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Rescue Me

Summary:

Prince Clinton of Barton House is young and in love with Buchanan, a young ambassador from another country, and keeps it a secret from his father out of fear. When his father tries to force Clint into an arranged marriage with a princess, he runs away. But Buchanan has a secret of his own--he isn't just an ambassador, and his real identity might just be the key to saving Clint.

Notes:

This is my first fic for Winterhawk Week, the prompts are: Search and Rescue, “It’s lonely here without you.”, Forbidden Love, with one chapter for each prompt. Many thanks to Dottie as always for betaing!

Chapter 1: Forbidden Love

Chapter Text

Clint sighed, sprawled across his wooden “throne”, listening to his parents and brother discussing some issue or other that Clint had no interest in. The subtle clearing of a throat nearby had him lifting his head instead of letting it hang over the side of his torture chair. Ambassador Buchanan stood to Clint’s left, straight and tall and gorgeous in his blue robes. His hands were tucked behind his back, left fingers curled around his right wrist, and everything about him exuded patience. He was watching the door at the far end of the hall, but Clint still felt his attention on him.

“Prince Clinton,” he murmured, low enough his voice wouldn’t carry beyond Clint. “Best sit up now; the visitors are nearly here.”

Clint took the warning for what it was and sat up, sitting in the chair properly even though it always made his back stiff to do so. Presenting himself in a slouch to the visiting royalty from the neighboring kingdom of Zvezda to the west would only get him in trouble with his parents later. Clint tapped his fingers in a short sequence on the arm of his chair. Ambassador Buchanan smiled and ducked his head, shuffling his feet before he straightened and faced the door again. Clint copied him, and his family’s bickering cut off as the doors opened and the visiting royals were announced.

Clint dutifully memorized names, faces, and status with the help of his sign language interpreter, standing out of sight behind the visitors, but his real focus was on the man standing next to him. Ambassador Buchanan was a few years older than Clint, handsome and kind and patient and everything Clint wasn’t. He’d been stationed with the House of Barton by his own kingdom, Stea, almost a year ago. He’d spent that time diligently studying their culture and languages, doing his best to make friends with everyone from the King to the maids who cleaned the fireplaces, and had gained several admirers and broken several hearts in the process.

He was everything Clint wanted and everything he wasn’t allowed to have.

Of course, Clint never let something like not allowed to stop him.

Clint glanced up and caught Ambassador Buchanan watching him from the corner of his eye. They both smiled for a moment as they made eye contact and then the ambassador looked forward again.

Clint’s heart was the only one Ambassador Buchanan hadn’t broken. No one knew that, though. They were careful to keep their private meetings secret. The King was extremely disdainful of same sex relationships and Clint would be in big trouble if it was discovered too soon that he was attracted to men. Ambassador Buchanan would also be in trouble for seducing the prince, even though Clint wasn’t the heir. So it was better for everyone if no one else knew.

He sighed as the formalities finally ended and he was allowed to get up and leave. Ambassador Buchanan and the visiting family’s younger prince and princess, Pietro and Wanda, followed him out. Clint had been assigned to keep the younger royals company until dinner, along with the ambassador. Clint led them outside to the gardens and gave serious consideration to losing them in the maze-like hedges, but Ambassador Buchanan—and out of the sight of his father Clint felt comfortable referring to him with his other name—Bucky gave him a look like he was reading his mind and shook his head slightly. Clint gave him a rueful smile and led them to the stables instead. Clint loved the horses. He’d been practicing shooting from the saddle and was getting really good at it, and his own horse, a mare named Starlight, was calm enough he’d started riding without a saddle, gradually getting her used to him standing on her back like horses he’d seen in the circus did.

Clint introduced Pietro and Wanda to the horsemaster and then made a beeline to Starlight’s stall. She greeted him with a nudge to his shoulder as he let himself into the stall. Curled up at her feet was a scruffy yellow dog, who stood with a wag of his tail and pushed into Clint’s space for his own greeting. The dog had been the runt of his litter, and an early infection had cost him one of his eyes. Clint had been allowed to care for and raise the dog, and had named him Lucky when he lived despite all expectations. He greeted both the animals and then led Starlight out of the stall to get her tack on.

The horsemaster was helping Wanda and Pietro select horses for their own use, while Bucky was three stalls down with his gentle gray gelding, Winter. It didn’t take too long to have all four of them ready, and Starlight pranced out at the head of the line, eager to get out and run.

“How fast can she go?” Pietro asked, coming up beside him.

“Fast enough,” Clint replied, raising an eyebrow as Pietro grinned in challenge.

“Want to race?” he asked.

Clint frowned in thought, eyeing the path in front of them, and then kicked Starlight into a gallop. She leaped forward and Clint laughed as Pietro shouted in outrage behind him. He kept the race short, ending it at the large pond in the back of the property, still in view of the castle. He dropped Starlight to a canter and Pietro flew by on his borrowed horse, hunched low in the saddle like an experienced racer. Pietro circled back when he realized Clint wasn’t following. , both horses slowing to a stop.

“She’s fast,” Pietro said, admiring. “I’d like to see her against my Quicksilver; he’s the fastest horse I’ve ever seen.”

“Maybe we can race them sometime,” Clint said. “If he’s as fast as you say, I’d like to see about mixing the bloodlines.”

Pietro sat up straighter with pride. “He is very fast. My father wanted to geld him but I wouldn’t let him. Not if there’s a chance we can breed on his speed.”

