them achieve that while encouraging national unity..." "Yeah," Maxima added. "So I have chosen to be crowned as King Joseph David," he answered. "That is great, kid," she said with a smile. "Oh Maxi..." Tom said from the bedroom, unaware of JD's presence. He held a single finger over her mouth. "I ready for the morning delight you promised." "Come and get it," Maxima joked. "Oh yeah," Tom said as he walked out of the bedroom. It wasn't even a second later that he was turning around, red faced with embarrassment, and walking back into their room to put on a robe. "You really should call if you're gonna just show up at the house," he said to JD as his child and his wife snickered. "Sorry about that, Dad. You know, I figured since you were getting on up there in years that you wouldn't be able to..." JD started. "Oh. His mind is going. His sex drive isn't!" Maxima informed him. "Thank you, my beautiful bride!" Tom said as he walked into the living room with his own mug of coffee. "Hurry up and tell me what you want, JD, cause I got stuff to do!" "Well. I'm going to be crowned as Joseph David." "So Tyler's idea worked..." Tom said as he looked at Maxima. "It did. I'm impressed!" Maxima said as the two snickered. "That's a great idea, though, JD. I think that from a psychological standpoint, that will be a very good thing for everyone concerned," Tom said. "Is that all you wanted?" "DAD!" "TOM!" Maxima added. "I'm just joking guys, jeez!" he said. "I'm going to give the keys to Sara today," JD said. "Hence the suit. So there's nothing wrong! Good!" Tom added. "And I think that would be a good idea. You need to take a few days off before the announcement is made. Does Tyler have any exams?" "Morovian." "Shit. Call the professor and tell them that you're gonna give him an oral exam or something," Tom said as JD laughed out loud. "I told him that I was going to do that this morning," JD said. "Oh! Have you talked to Dr. Owens?" "Not yet," JD said. "You should go talk to her about everything. Just make sure that she understands that she can't say ANYTHING until the official announcement is made," Maxima said. "I'll go talk to her this morning before I go to see Sara," JD said. "Good..." Tom said. "JD. We're both very proud of you, if that means anything," Maxima said as she patted his knee. "It does. I love you guys," JD said to his parents. "On that note, your mother's got something to take care of," Tom said as Maxima gave him a look. "I've got to hurry up with my day anyway. Tyler's got something to take care of, too," JD said as he stood with his parents. "I'm sorry for being here so early, by the way." "It's OK. I was up anyway," Maxima said. "And I was up...just not awake," Tom joked. "Jeez, Dad!" JD said as his parents laughed at him. After a round of quick hugs, JD was off again. It was as if no time passed from the time he left his parents to the time he arrived at the gym. It was still early, so there was little traffic on the road. The gym, though, was filled with people. Most of them were going about their own business, working with weights or on cardio equipment, as the case were. Remembering that Dr. Owens was rarely on campus before 11 in the morning, he decided that it might be best to go to the gym first. "Damn, JD," one of his male trainers said. "If I weren't into girls, I'd so do you right now." JD laughed. "Thanks man. I'll consider that a compliment!" JD said as he walked over to where the guy was standing with a few other people. "Is Sara here yet?" "Yeah. She's working with a client right now, though," he answered. "Will you go relieve her for a few minutes? Tell the person that she's with that I will give them three sessions for free to make up for the inconvenience." "Damn dude. Did you get laid last night or something? You're being awfully generous," the guy joked. "Yes, but there are more pressing things that I need to talk to Sara about right now," JD answered. "OK," Dustin said as he walked off. "How are y'all this morning?" "We're doing well," one of his employees answered. His name was Josh, and there were rumors around the gym that they had been together in the past. They were just rumors, though. "Hey JD," Sara said after a second. "What's wrong?" "Why do you think something's wrong?" "Uh...el traxe," she answered in Morovian. (The suit.) "Oh! Mama y Papa, los dos, dixeron lo mesmo," JD responded. (Mom and Dad said the same thing.) "So...que pasa?" she asked. (What's up?) "Vo necesito hablara de algo," JD responded. (I need to talk to you about something.) "Oficina?" she asked. (Office?) "Yeah," JD said as the two of them walked back to the office. "I hope she's not about to get fired," Josh said. "I'm sure she's not," another of the people standing in the lobby to whom JD had been talking responded as the sound of the office door shutting sort of reminded them that they should be doing something. "So...que pasa?" Sara asked, again. JD took a deep breath. "What I am about to tell you is a State Secret. That means that you can't say anything...talk about anything...even mention anything or give the impression that you know." "OK..." Sara said. "La monarquía se restorará." "Holy shit," she said. "Damn! And I can't tell my grandfather! I bet your Mom's excited, though, that she's gonna be queen!" "She's not gonna be queen," JD said. "Who? Your aunt? Please don't tell me that Zhola is gonna make herself queen?" Sara said. "No to both of those," JD answered as he leaned back, for quite possibly the very last time, in the leather chair he'd purchased with his own money for that tiny office with a shower off to the side. "Who?!?!" she asked. "You are looking at the future King Joseph David of Morovia," he said. "Holy shit!" she said, in almost a whispered tone that expressed her momentary disbelief. Almost as if it were reflex, she quickly stood from the chair and did a curtsy. "Shit...stop that," JD said as she pulled herself up. "You better get used to it!" she said as she sat back down. "When is this all supposed to happen?" "1 September," JD answered. "Before you go, will you approve my vacation request," she asked as she grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. "What dates?" "The week before 1 September and the week after," she wrote. "So I can take my grandpa back home for a few days." JD proudly took the piece of paper and put his initials on it, handing it back to her. "So this is the first autograph of the King of Morovia." "I suppose so," JD said. Sara started to cry. "I wish my parents were here to see this moment," she said. "Have you not heard from the Council of Reconciliation, yet?" JD asked. "Not yet," she said. "What are their names again?" "Carlota and Miguel Tenal," she answered. JD immediately picked up the phone and