"You really didn't know about this?" Asher asked as he led the way.

"No." The beast replied, struggling through the narrow passage, head down and body crouched.

"So you probably don't know what they were used for then..."

"My guess is they were meant for servants to more easily get from one end of the castle to another."

"You think so?" Asher asked, finally stopping. "Then what's this for?"

The beast looked over the servant's shoulder and noticed the strange hidden room with the painted glass window. He tilted his head curiously, and Asher moved out of the way so he could enter.

The beast stood as tall as he could and looked around. "I'm not sure."

The servant wandered onto the carpet and sat down. While the room had obviously not been in use, there wasn't a speck of dust, and he suspected that was thanks to the castle's magic.

Leon remained standing. "So is this what you wanted to show me?"

"I didn't actually want to show you anything. I mostly just wanted to talk, but you know...If Elise popped in then I wouldn't get much time to do that. And it's been a few days since we last got to do anything together."

Now the beast seemed downcast as he finally stepped closer and sat down. "I'm sorry. She seems to get defensive when you're around for some reason. And we don't know when the witch will return so I thought the more time I spent trying to make her happy, the faster she'll..."

"Fall in love?" Asher finished for him.

The creature nodded with eyes averted.

The servant sighed, already knowing this but still feeling upset about it. "Do you love her? Or does that matter for the curse?"

"I think it does, but I don't know if I love her yet. I've known her for a long time, but the only times she ever came around was when my mother invited her over. I used to think she was just my mother's friend back then. I asked her why she rarely tried spending time with me before when Ebony wasn't around, but it would seem that my father was also making sure none of my suiters could get to me easily. I'm beginning to think my parents may have been fighting behind my back about it..."

"But you do think she can break the curse, right?"

The beast sighed. "I don't know. I hope she can, but..."

Asher had a feeling Leon could sense that the woman was only interested in power, and unfortunately, power didn't lead to love.

He watched the beast stare at the ground sadly. He looked like he was on the verge of giving up on everything if this didn't work. Asher truly wished there was more he could do to help...

"Do you know if there might be any sort of loophole?" He wondered. "You said that you needed to get married, and that they had to love you. You're not sure if you have to love them too, but let's say you do. What if it's platonic love? Are there any women who you were close friends? Like a maid, another princess, or a family friend?"

"Ebony and my father made sure I never had the chance to get close to any women."

"But what about at tea parties? Or during holidays? Is there really no one you can think of that you could say that you loved as a close friend, who would agree to marry you just to break the curse?"

This time the beast's eyes flicked over to the servant and he did not turn away. Asher waited for an answer, but the beast shook his head. "No one I could legally marry."

"Does...Does it have to be legal?" 

"What are you suggesting?"

Asher scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He felt embarrassed to say this out loud, and immediately began second guessing himself. "Well, I was just thinking...She didn't specify that you'd need the church's approval...Did she?"

Now Leon's gaze was drilling into him. "Not per se...But I would imagine that it'd have to be a binding marriage in order to count."

"Why not try and bend the rules though? Just to see if it works?"

"Because magic is peculiar. I was told that sorcerers were restricted in what they could do and there were rules that had to be followed, both when casting and breaking a spell. That may be complete balderdash though. The tutor that told me this wasn't a magic user so he could have been talking out his ass."

"Restricted how?" Asher asked with new interest.

"I don't know. Maybe..." He frowned, thinking about it. "She could have cursed me to fall in love with her, but instead she gave me options. I think that was because love is more powerful than magic and can't be controlled. It may be why love is the key to breaking most spells actually."

"So then why didn't she make it so that the only way to break the curse was to marry her?"

The beast shrugged. "That would have been simpler on her part, but I'm glad she didn't. Maybe it was a pre-written spell? Like, another witch had made it up and she couldn't alter it?"

In other words, someone else taught it to her.

Oh how he wished he knew of other magic users so he could confirm his suspicions, but he couldn't. 

"We can still try." He muttered.

The beast tilted his head. "Bending the rules?"

Asher began blushing as he tried to play it cool. "Sure. Why not? Just have that platonic friend of yours agree to marry you. You're the Prince, so you could appoint someone to be a priest and have them do the ceremony. Worst case, it doesn't work and we go back to the first plan."

