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“You know Mum is going to have our heads if we return home late again, right?”
Lando eyes his sister critically and sniffs. “You’re more than welcome to go back. I would like to make the most out of my time away from the palace. And Mum can’t have my head—she needs it on my shoulders if she wants to marry me off.”
Flo pinches the bridge of her nose and replies, “Fine, but you’re going to back me up if she has mine.”
“Obviously.”
“Great. I’m hungry.”
Secretly glad that his sister isn’t about to abandon him in town, Lando practically skips down the cobblestone road. The tournament was fun to watch, and the knight he was rooting for won, as per usual, but he is much more excited to explore and maybe find inspiration for his next painting. Or his next hobby. He collects hobbies faster than he can keep track, and it’s alarming, even to himself.
While he is fairly well-traveled, thanks to his ever-growing collection of coaches, the town the tournament was held in is new to him, far on the outskirts of the kingdom. Lando has no idea what to expect, but if worse comes to worst, he and his sister can transform into cats and escape the notice of others. He isn’t exactly sure when and where magic manifested in his family’s history—one cannot blame him for falling asleep during boring history lessons—but it’s awfully convenient whenever he’s in a pickle… and he is in those more often than he would like.
The king and queen regularly remind him and his brother and sisters to keep their abilities under wraps, that possessing magic places a target on their backs, one even larger than the one they already have simply by being members of the royal family. Lando doesn’t heed a great many things he’s told, but he would never put his beloved siblings in danger like that…
… which means that he startles when he enters a bakery and the owner immediately begins fawning over him. He and his sister did not make any effort to hide their appearances, but he didn’t think he would be recognized this easily either. Quickly, he nudges Flo behind him and smiles to hide his skittishness.
“Your Highnesses,” the owner greets excitedly, “what brings you to our humble bakery?”
“We’ll take whatever you recommend!” Lando responds in a chipper voice that makes himself cringe.
A pair of flaky pastries are pushed across the counter, and he hands them off to his sister while he reaches into his pocket for a couple coins. The owner insists that he need not pay, but he shakes his head, claiming that it is unfair for him to be gifted things simply because he has royal blood.
“Enjoy and come back soon, Your Highnesses!”
“We will,” Flo replies because Lando has just stuffed half of his pastry in his mouth. She gives him an unimpressed look. “Cannibalism.”
“My cat is not an actual pastry. She’s just fluffy like one.”
“Whatever.” A mischievous look crosses her face, which has Lando worried for his own sake. “You know what a new town means?”
“No.”
“New town, new people-”
“No.”
“-new boys. Come on, let’s find someone cute for you to fawn over.”
Lando whines. He sadly chews on the remainder of his dinner as his sister drags him off to a different shop in the square.
Don’t get him wrong, he has no qualms against cute boys or girls. He just gets too attached far too easily, and with his parents nagging him to get married, he has been introduced to far too many people that he is emotionally exhausted. After his previous lover left him to return to his own kingdom, claiming his duties to be more important than romance, Lando has been rather reluctant to give his heart out.
“Not everyone you meet will be like him, you know? Come on, let’s just be cats if that’ll make you feel better.” Trust Flo to be able to read his mind. No magic necessary. Just his sibling knowing him better than he knows himself.
In sync, they duck into an empty alleyway, and two small cats trot back out, scampering across the street and weaving between the legs of the townsfolk to avoid being trampled. Flo leads Lando to the nearest building, nudging the door open. A little bell jingles charmingly. Not every store is cat-friendly, but her intuition has always been better than his, and judging by the smell, this one is a leather workshop. Of course.
While Lando loves visiting blacksmiths and woodworkers around the kingdom, his sister frequents shops that sell all the necessities for her horseback riding. He rolls his eyes at how predictable she is, and it must be a funny sight to any outsiders, to witness an exasperated cat.
And while Flo may be more intuitive, Lando is definitely more alert, ears pricking when he hears faint footsteps coming from the back of the room. He backs into the shadows, attempting to signal to his sister to follow without bringing attention to themselves.
“Huh? I thought I heard the bell… oh, hello.”
From his spot in the corner, Lando can only watch in devastation as a man—quite possibly the most handsome man he has ever laid eyes on—walks into view and curiously approaches his sister, who is shaking like a leaf. The queen will definitely have his head now, if he even makes it back unscathed.
“How did you get in here?” the man mumbles to himself. “Ah, don’t worry. I won’t hurt you. Are you hungry?”
Flo meows. No.
“Um, okay. I might have some leftovers in the back. Do you like fish?”
Lando wrinkles his nose in disgust. Fish. Who does this attractive man think he is? Fish are for actual cats, not people who sometimes turn into cats.
The moment the man disappears, Lando darts back out of his hiding spot, and the two of them make a dash for the door. He hangs around outside just out of view to watch the owner through the window. The man is holding a plate with his godawful fish and scratching his head in confusion. Lando lets out a little wistful sigh and then screeches when his sister bites his tail to get his attention again.