dialed an international number. Sara sat anxiously as she watched a man, a friend, her king, waiting on someone to answer the phone at the number that he'd called. "Consejo de Reconciliación," the woman answered. "Sí. Busco información su dos personas que eran condenado por el regimiento del Presidente Santiago," JD said. (I'm looking for information about two people convicted under the Santiago administration.) "Como se tchaman esas personas?" the lady asked in a professional voice. (What are their names?) "Carlota y Miguel Tenal, de Terraco," JD answered. "Y vo nombre?" she asked. (And your name?) "...Joseph Barrington," JD answered. "Oh! Señor. Dad-me unos minutos y encontraré esta información para vos. OK?" (Oh! Sir. Give me a few minutes, and I will find that information for you.) "Sí," JD answered as she placed him on hold. Sara sat in the chair, anxiously waiting the news that she needed to be able to travel back to their homeland. "Señor?" the lady came back after just a moment. "Sí." "First. Is it OK if I practice my English with you?" she asked. "Of course," JD said. "I'm going to put you on speaker phone," he added. "Speaker phone?" she asked. "Altavoz," JD answered. "OH! OK. That is OK," she said as JD put it on the speaker phone. "OK. Under that surname, I have five documents listed. Carlota Tenal was convicted and executed in 1990, a posthumous pardon has been issued. Miguel Tenal was convicted and given a life sentence. He is set to be released tomorrow from Cárcel Terraco Número 13, in the Cambrilis district." JD took Sara's hand as she cried. "Three other documents have been issued, for Olivia Pone de Tenal, Alfonso Tenal, and Sara Tenal. Do you need me to send you a fax with the pardon information?" she asked. "Yes please," JD said as he gave her the fax number to his office. "OK. Sir. If those are not in your fax machine in a few minutes, please call me back," she said as she gave him a phone number to call that would ring directly to her. As they were saying their goodbyes, the fax machine began to ring. In just a few minutes, the documents that they needed were blazing through the machine. "Oh God, JD," she said as she read it. "I don't know... I don't know what to say. Thank you, but that doesn't seem like enough." "When you and your grandpa go to Morovia," JD said, "have a great time." "Oh...that's a given," she said as she smiled. She stood from her seat and walked around the desk. She wrapped her arms around JD as he sat there. "You are already the best King in Morovian history!" she declared as he stood to give her a full hug. "So does my new job come with a raise and when does it take affect?" she asked. "Yes...and today. I'll let Dad know to have it changed today." "Thank you...so much," she told him with a big smile on her face. "Shit. So since I'm manager now, I have to take a break and go see grandpa." "Go. Have fun," he said as she walked toward the door with the papers in her hand. "And Sara?" "Yes?" "Please don't say anything," he said. "Es nostro secreto," Sara said as she reached for the knob. Something stopped her, though, just before she touched it. She smiled, formed a ball with her fist, and banged the door. Just then, the two of them heard people scampering away from the door. She turned and winked at JD as she walked from the office. "OK. Who was standing at the door?" she said as she walked off. "Sara! Call an employee meeting for tomorrow at close. Mandatory attendance." "OK," she yelled back down the hall as he opened a drawer where he kept his personal things. There were a few knick-knacks that were there; but there was also a picture that he'd long ago put in that drawer. It seemed like a lifetime ago when he and Paul had gone to Palisades Park near Oneonta. His sister, Carrie, took the picture of them as they smiled. Thinking about Paul, though, only made his feelings for Tyler that much stronger. Paul had put him through some shit in a misguided effort to create the super-boyfriend, the perfect man...for him. When it came to what JD wanted, though, he wasn't willing to budge. There wasn't an inch of flexibility in his personality. He thought about what would have said or done upon finding out that he was moving back to Morovia, to assume his family's right, to assume that which was his by tradition and right. Paul wouldn't have said or done the things the night before the Tyler had done. Paul wouldn't have convinced him that this was the right thing. Paul wouldn't have known where to start counseling him or how to steer him in the right direction, because that would have been something for him. "You weren't my destiny," he said to the picture. With a flick of his wrist, the picture in a metal frame, flew through the air. JD turned his attention back to the drawer just as it hit the empty trash can. The sound that it made echoed through the office and the hallway outside. It made JD smile a little bit as he realized that, without saying it, he had forgiven Paul. There was no more drama; there was no pain; there was no more uncertainty. Tyler had succeeded where Paul failed; he had created the greatest boyfriend in the world by simply allowing JD to be himself and encouraging him to be more than what he or anyone else expected him to be. When all his things were cleared and with a handful of his personal belongings, he walked out of the office. There was a moment, a fleeting one, when he looked back at the office. But with a smile on his face, he closed the door. This chapter of his life was coming to an end, and he welcomed the next one with more than his very being. As he left the gym, JD drove to the campus of Owens University. In the Queen Caterina Language Center on campus, he pulled himself into a faculty parking space. If the right campus cops were working, he wouldn't get a ticket, and he knew it. Dressed in his suit as people walked all around him (most of them checking him out), he walked into the Language center and went up to the third floor of the building. It was there, on that floor, that Morovian ex-patriot professors had established the Department of Iberian Studies just a couple of years after the revolution drove intellectuals from the country in droves. There were several students standing in the hallway, waiting just in front of the office of his advisor, Dr. Dona Owens. She was the director of the department; she was a member of the Owens family, the same family that had founded the university itself. Among those students was the man of JD's dreams. "Hey there," he said as he took up a place next to Tyler. "What's going on, gorgeous?" Tyler asked. "Just came by to talk to my advisor for a second," JD answered. "It is a pleasant surprise to see the sexiest person on the planet." "Yeah," Tyler whispered