'love yourself so no man ever has to.'

✧ colton everleigh ✧ ✧ prince of france ✧

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs​:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆GENEVIEVE ‌.

“ you remind me of why i’m a lesbian. ” she sighs. “ colton, has it occurred to you that maybe part of the reason why you only see the worst in dustin is because you … haven’t tried to see a better side of dustin ? ”

“ he has a better side ? ” he asks, drawn out with faux shock. he’s quick to regain himself with a sigh and shake of his head. “ you don’t think i have ? every night, gen. when it’s just the two of us, and there are no possibilities of ruining whatever reputation he’s made for himself. but it’s like pulling teeth. no matter how hard i try, the notion is not reciprocated. if anything, it just reminds me how frustrating he is. ”

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs​:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆GENEVIEVE ‌.

“ you let her handle dustin. you, ” she says, patting his chest, “ just think up a cute date for you and the hubby. let the girls with the brain cells handle the rest. ”

“ a cute date for dustin, huh ? lock me in the dungeons, he will have a ball. or better yet, string me by my feet from the tallest tower. i think that will be the closest you’ll ever get to him being happy. ”

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs​:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆GENEVIEVE ‌.

she scoffs. “ god, no. i can’t stand being around you two for five minutes, the sexual tension clogs my pores. but evelyn, on the other hand, has more patience and strength than every person you’ve ever met combined. ”

he considers it with a cock of his head. if anyone can handle dustin - and if dustin is going to listen to anyone - it certainly is evelyn. she’ll keep him in check, and perhaps that will actually progress them forward. “ i’m not against the idea. but it will be much more difficult to convince dustin. ” 

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs​:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆GENEVIEVE ‌.

“ theeeen why don’t we try something else ? since you two clearly can’t stand to be alone together. let someone else … mediate while you, er, date. right ! go on a date with a chaperone or two. ”

“ a date with a chaperone ? it’s like you’re asking for him to poke at me. ” dustin would never let him hear the end of it. it would be like they were two young lovers, not yet betrothed and in need of adult supervision. “ and who, pray tell, would be chaperoning this date. you ? ”

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs​:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆GENEVIEVE ‌.

“ you are both so stupid and i hate you, ” she says with feeling. “ if you’re so unhappy, why not just … have an affair ? didn’t he give you explicit permission to see someone else on the side ? ”

“ well ... yes. though i never know how serious he’s being. ” or if he can be serious at all. “ besides, it would feel ... wrong. royals do it all the time, i know, but ... ” it would be so easy ; he was king after all. anyone would rush to join him in his bed. “ ... i promised myself to my husband, and my husband alone, as insufferable and irritating as he is. ”

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs​:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆GENEVIEVE ‌.

she shakes her head, a quiet chuckle floating into the air. “ this has to be the longest foreplay on earth. why can’t you just blow him and get to the good part of the story ? ”

“ there will never be a good part. it’s all sad exposition ; no happily ever after. ” he lets out a long, drawn out sigh. “ i will never have my prince charming. don’t you see how upsetting that is for me ? some sympathy would be nice. ”

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs​:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆GENEVIEVE ‌.

genevieve pushes a hand through her hair, throwing another look over her shoulder. “ if they’re scaring me, they’re going to have a field day with your daisy ass. ” she let out a sigh and took his hand. after all of their years together, formality is nothing but a word between them. “ where’s his highness now, by the way ? isn’t he supposed to follow you around like a lost lovesick puppy ? ”

he couldn’t scoff fast enough. “ i think he’d rather die and fall to the ninth circle of hell where he belongs. ” despite their shared nights together in the same bedroom, the very closest he had ever been with anyone - with the very last person who is supposed to be just anyone - dustin is just as prickly as he was night of their wedding, albeit a bit cockier.

