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Steve and Bucky shared a look at each other from where they stood in the doorway. Their genius boyfriend, who moments before had been talking nonstop since school ended, had just suddenly shut down. Tony was in the middle of his bedroom. Where he had been standing unmoving since he had opened the letter.
Neither of them had ever seen Tony so still, unless he was face-first in a project or research paper. So this was concerning, that a single letter that Maria had handed Tony upon entering the house had done to Tony. They hadn't even seen him like this when the letter stating Howard was dead arrived. Of course Tony didn't really know the man outside of letters.
Most of Tony's family communicated through mail but really that wasn't unusual. Steve had speculated that Tony was like him and Bucky. They just were not sure what lineage Tony was from.
Tony started to shake as he looked down at the letter once more. And that was enough for both Steve and Bucky to move. Bucky carefully took the letter out of Tony's grip, replacing it with his own hand. Steve then moved them until they were sitting on the bed. They laid back onto the soft surface as one. Pulling Tony between the two of them. Tony clung to them both. His breathing evened out as the time passed.
Steve and Bucky just waited. All three just breathed together, listening to the sounds of New York as it went about its business.
They could make out the sounds of Maria downstairs putting together dinner. The smell drifting up from the kitchen. She was making pasta. The homemade stuff. She did not do this often which meant this was a bigger deal than they thought.
Finally after a shaky breath, Tony opened his mouth. "My Aunt, the super nice one that always sends me things and writes to me weekly," Tony explained. As if they didn’t know who Tony was talking about.
Aunt Peggy was the only relative that Tony adored outside his mother. She always remembered his big tests, encouraged his hobbies and always seemed to have watched every recording of Tony's big events. Something that Howard should have been doing but instead he had acted like he had far too many other things to do.
"Anyways," Tony continued. "She is telling me that it is time for me to come home to her and learn about my family. All of them." The way that Tony said it, Steve knew there was something more.
"That doesn't sound too bad. A summer with your rich Aunt. Finding out about your family." Bucky tried to sound comforting.
Tony snuggled closer to them before mumbling back, "I don't think I will be coming back. My Aunt isn't just rich, she is a Queen." Both Steve and Bucky jolted a little at the news.
They had always suspected it. It was common practice now for royalty to send their young off to live normal lives with one of their parents or relatives. It taught them to be better rulers. But to know their suspicions were true, that was a whole ‘nother story.
"Well it is not like she is Queen of the world," Bucky joked trying to lighten the mood. Tony went rigid between them. "You’re kidding," Steve whispered. Tony shook his head in response. "No, my Aunt Peggy is evidently Queen Margaret the Second." Bucky sat up in the bed.
Steve knew that Bucky was thinking the same as him. At least, here was some good news from all of this. Queen Margaret, the Queen of the World, had two heirs to the throne. One of which died and there was a big to-do about whether or not to bring the second heir out of normal living.
In the end, it was decided the heir would continue their normal life. Now here at the age of twenty-two, Tony would be taking his place as Crown Prince.
"That is big babe," Steve said. It really was. "You're going to be great. You always said if you were King, that you would fix so much stuff," Bucky added. Tony just shook his head. "But it wasn't supposed to be true. Besides I am happy here with you guys. You think they would let me continue to date you two? Some ruffians from Brooklyn?" Bucky poked Tony in the side causing him to squirm.
"Listen here Smarty, We are not ruffians." Bucky poked Tony's side with every word. Steve joined in making sure to get Tony in some of his more ticklish spots.
They were soon a mass of tickling, wiggling bodies. It only stopped when Bucky kicked out, knocking over a lamp.
Maria had yelled up to them to stop destroying her house and to come down to dinner. As they moved down the stairs holding hands, Bucky whispered, "We will figure out something Tony." Tony sighed. "I guess so," he said. Tony was a genius and both Steve and Bucky had majored in royal history and royal politics, they would figure something out.
After dinner, Steve and Bucky said their good nights before heading back to their place. Bucky looked grumpy. "What's wrong Buck? I would think you would be happy." Bucky shrugged his shoulders a little. "I am. This worked out way better than I could have hoped." Steve smiled a little at that. It really did. "But?" Steve tacked on.
"But I just wished we didn't waste all that time on those majors." At that, Steve laughed. Bucky joined. When they calmed down Steve asked. "Do you think we should tell him what we found out?" Bucky seemed to consider this for a moment. "No, I don't think we should. Tony won't believe it until he sees it with his own eyes. What we are going to have to do is write your Mother."
Steve groaned, looking upwards towards the stars. "I knew you were going to say it, pal, I just didn't want to dwell on it."
They walked home in silence taking in the city, their home for the past twenty-three years. They would miss it.
It turned out they would not have to write anybody. Their official summons to Court was waiting in the hands of a courier when they arrived home.
…...
Tony had only a few people he considered friends. He could count them on one hand.