to him. "I got a hard-on as you were walking up." "I'm glad I made my decision," JD shouted. "JOSEPH DAVID!" Dona yelled as she stepped out of her office. "Quiero hablara contigo ahora mesmo." "Sí, Doctora," JD said as he smiled at Tyler and stepped away from the wall. "You'll wait on me?" he asked Tyler. "Forever," Tyler answered with a wink. JD smiled. "Why haven't you been by to see me all summer?" she asked as the door closed. "Is that your boyfriend?" one of the girls standing outside the office with Tyler asked him. "Oh yeah..." Tyler said. "Hot damn," she said. Inside the office, Dr. Owens invited him to sit as she walked behind the desk and took her seat. She looked at him and smiled. "So how has your summer been?" "Very good. I met a new man," JD answered. "Oh really?" she inquired. "He's actually in your 102 class." "Who?" Dona inquired. "Tyler Hall." "Oh. He's a doll! I've enjoyed having him in my class. You should really encourage him to study Morovian for a while. He has a great tongue," she said. JD grinned. "Get thy mind out of the gutter!" she proclaimed. "Yes ma'am," JD responded. "So I heard about the pardon," she said. "How is that going?" "Actually, my cousin Lindsay went to Morovia a couple of weekends ago with one of our friends. She loved it." "Oh my! That is awesome! So she was the one that broke the record then?" Dona asked. "Yes ma'am," JD said proudly. "So are you ready for your last class?" she asked with a smile on her face. "Being that you're helping to make history of Morovia, though, it shouldn't be a big problem." "Actually," JD said. "That's one of the two things that I came by to talk to you about." "Uh oh..." "I'm going to tell you something, but I need you to promise that it won't go outside this office." "You got it," she said as she leaned back in her chair. "I'm not going to be in the class," JD said. "Why not?" Dona asked, an upset and inquisitive look coming across his face. "Because, on 1 September, 2008, the monarchy is being restored." "Holy shit!" she said. "Really?" "Your Mom?" Dona asked. "Nope," JD said. "You are sitting in the same office as the future King of Morovia." Dona smiled. "So you will be making Morovian history. That is so awesome, JD. Or should I be addressing you formally or something?" she asked with a joking look on her face. "Please don't. I just chose my coronation name last night." "What? Are you going with your grandfather's name?" "Nope. I will be crowned as King Joseph David," he explained. "Well. With that being the case, you will automatically have an `A' in the class," she said, "but only if you will agree to do a few video conferencing things with the class...as your schedule permits, of course." "No problem." "And I will deliver your diploma to you personally," she said. "Thank you, Dr. Owens," JD said. "I can't wait to be over there." "I would imagine so," Dona returned. "So is Tyler going with you?" "Yeah," JD said with a proud smile. "If he'd said that he wasn't going, I'd have to seriously consider if I wanted the crown or not." "You remember a story called `Talvez es mejor'?" she asked. "No. I don't think I've read that." "You were supposed to in Intro to Morovian Lit," she looked at him. "Well. Basically, it said that when there are two things that are pulling at your life, you have to choose the one that will give you the greatest return. I thank God that you don't have to choose," she finished. "I'm actually thinking about doing something else," JD said as an idea popped into his head. "What's that?" "I sort of don't want to get rid of my condo," JD responded, "so I'm thinking about giving a scholarship to a Morovian student that will allow them to live there, rent free, for a scholastic year." "Did you just come up with that?" "Oh yeah," JD said as he stood, "that helps me come up with a way to deal with something. Will you excuse me for a second?" "Sure," she said as he opened the door. "Ty! I figured out what to do about the condo!" he said. Tyler just winked as JD shut the door back and returned to his seat. "So what's that other thing that you were going to ask me about? You said that there were two things," Dona noted. "Yeah. I'm taking a few days off before the official announcement is made, and I would like to take a trip." "But you want Tyler to go with you," Dona said. "Damnit, I'm such a push-over. Call him in here." "K..." JD said. In just a second, Tyler was walking into the room. He was polite as he waited on the women he knew as Dr. Owens to invite him to sit in one of the two chairs. "Tyler. Cuales son los cinco provincias de Morovia y las capitals?" she asked him, slowly, in teacher-speed Morovian. (What are the five provinces of Morovia and their capitals?) "Um. Hai Terraco, y la capital es la Ciudad de Terraco. Um...Casteló, y la capital es La Plana. Talxera...y la capital es Talxiara. Calí...y la capital es Elx. Murcia...y la capital es la Ciudad de Murcia." "Muy bié!" she said as she wrote something down on a piece of paper that she'd taken from her printer as JD was calling her in. "Quién era el ultimo rey?" (Very good. Who was the last King?) "Su Majestad, el rey David XII," Tyler answered. He looked at JD to see a big smile on his face. "Quién va esera el proximo rey?" (Who's going to be the next king?) "Su Majestad, el rey Joseph David," Tyler said with a wink toward JD. "OK. Um... Cuál es tu especialidad?" Dona asked. (What is your major?) "La administración de tierra," Tyler answered. (Land Administration.) "En qué provincia puedes usara esta especialización?" she asked him. He thought for a second as he tried to understand the words and not just translate them in his mind. (In which province would you use this major?) "En todas. En Terraco, podería trabaxara con agricultores," he said, questioning in his mind if the word was right, "agricultores que crecen vacas y toros. En Castló, la granja es importantes. In Talxera y Murcia, se producen vinos y quesos. En Calí... En Calí, hay muchos agricoltores que crecen otros...no...otras verduras importantes." His answer was flawless in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. (In Terraco, I could work with farmers...farmers that raise cattle. In Casteló, grain is important. In Talxera and Murcia, they produce wines and cheese. In Calí, there are farmers that grow other important vegetables. "Tyler. You had an `A' going into the final exam," Dona told him, "but I'm going to let JD give you the grade on the final." "Do I have to do anything to get it?" Tyler joked as JD snickered. Dona smiled. "That's up to him," Dona added to the perverted nature of the moment. "I would give him an `A'," JD said. "Then by order of His Majesty, I am giving you an `A' in my class, Tyler," Dona said as she wrote it down in