The Arlow's family, of course, was not happy when one of the heirs brought an unknown boy to a luxurious palace on the edge of the capital of the northern continent and called him his betrothed. The parents Yuna and Goef with a noble aristocratic heritage, looked slightly depressed by their son's statements. They glared at the young man, barely smiling, but did not voice any disapproval.
"How did you two meet?" — Yuna warily asked, inviting the guests at a table set with delicious dishes.
"Your son has hired me as his personal assistant."
"Ahh... well, I see. You, young man, are just his type, especially since a merchant ship is not a place for girls."
"Mum! - Arlow put in softly. - Do not confuse my chosen one with your prejudices. I have already brought to your attention that my spouse will be a man, whether you like it or not."
"We actually thought… - father interrupted. - ... that you will stop being so crazy and on long journeys some hot chick will turn your head..."
"Hmm, - Arlow frowned and whispered in a low voice: - Do not start it again!"
Yuna, meanwhile, continued her questions, openly admiring the charming young man, dressed in a closed jacket made of dark shimmering fabric:
"Are your parents of noble birth? Where does such exquisite beauty and delicate manners come from?"
"I don't look like my parents, and they are ordinary," - Ray noted, casting a helpless glance at Arlow.
"His real father is an angel!" - he blurted out with a serious look, to which his mother arched her eyebrows in bewilderment.
"Ah, if that's the case… what doubts can there be in your choice?" — she said ironically, looking back at her husband, frozen with a hilarious expression on his face at his son's strange explanation.
"I never would have thought that angels could be fathers and their sons - gays. Your jokes were always funny."
"What jokes!? - Arlow blurted out. - For some reason, the royal court has been descending from the heavenly messenger since ancient times; can't this really happen now to some worthy family?"
"You say seditious things! - his father objected. - Don't you dare bring such things to my crowned brother."
"Your uncle is the King? - Ray wondered quietly, turning to Arlow. - Are you a Prince?"
"Hasn't he said anything about it yet?" - the mother grinned. - He is the Crown Prince. This means that Arlow is the next contender for the throne. My boy was always on his own, out of this world. He drove us crazy with his antics. Imagine that he ran away from home at the age of thirteen and went to great lengths to reach the very bottom of his life. And for what? Nobody could understand that! Then he showed up when we had lost hope of finding the missing prince."
"I... was looking for myself, - Arlow drawled, waving off. - No need to talk about it!"
"You know, Ray, there's a jewel on your finger that's worth a fortune, - the mother noted with concern. — A large transparent sapphire of at least twenty carats. How is he so in love with you?"
"I didn't know about this, - the teen perked up, looking around at Arlow.
"We have paired rings, mine is with a blue diamond ... - added the prince. - Should my fiancé's ring be cheaper?"
"Where is it? You never showed it to me," - Ray said in confusion.
"You didn't ask..."
Arlow dived into a secret pocket and showed everyone his gem.
"Also amazing! You have different stones! Symbolize two stars?" - Yuna commented.
"They fell from the sky…" - Arlow marked.
"Why don't you wear it?"
"Waiting for Ray to put it on my finger."
Everyone stared at the young man with puzzled expressions.
"So your feelings aren't mutual? - noted the mother. - How so, Ray?"
"Mutual! - the boy stated confidently. - Only now it's hard for me to prove my sincerity!"
"Because I turned out to be the crown prince?" - Arlow clarified.
"Exactly!"
"That shouldn't get in the way. You don't care about status or wealth..."
Confused, Ray lowered his eyes to the plate of barely touched delicacy, and the prince put the ring back in his pocket.
"Where is your adopted son Taylor?" - Yuna changed the topic. - Why didn't you bring him?"
"Do you accept him? — Arlow shook his head. - He's here in the city, minding his own business."
"I would say - yes… If you don't expect to have children of your own, then Taylor is quite suitable for the role of a grandson. A handsome clever boy."
"I'll be sure to tell him about your favour, but he's unlikely to want to be in the palace again. He is not a fan of court etiquette and restrained manners, as you think: a commoner needs a long time to get used to high society, even if it supposedly accepted him."