There was Rhodey. Who Tony liked to think was his best friend. Rhodey had been around when Tony was a kid. When Tony got moved up a couple of grades in school, it was Rhodey who had been there as a support. Rhodey was Tony's sounding board. Even now, while Rhodey was doing some kind of thing with the world military, he assured Tony that everything would be ok.
Then of course, there was Steve and Bucky who had beat up a bully that was picking on Tony. From the moment the two threw the first punch, Tony knew he was in love.
They had picked him up, dusted him off and took him back to Steve's apartment. They patched him up and then made him brownies. To a six year old, these ten year olds that not only paid attention to him but let Tony hang out with them was beyond anything Tony had ever encountered. That and the fact that they kept doing it helped make up Tony's mind. For Tony there was no one else for him.
That was until now. Not only had Peggy said that Tony was a Prince, The Prince of all Princes but he was also engaged. To add to that, they weren't even giving him much time. Basically Tony had until the end of the week to write MIT and inform them he would not be coming back to school in the fall.
Then he would need to pack his bags, kiss his life goodbye and break up with his boyfriends of four years. Tony was beyond devastated.
This was supposed to be his year. Steve and Bucky had finally agreed to let Tony move in with them. The pair was very particular about what they could and couldn't do with Tony. He was after all younger than them. They didn't even start fooling around until Tony was eighteen and they didn't go all the way until two weeks after Tony turned nineteen.
Steve and Bucky wouldn't even date Tony until he was eighteen. Tony had thought it noble at the time. But now looking back. Tony saw it as wasted time. He was going to leave in a matter of days.
Of course, he hoped that they would find a way around it all but really. What were they going to do? Tell the Queen of the World she couldn't marry off the Crown Prince to his engaged-at-birth spouse because Tony was in love with some nobodies?
No, Tony knew logically that wouldn't work.
Tony made sure to spend as much time as he could with his soon to be ex-boyfriends. The only good thing was that Maria was a high ranking member of court. A princess or something. Not as high up as Tony's father but high enough that the marriage between the two did not cause a scandal.
And now, Tony was finding out that the marriage was not a love match. Tony was grateful that his mother was coming too. Maria had handled all the packing. Or rather overseeing the people his Aunt, sorry, Queen Margaret had sent.
This left Tony with time to "tie up all loose ends" as the Queen had put it. Tony being Tony couldn't find it in himself to handle the confrontation and fall out that breaking up with Steve and Bucky would bring.
Especially with how they were being so nice to him. They took Tony out to eat. They drove Tony to the school to deliver the official notice from the Queen. And they convinced Maria to let Tony stay over for two days. Two whole days of lazy love making and meals in bed. A taste of what their life could have been.
In the end it was all over too fast. By Saturday night, Tony had found himself at the airport, in his new suit, surrounded by a security detail, on a private plane taxiing down the runway to the castle. He tried to wave to the two that stood standing at the ramp. Could still feel the warmth of their hands in his.
The whispers of their voices that they would save some money and fly to see Tony before the summer was out. The feel of Steve's mouth around Tony's cock as Steve sucked him off one last time. The stretch of Tony's hole from where Bucky had pounded into him.
Bucky and Steve were never ones to rush with their making love. But when Tony pulled them into the bathroom. Whispered to them "Make me feel you for the whole flight." They did their very best to do so.
Tony left it unsaid that he needed this memory to carry into the future. Whenever he would be alone or unhappy he would have this.
…
The next few weeks were hard for Tony. Queen Margaret was everything that he thought she would be and more. She was funny and smart. Tony could see where he got it from. Not saying that Maria was stupid, she was far from it. But there were certain things that Tony knew he got from somewhere. Now he knew where.
It wasn't just the Queen that was kind to Tony. There was also Natasha, his new head of security. There was also Clint, who was in charge of teaching Tony the basics of courtly sports. How someone that clumsy managed to be that coordinated with any type of weapon, Tony would never know. Don't get Tony wrong, the man was a damn good teacher.
Then of course there was Honeybear. Rhodey had now been promoted to being Tony's chief of military. The Queen had given Tony a whole team that had been fine tuning him for his big debut.
Thank god, Maria had already been doing the same for years. It was why Tony had always had such high marks in the Art of Being Royal classes. But this wasn't just a review on dancing and how to eat a meal. This was more than that.
Being judged on every little matter, all so he could not make a fool of himself at his debut.
Or rather in front of his betrothal.
If anything that was what Tony was the most upset about. As was the tradition Tony didn't even know their name. His spouse unfortunately could be a male or female. The problem of an heir would be handled later.
Tony had already met Miss Virginia Potts. She would be Tony's official surrogate, meaning she was there to birth any children the royal couple would have. Tony liked her very much. She was spicy like peppers which was why he called her Pepper. She was also a sort of secretary to Tony. Her and Jarvis.