her grade book. "Tyler. When you get to Morovia, stop and a café and enjoy yourself for a few minutes for me, OK?" "That, I can probably do," he told her. After a few minutes, the two were walking out of the building. "So how did she react?" Tyler asked JD. "She was happy for me, for both being the restored monarch and because I managed to snare you for myself," JD answered. "There are 40 people in that class. You can't tell me that she knows who I am," Tyler responded. "She does, and she told me that I should encourage you to continue your study of Morovian," JD said as they walked up to the Dodge. "JD. You are an amazing man with whom I am so very much in love," Tyler said as he squinted to avoid the direct rays of the sun. "I'm only as awesome as those around me," JD said as he reached down and kissed Tyler on the cheek. "When we get to Morovia are you still gonna do that?" Tyler asked. "Of course," JD answered with a wide smile on his face. "So while we're driving back home, why don't you think about where you want to go for a few days. We'll pack a bag and go." Tyler smiled. "OK. I'll let you know when we get home." "OK," JD said as he climbed up into the truck that he so adored. Over the next few hours, they'd decided not only on a location but also had packed their bags and were ready to walk out the door. For the next few days, they enjoyed being a place where neither of them was recognized as either a prince, or the prince's boyfriend. They just enjoyed travelling and being with one another, without the security that would soon be following both of them wherever they went. -*-*-* -*-*-* -*-*-* -*-*-* Paradise Chapter 9 "Climax, Part II" In the days following their return from their private, secluded trip, their lives changed completely. On the morning they returned, Zhola made the announcement that the monarchy was being restored, as was the constitution that Guil had scrapped in favor of his own Fundamental Law and the several thousand decrees that he'd made over the course of his 46 year reign of terror. In cities, towns, villages, and countrysides across Morovia, people screamed in jubilant praise of their president's actions. People across the country pulled out flags that had been stored in storage closets for decades. There were tears and raucous cheering as people crowded the streets in violation of the long-standing curfew that had been set in the early 1960s that prohibited unauthorized travel after midnight without prior permission. As a precaution, Spain sent troops to the border. Lorenzia sent naval ships to patrol the waters off the coast, alongside their Morovian counterparts. A few minutes later, news hit Paradise that Zhola was stepping aside for the man who no one knew was her nephew. A few minutes later, each of the members of the Royal Family had a detachment from the soon-to-be-renamed Presidential Guard. JD and Tyler had the largest contingent, at six officers each. Lindsay quickly befriended her two guards, Jacob Castelos and Martín Devrachi. The partying going on in Morovia quickly started across the ocean in Paradise. Police quickly worked to make sure that nothing bad happened in the Morovian sections of the city. They closed off the main street in that part of the city so that people could freely walked up and down the street between cafés, restaurants, pubs, and clubs. Morovians old and young participated in the impromptu events, walking up and down the streets. One prolific photo journalist of Morovian descent, Maria Lott, snapped a picture of a young man with his face painted with three strips, yellow, red, and blue, hugging a woman who was wearing a hat in which she'd stuck miniature versions of the old royal standard. The picture itself spoke to the struggle of every Morovian, the courage of those who left and of those who stayed behind. Inside the Gutierro's restaurant, people of all ethnicities and descents, from all parts of the world had assembled to enjoy Morovian food and to watch the action going on outside. Mr. and Mrs. Gutierro proudly served each and every one of them as the fruits of their resistance were finally realized. In Morovian communities all over the globe, from New York to Toronto to Sydney, Morovians, regardless of where they had settled, celebrated that Morovia was going to again be free from tyrrany. When Guil died, the party was only temporary. This one, though, went on for days and days as people made plans to travel back to Morovia for the peaceful handover of power in what some were calling the "Revolución Gloriosa," a play on the term used when William and Mary were installed as monarchs of Great Britain after the peaceful deposition of James II. Between the two cities, arrangements were being made for the family's departure from Paradise and their arrival in the Morovian capital. They would be leaving by plane from Pensacola on the 28th, arriving in Talxiara the next day. There would be all kinds of parties and receptions around Talxiara on the final day of the month. The Royal Family would stay in the palace that night, as guests of the President, and then the handover would take place the next morning at the Cathedral of Talxiara, just across the park. It would be a grand occasion on both sides of the Atlantic, that was a certainty. More parties would follow in Talxiara that day and through the night. Then it would be to work for JD on the morning of the 2nd of September. On the night before they were to leave for Talxiara, Maxima, Tom, and Lidia, threw a grand bash at a large local hotel for their children, the future King and the future Crown Princess of Morovia. Dignitaries from Morovian communities from all over the globe were there. The governors of all five provinces, and the mayors of Talxiara and Ebeza, along with their partners flew to Paradise to attend the event and to congratulate JD on his ascension. Even though they were people once despised by the ex-pat community, they wanted to be there as a symbol that the two Morovian worlds were coming together again, that one single Morovian community would exist when the dust of Guil's death completely settled. Jen's family had been invited to the party, since their daughter was leaving with the family the next morning. Tammy and Bob, along with Ronnie and Kevin, were also in attendance. At one point in the evening, JD and Tyler stepped back to watch their parents and Lidia crammed into a small circle. Tammy and Maxima got along especially well, something that both boys took as a great sign. It was also funny to watch as Tom and Bob argued about whose wife could down more tequila shots. They eventually gave up, though, when Tom admitted that Lidia was probably better at that than anyone. With everything arranged with their homes and belongings, they