A Royal Obligation
Chapter 68: The Twins’ Secret Desires

Chapter 68: The Twins’ Secret Desires

The evening sun bathed the palace in a warm, golden light, casting long shadows across the floor of the twins’ private chamber.

Lucian and Julian sat across from one another on the plush velvet cushions that adorned their room, the soft murmurs of the palace fading into the background.

The scent of jasmine lingered in the air, a gentle reminder of the gardens outside, but their thoughts were far from the serenity of the flowers.

Julian leaned back, his eyes fixed on the intricate pattern of the ceiling, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "You know, Lucian, he’s unlike anyone we’ve had before," he said, his tone casual, but there was a hint of something deeper beneath it, something more intense.

Lucian nodded, though his expression was more serious, his brows furrowed in thought. "I know," he replied quietly. "But that’s precisely why we need to be careful."

Julian glanced at his brother, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Careful? Since when have we ever been careful, dear brother? We’ve always taken what we wanted, when we wanted."

Lucian sighed, running a hand through his hair. "This is different, Julian. Amarok is... different. I don’t want to scare him off. He’s only just started to feel comfortable here."

Julian rolled his eyes, a playful grin spreading across his face. "You worry too much. You’ve seen the way he looks at us, haven’t you? There’s something there, something he’s trying to hide."

"Of course, I’ve seen it," Lucian admitted, his voice dropping to a whisper. "But that doesn’t mean we should push him. We’ve had enough servants leave because they couldn’t handle us. Amarok... he’s special. I don’t want to ruin that."

Julian leaned forward, his expression softening slightly. "You think I want to ruin it? I care about him just as much as you do. Maybe even more."

Lucian looked at him, surprised by the sincerity in Julian’s voice. "Then you understand why we have to be patient. Amarok is already under so much pressure trying to serve us both. If we reveal how we feel too soon, it could overwhelm him."

Julian chuckled, shaking his head. "Lucian, you always think with your head instead of your heart. Sometimes, you just have to take a chance."

"And sometimes," Lucian countered, "taking a chance leads to disaster."

The room fell silent for a moment, the tension between the brothers palpable. Julian’s gaze softened as he watched his brother, knowing that beneath Lucian’s stoic exterior was a heart just as full of desire as his own.

"He’s everything we’ve been looking for," Julian said quietly. "Someone who can keep up with us, who isn’t afraid of the challenge. I’ve seen the way he pushes himself, the way he tries to anticipate our every need. He’s... perfect."

Lucian’s heart ached at his brother’s words. He knew Julian was right. Amarok was everything they had hoped for, and more. But that only made the situation more complicated. "And that’s why we can’t rush this," he said, his voice firm but gentle. "We need to let him come to us in his own time, in his own way."

Julian sighed, leaning back again, his eyes drifting to the window where the last rays of sunlight were disappearing behind the hills. "I just don’t know how much longer I can wait," he admitted, a hint of frustration in his voice. "Every time I see him, every time he’s near... it’s like I can’t think straight."

Lucian smiled faintly, understanding all too well. "I know the feeling," he said. "But we’ve waited this long. We can wait a little longer."

Julian’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. "Well, I’m not saying we can’t have a little fun while we wait," he said, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Julian..."

"Oh, come on, Lucian," Julian said with a laugh. "You know I’m right. A little flirting never hurt anyone."

Lucian couldn’t help but chuckle at his brother’s persistence. "Just... don’t be too forward," he cautioned. "We don’t want him to think we’re toying with him."

"Who says we’re not?" Julian teased, but there was a warmth in his eyes that belied his words.

Lucian shook his head, but he couldn’t deny the excitement that was beginning to build within him as well. "All right," he said finally. "But we take it slow. We let him set the pace."

Julian nodded, though the gleam in his eye suggested he might have his own ideas about that. "Agreed," he said. "But I think you’ll find he’s not as shy as you think."

Lucian leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment as he allowed himself to imagine what it would be like if Amarok did return their feelings. The thought was almost too tempting to resist.

"What if he never does?" Lucian’s voice was barely above a whisper, his fear slipping through his usually composed demeanor.

Julian’s playful grin faded, replaced by a rare look of seriousness. "Then we’ll deal with it," he said softly. "But I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that. He’s drawn to us, just like we’re drawn to him. He just needs time to realize it."

Lucian opened his eyes, meeting his brother’s gaze. "You really think so?"

Julian nodded. "I know so."