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs​:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆GENEVIEVE ‌.

genevieve rolls her eyes, shoulders sinking with relaxation as his voice washes over her. “ the only thing scary about you is your husband, your majesty. ” she walks to his side, hip mindlessly knocking against his as she sidles closer. “ speaking of ––– can we boost security ? i can’t shake the feeling that someone has been following me, lately. it’s… disquieting. ”

falling in step beside her, he raises an eyebrow and takes a quick glance behind him. their security is already topnotch; they live in a palace. but one can never be too safe ( such comes along with the life of a royal ). “ if it will make you more comfortable, then i suppose i can speak with the general later. i have to keep all of your attention on me after all. can’t have you distracted. ”

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs​:

––––that sound again. genevieve twists around, wrapping an arm around her stomach. “ hello ? is someone there ? ”

“ so startled by little old me ? ” he steps forward, the light hitting him. “ perhaps being king really has made me more intimidating. ” 

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs‌:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆EVELYN .

she  huffs  out  a  laugh,  feet  kicking  in  the  water.  “  he’ll  be  so disappointed.  ”  knowing  dustin,  he  will  be,  even  if  he  doesn’t  admit  it.

“ oh i’m sure he’ll be devastated, ” he agrees with a roll of his eyes. “ anyone would be lucky to kiss me. sadly i don’t think he’s earned that right. ”

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs‌:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆EVELYN .

despite  herself,  she  grins.  “  there  are  many  men  who  can,  in  my  opinion,  rock  a  dress.  dustin  is  not  one  of  those  people.  ”

he laughs. “ if he’s cinderella, he’s most certainly not getting any kiss at midnight from anyone. “

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs‌:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆EVELYN .

“  you  certainly  aren’t,  ”  she  agrees,  placid  smile  on  her  lips.  “  but  nothing  about  dustin  is  a  fairy  tale.  unless  he’s  some  …  mutilated  cinderella.  ”

“ but he’d look so hideous in a dress, ” he points out. perhaps she has a point. dustin isn’t as horrible as he’d been when he first got to the palace. but that in no way means anything more than tolerance. 

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs‌:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆EVELYN .

“  at  this  point,  your  intransigence  is  a  little  sad,  don’t  you  think  ?  ”  bold  words  to  say  to  one’s  king,  but  evelyn’s  never  been  on  to  give  into  fear.

a part of him wants to snap at her, but he’s too impressed with her confidence. “ i just don’t want you getting your hopes up for nothing. “ he shuts the cover of his book, putting aside. “ dustin and i aren’t some fairytale. “

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs‌:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆EVELYN .

evelyn  makes  no  attempt  to  hide  the  roll  of  her  eyes.  “  or  he’s  starting  to  grow  fond  of  you.  it’s  not  a  bad  thing,  my  king.  better  to  like  your  husband  than  always  be  at  odds.  ”

“ just because we aren’t at each other’s throats does not mean that he’s fond of me. ” he can’t even imagine a world where that makes any logical sense.

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs‌:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆EVELYN .

“  he  smiled  this  morning.  when  i  asked  about  you.  it’s  rare  that  he  smiles  about  anything,  let  alone  royals.  whatever  you’re  doing,  it  seems  to  be  working.  ”

he clears his throat. “ don’t get your hopes up. he was probably thinking of his next torture tactic. ” he doesn’t even understand why he and dustin are such a hot topic. royals who dislike each other get married all the time.

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs‌:

╰ ˟ ｡ ♛ ┆EVELYN .

“  dustin  has  no  room  to  be  upset  with  anyone,  especially  me.  ”  gracefully  toeing  off  her  flats,  evelyn  tugs  her  dress up  a  little,  letting  her  feet  dip  into  the  water.  she  winces  as  her  skin  adjusts  to  the  temperature.  she  lets  her  gaze  travel  back  to  her  king.  “  you  two  seem  to  be  doing  better,  ”  she  casually  points  out.

“ define better, ” he scoffs, still not looking up from his book. he supposes there have been far less yelling, but that’s nothing to get your hopes up over.

[cxlton-e]

libcrtincs‌:

“  come  on,  just  sit  with  me.  it’s  been  forever  since  i  took  a  break.  what’s  the  worst  that  can  happen  ?  ”

“i’m not stopping you.” he flips a page in his book. “but then again, i’m not the one you’ll get in trouble with.”