“It’s hard to find good horses for breeding,” Clint agreed. He twisted in the saddle to see if Bucky and Wanda were nearby and saw them trotting closer. He nudged Starlight into a walk and waited for them to catch up and match his pace. Pietro fell back to talk to his sister and Bucky caught up with Clint.

“Have fun?” Bucky asked. Clint just grinned back at him.

“Come on. If you aren’t afraid to get your feet wet, there’s a good spot for swimming on the other side of the pond,” Clint called to the twins. The horses trotted around the edge of the pond and then slowed to wind their way through the trees at the far end. The grove gave some privacy to swimmers and Clint and Bucky had taken advantage of it several times. When Clint stopped and dismounted, the others followed suit. Bucky took his time tying his horse to a tree and Clint eyed him. Bucky just gave him a smile and glanced pointedly at the twins. Clint dipped his chin in a nod and waited for the visitors to go to the water, out of earshot and direct sightlines. Bucky stepped closer and backed Clint against a tree, leaning in to kiss him slow and sweet. Clint closed his eyes and set his hands lightly on Bucky’s waist, careful not to rumple his clothes.

“I’ll come see you in your room tonight after dinner,” Bucky murmured against his lips. Clint breathed out shakily and nodded. Bucky smiled, kissed him again, and went to join the twins at the pond. Clint took a moment and made a show of checking Starlight’s hooves until he felt he had calmed down enough to join the others. Clint just had to make it through dinner and he would get what he wanted.

~~

“What do you mean, I’m betrothed?” Clint demanded at dinner.

His mother shot him a look, but Clint didn’t care that he was making a scene in front of the visiting family. “Clinton, we’ve discussed betrothals before—”

“Yeah, in relation to Barney! You never said it would apply to me!”

The King scowled at him. “Charles’s betrothal is an important matter because whoever he marries will someday be the queen and mother of the future king. It’s a delicate choice. But yours is simply for the purpose of an alliance.”

“Who am I betrothed to? Her?” He gestured at Wanda. “Is that why they’re here? She’s like ten!”

“I’m fourteen,” Wanda retorted before her parents shushed her.

“We were hopeful, but no,” King Harold said. “She is already betrothed to one of those...visionaries in the east. Your betrothal is to Barbara of the Morse family.”

“Bobbi?” Clint asked incredulously. “I can’t marry her, she’s my friend! It would be too weird!”

“It’s been decided, Clinton,” Edith said firmly after a glance at the rage building on her husband's face. “Don’t argue anymore.”

Clint glared at both of them and then shoved back from the table, storming out of the hall, past Ambassador Buchanan who had been quiet the whole time. Clint didn’t look at him, instead shooting a glare at Barney too for good measure before he slammed the door open on his way out.

Sometimes Clint really hated being a prince.

~~

Bucky made good on his promise to come to Clint’s room that night, but Clint was in no mood for company. When Bucky knocked, Clint stayed on his bed, lying on his stomach, clutching a pillow, and glaring out the window. Bucky let himself in and closed the door behind himself.

“Clint—”

“Go away,” Clint said petulantly. “I’m going to be married, I can’t have...flings.” He didn’t look away from the window, but he could see the reflection of Bucky’s flinch in the glass and felt bad for it.

“...I am going away,” Bucky said.

“What?” Clint turned at the solemn note in his voice. Bucky leaned back against the door and crossed his arms.

“Your father dismissed me. I’m going home in the morning.”

“What? Why?” Clint sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed.

“I tried to argue for you,” Bucky said with a small shrug. “I proposed a betrothal to the Barnes family instead. I think you would like it in my home kingdom. Princess Rebecca isn’t available as the heir, but there are five other sisters...and also the prince.”

Clint’s jaw dropped. “Did you actually say that to them?”

Bucky nodded and grimaced.

“You know how my father feels about men being together, no wonder he’s sending you home!” Clint dragged a hand through his hair.

“Prince James is a valid option, though. Along with Princess Alice and Princess Ruth Beatrice. The others are under ten years old so I wouldn’t suggest them as a match for you—”

“But I don’t want any of them,” Clint protested. “I don’t want anyone but you.”

Bucky’s eyes softened and he pushed off the door, crossing the room to Clint, who stood to meet him. “I know.” Bucky cupped Clint’s face in his hands. “But at least if you married into the Barnes family I could still see you sometimes. We could still be friends maybe.”

“Why can’t I just marry you? I could run away and we could be together,” Clint said.

“Let’s save that as a last resort,” Bucky said. “I don’t want you to be in danger.”

“I’d face dragons and armies and my father if it meant I could be with you,” Clint said earnestly.

Bucky smiled and stroked Clint’s cheekbones with his thumbs. “You’re sweet.” Bucky kissed him and Clint leaned into it, and then the door creaked the way it only did when it was pushed all the way open and they froze for a moment.

“What is going on here?” the king demanded. They turned to see his face was red with rage.

“Father—”

“King Harold—”

The king stormed up to them and grabbed Bucky’s upper arm tightly. “So this is the reason he’s refused the betrothal? You have been corrupting my son! Rest assured you will never see each other again!” He began dragging Bucky towards the door.

“Father, please! It wasn’t his fault, it was me, I—” Clint tried to grab his father and King Harold swung, backhanding him hard enough to send him to the floor. By the time the room stopped spinning and Clint sat up, they were gone.