The two sat in silence for a moment, the weight of their unspoken desires hanging between them. They both knew that what they felt for Amarok was different from anything they had felt before. It wasn’t just lust, or even affection. It was something deeper, something that scared them both in its intensity.

Lucian finally broke the silence, his voice soft but resolute. "Then we wait. We wait for the right moment."

Julian smiled, a slow, confident smile that lit up his entire face. "And when that moment comes," he said, "we won’t hold back."

Lucian nodded, his own heart pounding with anticipation. "No," he agreed. "We won’t."

Julian reclined against the cushions, his eyes half-lidded as a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Lucian, however, was still deep in contemplation, his gaze fixed on the flickering scented candlelight.

The quiet was interrupted by the soft creak of the door. Both brothers turned their heads to see Amarok entering the room, carefully balancing a silver tray laden with delicate pastries, fruits, and a pot of freshly brewed tea. His movements were graceful, but there was an undeniable nervousness in his eyes, which made Julian’s smile grow wider.

Amarok approached the twins, his heart pounding in his chest. He was trying hard to put his desire in check around the royal twins.

He bowed his head slightly as he placed the tray on the table between them. "Your refreshments, Your Highnesses," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Julian’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he leaned forward, his tone playful. "Thank you, Amarok," he said, drawing out his name in a way that made Amarok’s heart skip a beat. "You always seem to know just what we need."

Amarok kept his eyes downcast, feeling his face grow warm under Julian’s gaze. "I... I’m just doing my duty," he stammered, quickly straightening up.

Julian’s smile widened, sensing Amarok’s discomfort. He reached out and took a pastry from the tray, but instead of eating it, he held it out toward Amarok. "Won’t you join us?" he asked, his voice smooth and inviting. "It seems unfair for us to enjoy these without sharing, don’t you think?"

Amarok’s breath caught in his throat. "I... um..." he started, but his words failed him as his mind raced to find an excuse. The way Julian was looking at him, with those intense, piercing eyes, made it impossible to think straight.

"Come now, Amarok," Julian continued, his voice laced with teasing. "Surely you can spare a moment for us. After all, you’ve worked so hard to please us today."

Lucian, watching the exchange with amusement, couldn’t help but chuckle at the way Amarok’s hands trembled slightly. "Julian, don’t tease him," he said gently, though there was a hint of laughter in his voice. "He’s just trying to do his job."

Julian’s grin only grew wider. "I’m not teasing, Lucian. I’m simply offering him a chance to relax. We wouldn’t want him to be too tense, would we?"

Amarok felt his face flush with embarrassment and a bit of something else, something that made his pulse quicken. He looked between the two brothers, feeling the weight of their attention on him. His heart raced as Julian’s eyes held his, making him feel both vulnerable and strangely exhilarated.

"I... I should go," Amarok finally stammered, stepping back. "There’s still more work to be done."

Julian tilted his head, his gaze never leaving Amarok’s. "Are you sure? We could make it worth your while," he said, his tone light but layered with meaning.

Amarok’s heart pounded in his chest. He felt the room close in around him, the air thick with unspoken words and feelings he wasn’t ready to confront. "I... um... need to...excuse me," he muttered, almost tripping over his words as he turned on his heel and hurried out of the room, his cheeks burning.

The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving the twins alone once more. For a moment, the room was silent, and then Julian burst out laughing, the sound rich and carefree. He leaned back, thoroughly enjoying himself as Lucian shook his head in mild exasperation.

"You’re going to give the poor boy a heart attack," Lucian chided, though he was smiling as well. "He’s still getting used to us. You shouldn’t push him so hard."

Julian shrugged, his laughter subsiding into a mischievous grin. "What’s the fun in that? Besides, did you see the way he looked at us? He’s interested, Lucian, even if he doesn’t want to admits to it yet."

Lucian rolled his eyes, but there was no denying the truth in Julian’s words. "Even so, we don’t want to scare him off. If we come on too strong, we’ll only make him more nervous."

Julian stretched lazily, his eyes gleaming with playful intent. "Oh, I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Not after that reaction." He chuckled, leaning closer to his brother. "Besides, a little bit of nervousness can be fun. It makes the game that much more interesting."

Lucian sighed, though he couldn’t help but smile at Julian’s relentless teasing. "Just don’t get too carried away," he warned. "We don’t want to lose him before we’ve even had a chance to win him over."

Julian gave a mock salute, his grin never fading. "Yes, sir, Captain Lucian," he said with a wink. "I’ll behave... for now."

Lucian shook his head, but there was a fondness in his eyes as he watched his brother.