passed that night in the same hotel in which they'd arranged the party. Tom and Maxima paid dearly for the guys to stay on the top floor in the presidential suite. It had an amazing vista of both sides of the city and required a special key in the elevator to even go to that floor. It was the place in which dignitaries who came to Paradise and the extremely wealthy would stay. As they walked into the room, Tyler started calling JD by a special name that had come up over the previous couple of weeks. It was one that made him mad with passion. "So, Your Majesty," Tyler said as they looked into the laving room from the foyer. "Where would you like to start?" "To start?" JD asked in response to the naughty grin that was washed across Tyler's face. "Oh yeah. You better believe that you're not getting off easy tonight!" Tyler said as he removed JD's tie. "Oh I'm not?" JD smiled. "Nope," Tyler said as he ripped open the shirt that JD was wearing to reveal that massively muscular and gorgeous torso and chest that he ravenously craved so much. He slipped the shirt and coat that JD was wearing from his body as he enjoyed the flavor and aroma of JD's perfect nipples. The moaning that his body was emitting and the heaving of his chest assured Tyler that he was doing the right thing, at the right time. JD let his eyes close and his head rest against the wall against which he was standing. In just a moment, he heard the sound of his zipper being pulled and his pants being opened. Tyler pulled his boxers and the pants to the floor and with the edge of his tongue only, began exploring areas that, while not foreign to him, he still enjoyed...a lot. One thing that both of them had learned over the course of their two and a half months together was that JD really enjoyed it when Tyler would place his tongue just between the head and the foreskin. The nerves on both parts of his organ were so enlivened that JD, one more than one occasion, had been brought to his knees by the act. Tyler could also do other things, things that Paul wouldn't do and David wasn't able to do with much success. Let's just say that Tyler's gag reflex wasn't as sensitive as David's had been. For Tyler, giving JD one of his amazing blow jobs was an amazing time, too. He was a powerbottom, and he knew it. He enjoyed it. He embraced it. Just hearing the sounds that JD was making, involuntarily, was beyond his vocal description. Having JD inside him, in any way, sent sensations through his entire body. It made him twitch; it made him hard; it melted away anything bad in the world around him, even if for a short time. He liked the way JD could use his veiny, throbbing member to do him the way that he liked, the way that so few before him could make him feel. It hurt like hell, regardless of the point of entry, but it was the kind of hurt that people longed for. Well, at least he longed for it. "OH GOD!" JD yelled as he put both hands squarely on the back of Tyler's head. An end was coming near, but JD wanted it to last as long as it could. As he ran his hands through Tyler's hair, he felt his hips taking over for Tyler's motions. He shoved himself into Tyler's throat as every...single...muscle of his body tensed up. "Fuck!" he screamed as he tried to pull Tyler off him before the first of many happy returns happened that evening. In his mind, Tyler counted to three. At three, he pulled himself so that just his lips were resting on the warhead of the torpedo that which made JD a man. "UGH!" JD screamed as the product of his loin fired violently into the back of Tyler's throat. One...two...three...four...nine volleys of hot load flew into his mouth as he eagerly gobbled every single drop. JD's body began to convulse under the weight of the single most explosive orgasm that he'd ever experienced. To his surprise, though, it wasn't over. He was still rock hard and he was craving more. "Rise, my subject," JD instructed as Tyler stood. He smiled as he looked into JD's eyes and wiped the edge of his mouth. "What is your bidding, Majesty?" "Guide me to the bedchamber," JD instructed. "If you will follow me, sir," Tyler said as he turned and walked through the suite to the bedroom. "You're far too overdressed," JD said. Tyler, without question, took the suit coat that he was wearing from his body and threw it to the side. "Does this meet with your approval?" "Not yet," JD answered as he pulled the shirt off his body and let it fall as they continued to walk. "Getting closer," JD said as Tyler stopped momentarily to remove the black dress shoes and socks that he was wearing. JD took a couple of steps and wrapped his arms around Tyler's nearly naked body. As he kissed the back of Tyler's neck, he reached with his hands and undid the belt that held the pants up. It was followed by the buttons and the zipper. Much as Tyler had done moments before, JD, in one motion, pulled at Tyler's pants and boxers and allowed them to the fall to the ground. "Have I pleased you, Majesty?" Tyler asked. "Yes, subject," JD answered as he hands ran around Tyler's torso and through his dark brown pubes. "Oh yeah," Tyler whispered. "What else are you willing to do to please your King?" JD asked. "Anything your heart desires, Sir," Tyler whispered. "How do you want it, Ty?" "The same as always," Tyler answered. "Whatever makes you happy, JD. What would you make you happy right now?" "To be inside you...deep inside you," JD answered. "That would make me happy as well," Tyler answered as JD kissed just behind his left ear. "Where are the condoms?" "I thought you had them," Tyler answered. "And I thought you did..." JD thought. "This is putting a damper on the evening." "JD. I trust you." "And I trust you..." JD answered. "I just swallowed a very large load. We were both tested last week. I haven't been with anyone but you in a year. You better not have been with anyone but me since we met." "Oh?" "Yeah. Cause despite what anyone says," Tyler started, "that shit is mine." "Yes sir," JD noted. "So grab some lotion," Tyler said. JD walked into the bathroom as Tyler stepped into the bedroom. "I'm so glad you're still hard," Tyler said. "I know! Did you slip me a Viagra or something?" JD asked. "Nope," Tyler said with a smile. "Maybe it's the power going to your head?" "It's definitely something going to my head!" JD smiled. "So how do you want me?" "Has the moment passed for you dominating me?" Tyler asked. "Get on your stomach!" "A new position," Tyler said as he rolled over. JD opened the bottle of the lotion and poured some into his hand. He coated himself with it just before making sure that there was enough still on his hand to get Tyler sufficiently ready for the onslaught that was coming his way. After he'd finished wiping it on him, he gently