missthingsplace | Utopia 3/?

Title: Utopia
Author: missthingsplace
Parings/characters: Jack/Ianto, Owen, Toshiko, Gwen, Rhys ... others
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters ... unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: When Ianto is sent a request that he, according to his fathers cannot be turned down he has no idea of how much his life is going to change.
Warnings: Slash, fluff, romance, angst, humour, AU, MPREG
Spoilers: Anything is fair game
Rating: NC17 for series

Previous chapters: http://missthingsplace.dreamwidth.org/449741.html

Ianto's eyes scanned over the huge wooden table before him, the amount of left over food from the meal was in his eyes such a waste. The only people sat for dinner were himself and his parents and Prince Jack, they had all eaten heartedly but there was still a mountain of food trying to tempt them.

“What happens to all this?” Ianto asked he Prince. “All this food?”

“The servants get to eat what they wish downstairs in the kitchens once they have cleared away, the rest goes to feed the dogs,” Jack told him with a smile. “we treat our servants well here.”

“I applaud you Prince Jack,” Ianto father told him. “it's not a normal occurrence for the help to be treated in such a good manner.”

“Do you not have servants Mr Jones?” The Prince asked.

“Please, address me as Daffyd your Highness,” he answered. “and yes we but, but just one faithful maid.”

“A maid? You actually have a female in your home?” Jack queried, cocking a curious eyebrow.

“Not exactly,” Ianto dad chuckled. “but the young lad has a … bit of a thing for wearing a woman's skirts and we indulge his wishes.”

Jack laughed heartily, he knew such men existed.

“And do you treat him … her in the same manner as I?” Prince Jack questioned. “Daffyd.”

“Of course!” Ianto's dad said, joining in the conversation. “maids are people just like anyone else.”

“Indeed!” The Prince agreed, raising his glass and then taking a long drink from it. “And how would you like me address yourself?”

“Emlyn, if it pleases you, your Highness,” he answered.

The Prince laughed. “And if it doesn't please me, then I should change your name?”

Emlyn blushed and Jack knew exactly which parent his intended took after, and not just in looks.

“Of course it pleases me, it's your name,” Jack grinned. “now if you will excuse us I would like to take your son for a walk in the moonlight.”

“Of course,” Daffyd answered for the both of them.

“Ianto?” Jack asked, standing and offering the younger man his hand.

Ianto stood and rather shyly took the Prince's hand, letting him lead him from the great hall and out into the castle grounds. Neither of them said a word as they made their way through the castle grounds until they reached what was clearly a well loved and tended rose garden, even in the moonlight.

Jack sat down on one of the long stone seats, pulling Ianto down next to him and gazed up at the clear night sky.

“I love coming out here at night,” Jack said quietly. “it's so peaceful and I love to look up at the stars.”

“But why, they are nothing but heavenly beings?” Ianto asked.

“Are they?” The Prince countered. “Haven't you ever wondered if … if there was more to them?”

“In what way?” Ianto frowned.

“Some say that the Dragons of long past times came from the skies,” Jack answered. “how I wish I had lived in a time when such magnificent creatures flew the earth.”

“The magnificent creatures that stole our sheep and randomly burnt down our homes, our livelihoods?” Ianto huffed. “

“Of course they caused problems, but you must admit they were beautiful?” Jack asked.

“From the pictures I have seen, yes,” Ianto agreed. “but from the huge bones of the skeletons … I'm not so sure.”

The Prince laughed. “Like huge birds of prey, hunted to extinction, it's a shame.”

“But have they?” Ianto questioned the Princes reply. “If we were to believe the rumours, there have been sightings!”

“They are just fanciful stories, made up to excite and amuse,” Jack told him, a chuckle in his tone. “and they are supposed to exist in this Kingdom, in Utopia. Surely if that was so, I would have seen one while out riding?”

“I guess you're right,” Ianto agreed with a small sigh and gave a small shiver.

“You're cold?” Jack asked him.

“A little, but I'm fine,” Ianto answered.

“If you're sure?” The Prince pushed.

“Positive Sire,” Ianto told him. “sorry, Prince Jack.”

“I wish you would just call me Jack,” the Prince sighed. “but no matter, we shall be betrothed within seven cycles of the moon and sun and then you will, as you promised.”

“I will,” Ianto said, his nervousness on his coming betrothal rising again in his mind.

“Tomorrow Ianto I am going to take you out where we can be alone, with no-one else around and we can talk,” Jack stated. “we will spend the day getting to know each other better, you can ask me anything you please and I you, how does that sound?”

“Where will we go?” Ianto asked.

“To somewhere special to me, it is but barely an hour away by horseback,” Jack answered.

“There's one more thing I should tell you then,” Ianto said, feeling a little embarrassed. “I've never learnt to ride, horses have always scared me a little.”

“Scared? Of horses?” Jack scoffed.

“Okay, not exactly scared, I've happily stroked a horse and I have nothing against them pulling coaches, carriages or carts,” Ianto defended himself, his mood clearly changing as he spoke. “but the thought of sitting astride one, that's something I have no urge to do, I have my reasons.”

“But why exactly?” Jack pushed.

“My sister,” Ianto said quietly. “Rhiannon's death was caused by … she was thrown from a horse.”

Jack grasped the younger man's hand in his own.

“I never knew, I'm so sorry,” the Prince said softly. “I knew you had had an older sister, but that was all. Do you want to talk about it?”

“I was only little, barely three years old but I still have the memory so clear in my head,” Ianto began to explain, his voice barely more than a whisper and the emotions of the memory clearly evident as he spoke. “she was eight … I was with my parents in our paddock watching her proudly riding her horse. Galloping around the paddock before taking the small jumps she had made herself from haystacks and bits of wood ...”

“Go on,” Jack urged gently when the younger man paused.

“She … she urged the horse towards one of the higher jumps and it upped it's pace in readiness,” Ianto continued, his voice hitching with emotions as tears began to fall down his face. “and then it happened, the horse stumbled somehow, Rhiannon was thrown from the saddle and … and the horse fell on her … crushing her ...”

Ianto broke off, sobbing freely and when Jack pulled him into his arms he let him without any struggle and buried his face in the Prince's shoulder.

“I'm sorry, I should never have pushed,” Jack said, then kissed the top of the man's head and just held him until the sobbing subsided.

“I'd like to go back to the castle now,” Ianto said, lifting his face and feeling a little embarrassed. “I'm tired.”

“Of course,” the Prince agreed, holding firmly onto the younger man's hand as they walked back towards the castle and up to Ianto's bed chamber.

“Do you need anything?” The Prince asked when they reached the door.

“Just sleep, thank you,” Ianto told him.

“Then I shall leave you to do just that,” Jack smiled softly. “but first ...”

Jack brushed his lips over that of the younger man's, barely touching them.

“Goodnight,” Jack said, finally releasing Ianto's hand.

“Goodnight,” Ianto echoed, opening the door to his bed chamber and closing it again firmly before he dragged the Prince inside with him and then lay down on his bed fully dressed.

“Perhaps this won't be so bad after all,” Ianto whispered to himself, his fingertips brushing over his lips as he remembered the earlier kiss he and the Prince had shared, closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

TBC