“Lando.”
He covers his face with his hands, certain his face has gone red. “I don’t want to hear it.”
“Let’s go home, yeah?”
🐈.* :★.*
His name is Oscar, and he is so effortlessly sweet. Now if only he would be kind enough to stop rejecting Lando every time he proposes… and it’s really too bad that Lando is too stubborn for his own good.
🐈.* :★.*
“Pleasure to meet you, Oscar. Formally, this time.”
Lando hides his face in the crook of his fiancé’s neck and groans when Oscar makes a confused noise. For such a smart man, he can be so oblivious to what is right in front of his eyes.
His sister laughs, the one that means she is about to make Lando’s life so much harder. “My dear brother didn’t tell you? Oh, this is gold.”
“Exactly what am I meant to have been told?” Oscar asks, now sounding a little concerned.
“I’ve had a crush on you since before that first ball!” Lando interjects before Flo could get a word in. He shoots her a glare. “Did you know that it’s much harder to approach a cute guy in human form, especially in an unfamiliar place? Don’t make fun of me.”
“You tried giving me fish in your shop about two years ago now,” Flo explains. She shakes her head. “And then, instead of going back and introducing himself to you like a normal person, Lando’s dramatic arse came up with a whole plan.” Pointing to Oscar, she adds, “Not everyone has the opportunity to have a royal pining after them and doing that much, so you better treat my brother well.”
Oscar’s hold on Lando’s waist tightens ever so slightly. The little gesture makes Lando feel warm, and it makes him feel even warmer when Oscar solemnly replies, “I would sooner let him run me over with his horseless carriage than even begin to think about treating him badly.”
“You just say the sweetest things, my love,” Lando coos, utterly besotted. His sister makes a retching noise, not unlike a cat coughing up a hairball. Ignoring her, he kisses Oscar’s rapidly reddening cheek for good measure.
“Oh, ew, I’d sooner eat fish than witness any more of this,” Flo complains before smoothly transforming into a cat and making a swift escape.
As soon as the door closes, Lando pushes Oscar into the nearest armchair and climbs into his lap. Usually he would be in the process of unbuttoning his fiancé’s shirt by now, but all he just wants to do is bathe in Oscar’s warmth at the moment.
“Sleepy?”
“You’re sleepy,” Lando retorts.
Oscar huffs a laugh, and Lando stares at him just because he can. His fiancé really does have the loveliest eyes. He reaches up to bat at the hair flopping into Oscar’s eyes before pushing it away from his face so he can kiss him sweetly.
“I love you,” Lando mumbles, “my husband.”
His words sparks their anticipated reaction, and Oscar suddenly rises to his feet with Lando still clinging to him like a limpet. “Okay, I’ve changed my mind. Sleep can wait, actually.”
Lando giggles happily.
🐈.* :★.*
“You may now kiss-”
Ever one to simply do whatever he wants, Lando interrupts the officiant of his own wedding and lurches forward to cup Oscar’s face in his hands and seal their vows with a kiss. His husband just looked too pretty standing there, and he was making him so emotional with his words that there really was no other option.
Oscar enthusiastically returns the kiss, almost dipping him but definitely keeping it appropriate for such a large audience because slipping Lando a bit of tongue would probably make his mother faint. Lando wouldn’t be opposed, though, and he knows that Oscar is unpredictable in the best way possible sometimes. The applause is loud, but Flo’s cheering is especially audible, only rivaled in volume by Oscar’s younger sisters.
“We have to dance now,” Lando whispers into his husband’s ear, and he receives a disgruntled noise in return.
“I hate dancing.”
“But you do love me.”
Oscar smiles so fondly at him. “Unfortunately.”
“Unfortunately!”
🐈.* :★.*
Lando rests his cheek in his palm as he gazes out the window at the birds and aimlessly twirls a quill in his other hand. He rather likes his new little life in town with his husband. It’s peaceful, and he definitely makes a better shopkeeper than he does a prince. He leaves the actual crafting to Oscar, though, after proving that leatherwork is not one of his fortes. Instead, he paints the sunset and picks out little tunes on the piano and happily chats with their customers.
A friendly nip at his ankle jostles him out of his thoughts, and an orange cat slinks out from under his chair.
“Hi, Osc.”
“Hello, darling. What’re you thinking about?” Oscar leans down to kiss him.
“Just writing a letter to my sister. She wants to come visit. I just got a bit distracted.”
Oscar hums. “We can look at the birds together, if you want. And the sunset.”
“You’re getting better at this whole cat thing,” Lando remarks. A moment later, they’re sitting on the windowsill, tails entwined.
The sky is washed in oranges and pinks and purples. Lando slowly blinks at Oscar, who blinks back at him.
I love you.
I love you too.