massaged Tyler's furry ass for a second. With his right hand, he gently slapped Tyler's left butt cheek, causing his man to emit a sound that showed that he was somewhere between being surprised and totally turned on. "You ready for it?" JD asked. "Please," Tyler begged. "OK..." JD said. In his voice, he was jokingly telling Tyler that he didn't know what he was in for. JD pushed himself inside Tyler without any digital prepwork. "Oh fuck!" Tyler said as JD went in. "You like that?" "Oh yes," Tyler answered as pain coursed through his body. JD went slowly for a second. It was Tyler's only reprieve, for as the moments passed, JD's speed increased. Tyler love the way JD felt as they each shared their first time without protection. It showed not only the sexual energy between them, but also the passion and trust that they had in the other. For almost an hour, Tyler lay there as JD pounded his ass. JD stooped only a couple of times to reapply lube, but it was right back at the pounding that Tyler was getting. "JD..." Tyler managed to say at one point. "Yeah," JD said as he continued hitting it hard. "I just came," he said. "I know," JD smiled. "I could feel it in your ass." "Did it feel different?" Tyler asked. "I loved it!" JD said. "Are you close?" "Very!" JD said as he stopped pounding but shoved himself into Tyler. "HOLY FUCK!" JD said as his second load of the night met with the first somewhere deep inside Tyler's body. He was spent, and it was if his body gave out the very moment the last drop left his body. He gently lay down so that he was atop Tyler. "How do you feel?" JD asked. "My ass is on fire, and I'm not sure that I can walk right," Tyler answered, "but I wouldn't change that for the world." "You promise I didn't hurt you," JD begged to know. "Shut up, JD. You didn't hurt me for real," Tyler responded. "OK," JD said at just the moment when his flaccid penis slid from Tyler's ass. "Now it feels like something is missing," Tyler responded. "So why don't we go get a shower and get to sleep," JD suggested. "We've got to get up early in the morning." "OK," Tyler said as neither of them really fought to get up from that position. They did eventually feel compelled to move and shower. Since that room was soiled, they slept in the second bedroom attached with the suite. It was almost as if the people who designed the room knew that one room would be for sleeping and the other would be for sleeping. The next morning, JD found himself in a flurry of emotions and thought. It all was so different than his preoccupation of the previous weeks, though, for the day was finally upon him. The day that he would leave his home, this place where he'd spent every year of his life, for one that he'd never seen. He'd listened to his mother and aunt talk about the place, but it had been their childhood when they left. Lindsay had gone, but had only been there for a day or so. He was sure that he could find old people that could remember what it was like at one point, along with people who had escaped and come to Paradise. None of them though, could tell him, without a doubt, what he would feel as he set foot on Morovian soil, or what he would experience, either as a simple man or a King. Would they really accept him over there, or would they simply put up with him because he was the King? Would he be able to do good, or would he get frustrated and fuck something up beyond measure? Would he be able to help rebuild the economy or help improve the educational system, or would it just be done in his name? Would they accept that he was gay, in a committed relationship, or would they mercilessly attack Tyler and him? Would families be reunited? Everything weighed on his mind, his heart, his soul. Not a single moment ever passed his mind, though, in which he said that he wouldn't do it. It was his duty, and, as Tyler so ingeniously pointed out, it was his destiny to rule this nation. How would people remember his legacy, though? It was his greatest desire that people remember fondly the restoration of the monarchy, him, but he was at a loss of what to do to achieve it. "Good morning," Tyler expressed as JD sat quietly in the parlor sipping coffee that he'd ordered from room service. "Morning," JD said with a smile as Tyler walked, completely naked, from the bedroom. "So it's the big day?" Tyler smiled as sat atop JD's lap in the big chair. Tyler had never done that, but something in his mind said that it was a good time to start. "Yeah," JD responded. "It's the big day." They talked for a while about nothing really important. Tyler could sense that JD needed a mental distraction for a few minutes. Perhaps that's why he sat atop his lap as he'd done. At five, though, the phone started ringing, and Maxima informed him that it was time for them all to get started with the day. After showering, the guys went downstairs to a ballroom that had been reserved at the expense of the government of Morovia so that news agencies could set up. There were several there, and each of them wanted a piece of the Royal Family. All of them wanted to talk to JD, but there were a few that wanted to talk to every single member. CNN was there, as was the CBC. ABC, NBC and CBS had agreed to joint coverage of the event; MTVNews sent a representative to talk to Lindsay and JD about going home, well, to a place that everyone else called their home. The Morovian Information Service was also there as a part of its continuing coverage of the transition to democracy and the restoration of the monarchy. Just before they entered, the whole family met in the lobby. JD and Lindsay were to be the first to enter, and when they did, there was a rupture of applause and cheering, all in their honor. They both smiled and started around the room, shaking hands and giving people and opportunity to introduce themselves before the interviews started. Everyone seemed impressed that, even though they had led simple lives, away from lights and cameras, they seemed like they'd been doing it all their lives. It was as if doing that which they were doing that morning had long been encoded into their genetic structure or something. After several early morning interviews, JD and Lindsay ended up at the area set up by the MIS for an interview with Antonia Renaldi. She was known and respected the world over for her ability to get people to answer hard questions. The questions that others couldn't get an answer to, Antonia could pull out of those she interviewed like it was second nature to her. In that area, there were three chairs set up. Antonia was on one side, JD and Lindsay sat next to each other in front of her. She gave them a little bit of information before the interview was broadcast, live, on Morovian State Television and all of the affiliate