With their help, Tony had at least so far managed to not fall on his face when he entered the crowded hall. Tony also was able to do a bow worthy of his station and sit in a throne for the past two hours with minimal movement.
As was tradition, Tony was here to be seen. Not to speak. That was supposed to happen during his six month celebration. It also was supposed to give his teachers time to work with even the most helpless of cases.
Not that Tony would need all that time.
This all was really just a formality. A chance for the media to see their future King and a chance for all royalty that had returned to their families to see Tony.
At times, Tony wished he hadn't been called back yet. His life was a schedule now, which included the amount of time he saw his own mother. This also meant that he wasn't allowed any mail or communication with the outside world.
It was as if Tony was becoming Amish. Everything was being done for him. Baths, dressing. Food being tasted before he could eat. Tony was surprised they even let him take a shit by himself.
Tony missed his freedom.
God, he missed his boyfriends. He could imagine Steve telling off a servant trying to dress him. Or Bucky yelling about being followed.
It made Tony smile a little. Thinking of Steve and Bucky always did.
Tony was brought out of his musing by the sound of trumpets. It was time for the main event. The presentation of the Suitor.
The crowd parted for a woman in elaborate robes. Tony sat a little straighter. This woman was Lady Jane, she read the stars. She could see the paths others would follow. A gift given to her by the gods.
Lady Jane could read all the stars of anyone with just a simple touch. And while Tony had never met her, except on the day of his birth, she knew a lot about him. She was also the one to decide when to call royals back. A being that was hundreds of years old but looked so young.
Tony watched as she looked around the silent room. She had everyone's attention without even trying.
"Greetings all," she said in a commanding voice. "We have gathered here today for a very special reveal. The one of our very own crown prince, your Highness Prince Anthony." Lady Jane paused for a moment and let the crowd cheer in approval.
Tony wasn't sure all of this praise was worthy of him, since in all honesty Tony hadn't done anything yet. Seemed to him all these people would be just as quick to turn on Tony when it all started to go wrong.
'Steve and Bucky would never stop believing in you.' a voice in his head said. It was a small comfort to know the two were sitting in their small apartment. On the bed in front of the TV staring at Tony.
Tony wondered how many hours at the museum was Steve putting in. Or if Bucky had found a replacement mechanic to cover Tony's summer job position at the shop. Were they still saving money to come and see him? Would they even be allowed?
Lady Jane interrupted his musing. "The stars had something very special in mind for our future King. A viewing that I have never seen this entangled before. The stars have not only shown one but two intendeds. A ranking of Starmates for both."
Gasping went up all over the room. Tony himself was shocked. There was always a match for everyone. It was just what type? There were low level matches, those were just people you could tolerate. Then there were moon matches. These were people you were compatible with. That was Tony's parents. Then comet matches, these were people who would grow to love each other. Most people wanted this.
But Starmates. This was an instant love match. A pairing that could and would change the world. There were very few of these, let alone having three. The mumblings of such a match rose in volume until Lady Jane raised a hand.
When it went quiet again, she spoke, "As I was saying a match like this is very exciting so without further ado I present to you the matches for Crown Prince Anthony. Of the Снег estate, Viscount Зима and of the Sciath family, Grand Duke Captaen." There was polite applause for the titles.
People were more interested in who was behind the names. Tony vaguely remembered the titles and family names. He knew that they were old families. Loyal to the crown but beyond that Tony was clueless.
The doors to the Hall opened allowing Tony to barely make out two tall figures approaching the thrones. Tony had to hold in his surprise at the sight.
It had to be a joke. Right? Even in those extremely well tailored green suits, Tony would know these bodies anywhere.
They moved in sync with one another. One, flawless in each step, blonde hair gelled back. While the other moved with a cocky grace that said yes I am as good as I look. This one's hair, while pulled back, also looked as if someone had run their fingers through it.
The pair bowed at Lady Jane. Then approached Queen Margaret one at a time. Taking her hand and kissing it.
Queen Margret stood gracefully in her red flowing dress. "My Lords, may I introduce my nephew, the Crown Prince," she said, motioning at Tony.
Tony stood watching the twin smiles bloom across Steve and Bucky's faces. Tony held out a hand as Steve approached. Steve gave the offered hand a kiss that lasted longer than it should have. There was whispering in the hall of such inappropriate behavior.
Bucky on the other hand held the offered hand the correct amount of time for a proper kiss. Only to ruin it by very loudly saying, "See, I told you we would be back in your bed in no time, Smarty."
Tony ignored the sounds of outrage that rippled through the hall. Leaning back in his throne Tony took back the hand that they had kissed.
He brushed it against his face before looking them dead in the eye. "Well, I haven't seen you there yet. So I am still right. But I am free tonight. We can make your statement true, my Lord, if you're not busy," Tony said, smirking.