"I can't do that. Only the church can appoint a new priest, and even if that weren't the case, Elise would be pissed." The beast added. "If this 'platonic friend' agreed, I don't think she'd appreciate being set aside while I host a wedding with someone else."

"But if it works, then-"

"Then what? Do we divorce afterwards, or stay together?"

The servant's mouth opened and closed. Obviously he'd want to stay together, but Leon hadn't clarified that he knew it was Asher who was offering himself for this experiment.

"What do you think?" He diverted.

Suddenly Asher felt something slither round his thigh and found the beast's tail had wrapped around him. It tugged, pulling him closer to the beast as he looked down at the servant. "What do you think?"

His heart was pounding in his chest. This wasn't what he had in mind, but he liked where it was going.

Elise wanted power, so even if she got offended by the fake wedding and it failed to break the curse, she certainly wouldn't give up if the Prince returned to her.

But was it okay to use her like that? She hadn't technically done anything bad to him aside from keep him apart from the Prince, and what was happening now pretty much verified that she was right to do so.

Asher felt drawn to Leon. Whenever he was back at the village, he would think about how the beast was faring without him. When he was in another room, he wondered what Leon was up to, and when he was sleeping, he dreamed about the Prince and what he would look like once the spell was lifted...

He wanted this ridiculous plan to work, but feared the consequences if it didn't. Neither of them really understood magic, plus he was a commoner and a man. The odds were against them, but at the moment, that didn't matter because Asher just wanted to be close to Leon, no matter what.

Before he could help himself, the servant leaned up and connected his lips with the Prince's and to his dismay, the beast pulled away.

Leon's eyes were wide with surprise as he stared back at the servant. Asher realized his mistake. He misread the situation, he-

Leon's lips came back down onto his before the servant could panic. The Prince had been surprised, but was more than eager to return the favor.

Asher accepted the kiss gratefully and reached up to wrap his arms around the beast's neck. Slowly he slithered up until his chest was pressed again the monster and he sat comfortably in his lap.

The beast then carefully moved his clawed hands so that he wouldn't harm his partner, and he started trailing kisses down to the crook of Asher's neck.

Asher's body heated up the more the beast nipped and licked with his serpentine tongue. They hadn't been able to do anything like this for a while, and even though they weren't experienced, they knew it felt amazing and that was all they needed to know.

Curious, Asher pressed his pelvis against the beast and was delighted to find that he was getting hard as well.

They were in a secret room, hidden away from Elise and her guards, so no one could interrupt them here. Not even Ebony.

That thought encouraged the servant to act more boldly as he trailed his hands down along Leon's chest, then up to cup his chin and guide him back so they could return to kissing properly.

An animalistic groan escaped the beast as he bucked upwards, sending shivers up Asher's spine and he too pressed down, seeking more contact.

He cursed his clothes, wishing they were completely bare like before. He remembered how hot and smooth Leon's dick was when he pressed his own against it, and curiously he reached down, prepared to release Leon from his trousers so they could do that again.

As he did, his injured arm got squeezed between their bodies, irritating his stitches and causing him to pull back with a painful hiss.

Leon stopped as well, wondering why the servant pulled away and saw how he was now cradling his arm.

"I'm fine." Asher tried to reassure him, but it was too late. The beast shifted, knocking the servant off his lap as he stood and backed away, shame once again on his face.

"Leon, wait!"

"No." The beast turned. "It was foolish of me to even consider taking such a risk. I can't do that. I've already hurt you once, I can't do it again. Please understand. Elise is the safest option. At least for now."

Asher sat frozen as the beast left.

He couldn't be serious? They had been discussing marriage and what they'd do later. Now he was going back on it because he was afraid Asher would get hurt again? Was he scared that Elise wouldn't be willing to return to him if their plan failed? That wouldn't even matter if they could break the curse!

If...

He wanted to chase after the beast and slap him, but laid down on the carpet instead. Leon had said so himself, he didn't have the power to appoint a random priest, and without a priest, their marriage wouldn't be official enough to break the curse anyways, and the real church would never approve of two men getting hitched...

He was back to hoping things would change once Leon's curse was lifted. And he hoped that would be soon.

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