stations that were carrying coverage of the events leading to JD's inauguration and coronation the following Monday. "Good Afternoon Morovia," she said, noting the time difference. "I'm Antonia Ranaldi. Today, in MoroTV's continuing coverage of the transition to democracy, I have the fortune of being the first Morovian to interview the man who will be our next King, His Royal Highness, Prince Joseph David Barrington. Also on my list of people to speak to is Her Royal Highness, Princess Lindsay, who will become, on Monday, the Crown Princess." Most all Morovians and a lot of people who were just interested in the goings on were watching the interview. Zhola, for example, was sitting patiently in the parlor of the Presidential Suite, hanging on to every word that was to spew from her nephew's and her niece's mouths. As they sat there and talked about themselves and the future of Morovia in an interview that proved their patriotism for a homeland that JD had never seen, people were getting ready for the grand parade that was going to be going on in the Morovian neighborhoods of the city. There was a single road that ran through them all, a road that the City of Paradise had officially renamed King Joseph David Street as a gift to their son, the second person in the town's history that would wear a crown of Morovia. The parade would start at the intersection of that street and Beach Street, and would go through the major business area where Morovians had set up all their cafes and restaurants. It would pass directly in front of all the bars and clubs that JD and Lindsay had always frequented, as well as Gutierro's Morovian Restaurant. The band at JD and Lindsay's alma mater, St. Xavier's High School would play, as would the marching band at Owens University. A detachment of the Morovian Cavalry would be riding, on horseback, down the street. (The horses were on loan from a rancher in the northern part of Baur County, a man, surprisingly, not of Morovian descent.) Then the open cars carrying the members of the Royal Family would drive down the street, hopefully to crowds that were cheering for them over every inch of their route. People were setting themselves up along the parade route, hoping to get as close to possible to Gutierro's, which was to be the center of the route, so to speak. Police baracades were going up as people sat in lawn chairs with their cameras. Not everyone there, though, would be celebrating. The world knew that JD was gay. He didn't hide it from anyone. He didn't hide it from the Morovian people; he didn't hide it from people in Paradise. If someone didn't like the fact that he was gay, JD let it just roll off his back. It was his Piscean nature, after all. JD would just go on with his life and not let anything deter him from whatever goal it was that he was working towards. With that being said, members of the Holiness Church of God of Oneonta were setting themselves up at a location along the route at a place where all the cameras would see them. They had signs ready that told JD that he was going to hell, and that told Morovians that they were going to be forsaken by God because of their acceptance. Their chants were to be in Morovian, so that Morovians would be sure to understand words they felt were warranted. The self-proclaimed Right Reverend Josiah Perry, the minister of the church and the future father-in-law to Ricky Hall, was leading the group, flanked closely by his son, Chad, and Chad's best friend, Liam. Fifteen members of the church were also there with them, but notably absent were Ricky and Kara themselves. They were inside one of the pubs that was already open, sitting at the bar and talking about themselves, their relationship, and how it was going to affect them that Tyler, Ricky's brother, might as well have been the consort to Morovia's future sovereign. Ricky was obviously nervous about something, but Kara was encouraging him with her words and promises of the glory that Tyler would achieve after it was all over. Back at the hotel, the interview was over, and JD was saying his round of thank yous to everyone that had come that morning. He toasted them all with a mimosa just before he was taken away to get ready for the parade. Inside the suite, JD and Tyler showered quickly and put on a pair of jeans. At JD's request, Tyler was wearing a pair of cowboy boots that were comfortable for walking, though Tyler didn't know why it would be important for him to walk. He just trusted that JD knew what he was doing. After about an hour, JD and Tyler went downstairs to meet the rest of the family in the ballroom that was being cleared of TV equipment. There was a round of hugs shared between all of them, as it was the very last time that they would just be people. For when they left that hotel, they would be Royalty again, with all the power and influence that came along with that simple moniker. Tammy and Bob, along with Kevin and Ronnie, left for Gutierro's. They would be there, along with other invited guests, to see the parade from outside. Jen's parents followed them shortly thereafter. As a friend of the King, Jen, herself, was asked to ride with them along the parade route with them. At exactly eleven, the Royal Family left. JD and Tyler were walking together, as were Jen and Lindsay. Maxima, Lidia, and Tom were walking out. As they stepped from the room, they found the entire staff of the hotel waiting in the grand lobby. They applauded the Royal Family for still living during the dark years and for realizing the dreams of those who fought with and for King David XII in the Civil War that rocked the very foundation of the nation. As they left, the Presidential Guard was waiting in black SUVs to carry them to the place where the parade would start. "You OK?" Tyler asked as he and JD sat in one of the SUVs by themselves. JD smiled. "I'm a little nervous." "You're gonna do great, JD," Tyler told him. In two months, their relationship had flourished. In two months, they'd allowed the other to get to know them better than anyone else ever had. JD knew things about Tyler that even Jen didn't know; Tyler knew things that JD would have never told to Lindsay, even though they were best friends. JD knew of the abuse that Tyler had endured at the hands of his last boyfriend; Tyler knew the depth of JD's fear that people would just assume he was a dumb jock. Even in honors classes in high school, JD told him, people looked at him like he was out of place. "All you've got to do," Tyler reassured him, "is be yourself." "I guess," JD smiled. "So why did you tell me to wear boots that were comfortable for walking?" Tyler asked. "You'll see," JD responded, turning his head to look at the man of his dreams and giving him a wink in the process. In