DISCLAIMER: I do not know and am not remotely connect to *NSYNC. This was not written to suggest or imply the sexual preference of any of the members of *NSYNC.
Legends and Heroes: Chapter 1
Joshua stormed into the Duke's study, ignoring Timothy's protests. "I HATE being King." He snapped as soon as the door was properly shut. He flung his crown onto the nearest armchair. His friend, Duke Joseph Fatone the younger, leaned back into his chair. "What happened this time?" "Nothing. I'm just sick of people kissing my feet- figuratively, AND literally. I can't do ANYTHING I want to, without being criticized. I'm too YOUNG for all this stupid responsibility." "I thought you were aware that you're the youngest king for seven hundred years." Joseph said, feigning oblivion to his friend's problem. Joshua narrowed his eyes at his Chief Advisor. "You know what I mean." "Indeed I do." Joseph said lightly, taking a paper from the stack of work on his desk. "And I sympathize, Joshua. I honestly do. But what do you expect me to do? I'm as trapped as you are." "Christopher and I are going riding." Joshua said abruptly. "Would you like to come?" Joseph smiled. "Where to?" He asked his king. "I don't know. I was thinking... well, we're heading towards..." "Lakra." Joseph interrupted, laughing. "Would this have anything to do with a certain Shayani?" Joshua blushed. "I... no." "No?" Joseph arched his eyebrows, then stopped laughing. "Why is Justin not coming?" Joshua frowned. "He is... still angry about the games." "The games? That wasn't your fault! It rained, for Stara's sake!" Joseph exclaimed. He shook his head. "That brother of yours is impossible!" "So? Are you coming?" Joshua asked expectantly. He picked up his crown, inspected it for damage. Joseph rose gracefully, laughing once more. "Of course I'm coming. You know, you really do need to treat that crown better." Joshua rolled his eyes and opened the door of the study.
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Christopher waited in the courtyard, tapping his knuckles against the horse's neck. He spotted his friends, and leapt onto his horse. "Took you long enough." He grumbled. He bowed awkwardly in his saddle. Joshua laughed and bowed his head in acknowledgement before jumping onto his own horse. Joseph sighed and surveyed his horse with disfavor. "This horse hates me." He complained, lifting himself into his saddle. "No, YOU hate the HORSE." Christopher corrected. He spurred his horse at the slowly opening gates. Cries of farewell followed them, heard until the gates clanged shut. Joshua breathed a sigh of relief. "As soon as I'm out of that palace, I feel so much... safer." "No safer place than the palace." The Wyr reminded him. "I know, Joseph. I'm just... sick of it." "So? Where to? Lakra?" Christopher guessed. "Um.." Joshua blushed. "I..." Joseph and Christopher shared a look. Joseph laughed. "Come ON, your Majesty. We're your friends, not idiots." "Though some say that there's a relation between the two." Christopher added. Joshua gave them both a dirty look and kicked his horse, leaving his friends behind. Joseph laughed. "I don't see what's so bad about admitting that he's in love." "Because he's in love with a-" Christopher's voice lowered conspiratorially. "man." He finished. "No, he's not." Joseph smiled at his friend's surprised look. "He's in love with a Shayani who happens to be male." "Oh, be quiet." Christopher snarled. "Why? Lance isn't any less Human than I am." Joseph paused, considering his statement. "I don't think that made any sense." "I don't think so either." Christopher thought about the sentence himself. "No, it really didn't." "General Christopher!" A shout rang out across the street. "General, wait!" "Waiting." Christopher responded automatically, pulling his horse to a smooth stop. He turned to face the woman calling him. "Your Grace." The woman said hurriedly, bowing her head. Joseph nodded back. "General, I-" She stopped. Her eyes widened in her pale, dirt- coated face. "I..." She trailed off, then flung herself to her knees. Christopher turned to see what she was looking at, then scowled. "Joshua, I thought I asked you to-" He, muttered, but was interrupted by the sound of someone sobbing. "This lowly woman is sorry, Your Majesty. She should not be crying. But this lowly woman has never been in the presence of... of royalty." The woman murmured. Joseph and Christopher exchanged glances. Joshua ignored them and nudged his horse forward. "Your name, Lady?" He asked gently. "Lady! He calls me Lady! And I am only a peasant..." She muttered to herself. "I am Amalia." She said louder, head still bowed, as if she were afraid to see the King. Joshua smiled. "Lady Amalia, there's no need to kneel." He dismounted and, giving the horse's rein to Joseph, went to Amalia. He stopped in front of her. "Please, stand. I want to see your face." "Stand? This lowly woman could not stand in the presence of royalty! This lowly woman is dirty, you should not see her." The woman said hastily. Joshua frowned and glanced back at his friends, who shrugged. "Then.. uh.. I command you to stand. And look at me." He said hesitantly. Christopher grinned wryly. Joshua hated to order people around, he felt like he was abusing them. The woman stood, just as hesitantly, and looked quickly into Joshua's intense blue eyes, then ducked her head. "I must be going, Majesty. I thank you for your kindness." In an instant, she was gone. Still frowning, Joshua mounted his horse and urged it forward, thoughtfully. "That was... odd." "Of course, your Majesty." Joseph said stiffly. "Let me just tell you what an honor it is being on this ride with you. You should not be looking at me. I am too lowly." Joshua bent down and scooped up mud from the ground and hurled it into the Duke's face before galloping ahead of them once again. Christopher laughed, then studied the skies. "What do you think? Rain or snow?" He asked. Joseph wiped the mud from his eyes and looked at the dark, racing clouds. "Rain." He said. Christopher nodded, then smirked at Joseph. "You've still got mud on your face." "Thank you." Joseph grumbled.