another car, Jen and Lindsay were talking, in code, about the man that was driving the car. His name was Roberto Baret, and he was hot. He was the tall, dark, and handsome type with a nice voice and buns of perfection. "Thinking about that makes me want a hamburger," Lindsay said, thinking that she was being coy enough to not be understood by this man. "Or a hot dog," Jen added as Lindsay agreed. "Your Highness, Your Honor," he said as he kept an eye firmly on the drive. "I am so very sorry to disappoint you, but I say the same things about Prince Joseph." "How is it that we're constantly surrounded by gay men?" Jen asked Lindsay. "Ya know...I have no idea!" Lindsay responded as Roberto laughed. Along the parade route, people were joyously reveling in the coming parade. The street was already so packed with people that there was barely room to move around. "These people need to learn English," Kara said as a man, already drunk at eleven in the morning brushed up against her. He apologized, but she gave him a look of death, as she often did with people. "Damn morons," she said under her breath, using a word that some Americans had used to describe Morovian immigrants before it was realized that Morovians weren't going to expect handouts from the government like some refugees who landed on their shores. Ricky just looked out down the street. He was waiting for everything to start, watching for the first glimpse of the high school and university marching bands that would, together, be playing the Morovian Royal Anthem and the Himno nacional. He was lost in thought about the past, the present, and the future. He knew, without a doubt, that what he was there to do was the right thing, but he worried about the effect that it would have on everyone. About fifteen minutes later, the flag girls from the St. Xavier High School Band were coming around the corner, the Morovian national flag flying from each of their polls as the band behind them loudly played the National Anthem of Morovia. Ricky looked around and saw all the guards that were standing all around, trying to blend in with the crowd. All around them, people began wildly cheering and waving the standard of a homeland they held so dear. As the bands played, JD, Tyler, Lindsay and Jen, were moving into view of the crowds of people that had lined the street named in JD's honor. A sense of overwhelming pride washed over each of their countenances as they began to acknowledge with waves people that were assembled. "JD. I love you," Lindsay started, "but something's telling me not to do what we'd planned." "OK," JD said. "Why not?" "I don't know. There's just something in the air," she told him as she smiled, turned, and waved as a good princess should. "Come on," JD smiled at his cousin, "it'll be fun. And this is Paradise, what could possibly happen?" "I guess you're right," Lindsay noted reluctantly. "Here?" JD asked her. Lindsay smiled as she caught a glimpse of a friend of hers from an art class, standing on the route with her Morovian boyfriend as they waved flags and cheered her name. "Sure." "Driver!" JD called. "Please stop the car!" Complying with the orders of his King, Roberto stopped the car. "What are they doing?" Maxima asked. "It looks like their being the people we raised them to be," Lidia answered as the two women smiled. In Talxiara, Zhola was watching, along with several dignitaries who had come by the palace, the parade live on Morovian State Television. As she sipped her evening brandy, she smiled as Lindsay and JD, in all their glorious innocence of the workings of government climbed from the car and walked, along with Tyler and Jen, along the route of the parade. A few of the people there with her smiled as well, but there were still a couple of purists who only begrudgingly supported the restoral that were not amused by the antics of the young prince and princess. "So this is why I had to wear the boots?" Tyler asked as he and JD walked to one side of the street while Lindsay and Jen walked to the other. "Right," JD answered as he smiled and waved at the crowd. The moment caused a raucous uproar along the parade route as people snapped pictures and shook hands with the man who would lead their country to greatness once again. It was a day of great joy for everyone there. As they moved close to where Ricky and Kara were standing, Kara reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She sent a text to her brother, who then relayed to their father that JD and Tyler were close to where they were standing. Ricky reached into his left pocket and put his hand on the metallic object that had been warmed by the temperature of his body. A rush came over him as Kara tugged gently on his shirt. She reached up and kissed him passionately on the lips. With a smile, she moved away from him, turning finally to walk up the street, through the crowds of people, toward her father. Ricky stood there alone at a place where two police barricades stood. He watched as JD and Tyler smiled at each other and at the people in the crowd. He detested the fact that these people who were here to celebrate were touching his brother's hand as if it were nothing to coexist with creatures he considered ungodly. Behind his sunglasses, he closed his eyes and said the prayer that he and Kara had practiced the night before. "God, please forgive me for what I am about to do," he said to himself. "It is done in Your name, to rid Your world of this abomination to glory. Amen." He took a couple of deep breaths and set his hand on the police barricade that could be moved to give him access to the street. He thought about Kara's words, about how he would achieve glory in this act. If he did get away, what would she do to him, for him. Surely, in his mind, he knew that God would reward him for his actions, actions that went against every other principle of the Christian faith. He looked, JD and Tyler were no more than six feet away from him. He took one more breath as he begged for forgiveness. In a millisecond, he pushed away the barricade and pulled the pistol from his pocket. The crowd ran in horror and fear as Ricky aimed it right at Tyler's head. His heart pumping and adrenaline pumping through his veins, JD pushed him out of the way just as the first shot was fired. JD was hit in the shoulder. The second shot fired just a millisecond later hit JD in the left kidney. Tyler's face hit the ground as the third shot was fired. It hit JD's hip. As soon as it was realized what was going on, a member of the Presidential Guard pulled out his service revolver and fired one time. The bullet hit Ricky's temple, killing him instantly. His lifeless body fell first to its knees before falling down, face first, onto the hot black pavement below.