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Joseph and Chris entered the village of Lakra in time to see their King embracing the golden-haired Shayani prince. "Well that was quick." Christopher remarked, cocking his head to one side. "Let's ride around the village." Joseph suggested. Joshua barely noticed his friends' departure. "How have you been?" He asked, disentangling himself from the Prince's arms. "Fine." The Shayani answered in a deep voice. He took Joshua's hand and lightly tugged, then began walking down the street, Joshua by his side, their fingers entwined. "I'm glad." Joshua nodded at the Shayani woman who had stopped working to stare in wonder at the royalty of two races strolling casually down a street. "Lance, I wanted to ask you something." "Anything." Lance squeezed his hand. "Anything." "I was wondering... if you wanted... well, you wouldn't have to..." He pursed his lips. "I would never force you into..." "I know." Lance laughed. "You said you had something to say. So say it." "I..." Joshua stopped walking. "Iwaswonderingifyouwanttocomelivewithmeinthepalace." He said quickly. Lance stopped walking as well. "Um... what?" He said, laughing a little. "Was that supposed to be one word?" "I was wondering if you want to come live with me in the palace in Kylara. I mean, you don't have to. It was just an idea. You know what? Let's just forget about. It was just a spur of the moment thing." Joshua looked away. "I didn't mean to..." "You didn't?" Lance frowned slightly. "Because I would jump at the chance to live in Kylara. But if you didn't mean it..." "I..." Joshua stumbled, mouth wide open. "I... I just thought you wouldn't want to..." "Why not?" Lance demanded softly. "Why would I say not to being that much closer to you?" "I'm sorry." Joshua said, turning away from the Prince, yanking his hand out of Lance's. "I just... I thought... I don't know." "Joshua." Lance took Joshua's hand and sighed. "I'm not angry, and there's no reason to apologize. If it was just an idea, fine, I'm not going to get angry about that. But if it wasn't, and you want me to move to Kylara, I will. Today. Right now." "Today?" Joshua's mouth twisted into a wry grin. "That's soon." "You're observant." Lance offered the King a smile. "But seriously, Joshua. I would. If you... if you wanted me to." Joshua leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Lance's petal-soft cheek. "I do."
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Christopher wiped the rain from his face. "I can't see anything." He complained. "Neither can I." Lance agreed. "Joseph, come on, I know you can weather work." Christopher urged. "At least make it so we can see the road we're on, if we're still on the road." "We're still on the road." Joshua said firmly. "I would know if we weren't." "Because one of us would have walked into a tree by now." Christopher answered. "Please, Joseph." "I'm trying." Joseph snapped, voice thick with irritation. "You're TRYING?" Christopher scoffed. "Sure looks like it, Joseph." "Could you possibly be quiet for one second, Christopher? I'm trying to concentrate." Joseph yelled, but the heavy rain muffled his voice. "Oo, he's trying to concentrate." Christopher made a face. "Lance? Is there anywhere we can take shelter?" Joshua asked, wiping some rain from his horse's forehead. Lance closed his eyes and sent his power in every direction, searching for a semi-dry place near them. Christopher shivered as the alien magic flooded him. He'd always felt when magic was being used, but Human magic was weak compared to Wyr magic and Shayani magic was 100 times more powerful than Wyr magic. "Nowhere." Lance said quietly. "I'm sorry. Everything is wet. We either have to keep going, or go back to Lakra." "Or we could stay here and freeze to death." Christopher suggested. "I don't know what's wrong. It's an easy spell to lighten the rain, especially in the forest like this, because my magic should be stronger here. But it's not working." Joseph frowned. "It's always worked before." "Let me try." The Shayani offered and closed his green eyes once more. Christopher tried to get out of the way of the surge of magic but it didn't work and once more he felt the weird power pumping through his body. "I can't seem to do anything either." Lance said thoughtfully. "Which means that this isn't a natural storm. Which, in its turn, could mean quite a few things. A novice weather-worker could be testing his skills to create storms, which is highly possible. Or one of the four Races' rulers has created a storm to feed the land, which isn't likely, because the closest rulers are my father and Joshua, and I don't think either of them created the storm. Or... someone purposely created a storm to block us into the forest." "Well then I'll just call my relatives. The Oak Hall is somewhere near here, or it was last time I was here." Christopher winced as Joey mentally sent out a series of high-pitched wails. Joshua and Lance looked completely unaffected. "Okay. We now have shelter." Joseph smiled. "If you would follow this lowly Duke, your Majesty?" "Do you want another mouthful of mud?" Joshua threatened, following his friend off the path. "I don't even want to know." Lance said, shaking his head and following them.