"Beautiful Liar" SHORT STORY (Patreon)

SS Beautiful Liar tells a Victorian Era story of a Prince who fell in love with another; other than the sin that is homosexuality, Prince Leon's unrequited attraction to Prince Charlie grows dangerous especially when the latter announced his engagement to an Italian Princess.

⚠️CONTENT WARNING: Violence, acts of suicide, obsession

"Ahhh! Leon, help me!"


Young Prince Charlie had gotten himself in a pinch by sliding off a cliff, holding only to the roots that held firmly against the stone. Jagged rocks were below him, in a call that would be fatal if ever his hands give out.

Prince Leon dove in to save his best friend by anchoring his feet against a rock and pulling Charlie's arms with intense struggle.

"Leon, don't let go!"

"I..." Leon grunted, using all of his strength to pull Charlie up. "I won't let go! Charlie, hold on! I won't let you go!"

"I'm slipping!" Prince Charlie is almost crying because the younger Leon could possibly not support his weight.


"I told you... I... I won't let you go, Charlie!"

year after, at the present day,

"Charlie, slow down!" A young, 18 year old Prince Leon chases his childhood friend through the woods as they played a game of tag, regardless of how old they are.

"Well sorry Grandpa, I have better knees than you!" Prince Charlie replies as he maneuvered through fallen trees and terrain.

"You're older than me, piss off!" Finally, Leon catches up to him and pulls Charlie by the coat.

But Leon suddenly has his foot caught up in a tree root which sent them flying off the wrong way and rolling down a slope. Both boys screams at the fall, hitting various rocks and plants on the way.

They end up on a pile of each other, with Leon atop a laughing Charlie.

"What are you laughing at?" Leon jokingly sneered, glaring at Charlie's face which is merely three inches away.

"We're going to be in so much trouble," Charlie laughs from the ground.

Somehow, that big cheery smile made Leon's heart skip a beat as he stared at the eyes that reflect the shadows of the trees above them. Charlie's amused expression amplified the emotions in Leon that he knew he shouldn't have.

Yet he had those emotions for eight, out of ten, years of knowing Charlie. He still shouldn't have this sinful attraction towards another Prince.

"What are you waiting for, get off me you heavy Grandpa," Charlie giggles, his fun aura radiating off his dirtied face.

Scowling, Leon hit him in the chest and pulls himself up. "You're a block of cheese, go die."

"What, for calling you Grandpa?" Charlie sits upright, shaking dirt off his brown hair and widely smiles at a bitter Leon. "You're always so quiet and grumpy."

"You say that every year I visit," Leon grumbles, holding his hand out to help Charlie off the ground.

"Because, you need to be reminded how to smile..." Charlie flicked Leon's nose before sprinting off to the distance. "Tag, you're it!"

Leon snapped out of his lovesick daze before chasing after the other Prince. "You're a spoiled crumpet, Charlie!"

"Yeah, you still love me!" Charlie yells back, laughing.

Oh, I do... Leon thinks, making him smile as he catches the older Prince once again, this time pinning him against the tree.

"I'm done, I'm not playing anymore!" Yells out Leon. "You're a cheater!"

"I'm not, haha... you're too slow!" Charlie gives him the tongue. Leon stared at his smiling lips, unable to resist such beautiful pair especially at this close of a proximity.

Yet, no matter how strong the desire to kiss his childhood friend against this tree, it's still a sin to be attracted to the same gender. Charlie would hate him if Leon reveals he has romantic feelings towards him, as well as the entire kingdom shunning him.

This wasn't society holding him back. This was Leon holding himself back for the sake of himself, and Charlie.

Leon took a step back and releases Charlie. He couldn't meet his eyes after images of kissing him came flooding into his mind. "We should head back. I ditched the Queen to meet you here."

"That's sweet," Charlie giggles. "But it isn't sunset yet. We should go to the river while the Hyacinths are in full bloom."

Leon was tempted to go with him; for he wanted to spend time with his friend even if it's in a way that isn't his desired status. He loves Charlie so much... yet like a hungry trained dog, he couldn't reach in and devour him for the consequences that come with it.

The pair end up by the river, surrounded by clusters of Hyacinths in full bloom. Charlie looked heavenly, staring at the skies and making fun of their shapes, while Leon lay quiet and keeping his eyes on the most beautiful Prince he can lay his eyes on.

"...I wonder, if space is all black, why is the sky blue? Like..." Charlie rambles on.

Go ahead and kiss him, a voice in his head suddenly says, which snapped Leon out of his space.

What was that voice? Has his bottled desires come and materialized into involuntary thoughts?

I won't, Leon replies to himself, weirdly.

Moments later, upon seeing Charlie asleep under the afternoon sun, that voice came back once again.

He's not going to know. Leon knew that voice was himself, the deepest conscience that yearned for Charlie's love. As he stared at his childhood friend, observing the long lashes as slightly parted lips, Leon sat up.

I want to kiss him. It was unclear if that was Leon's thoughts or his own. But his mind was flooded of thoughts... the taste of pleasure upon taking this opportunity.

What if he wakes up?

What if I regret this?

That afternoon, Prince Leon finally got the taste of his lips landing atop Charlie's soft ones.  It was a crime.

Like any successful experimental taste, he wanted more of it.

♬♬

Leon actually got in trouble the next day for not greeting Queen Victoria, his Grandmother, upon arriving in England because he snuck out to meet with Charlie the second he stepped in the castle. And so, he is to stay in his room and not leave the castle doors for the whole week.

But, Charlie opted to cheer him up by throwing rocks at his bedroom window one late night. Leon hops out of the many layers of blankets from his bed, and goes over to open the window.

Upon opening it, one of the pebbles actually hit him on the head.

"Oops! Sorry, Leon!" Charlie laughs in a hushed giggle. Leon couldn't get mad at him, he looked angelic under the moonlight with his hair under a nightcap and a coat over his nightgown.

"What do you want, o Romeo? Do you wish to die?" Leon threatened with a poetic intonation.

"Come down, let's play by the river!"

"You're twenty, what need is there to play?" Leon replies.

"Games do not know of age; plus, I have something to tell you!"

I wish I have the courage to tell you something, too.

♬♬

They lay under the moon, a starless sky looming over them. The grass was cold under their backs, and Leon still carries with him his closeted feelings. He can hear his heart hammer, though... especially when Charlie shifted to his side, facing Leon with an innocent face.

"My father brought me news," he says.

"He's shipping you off to the East, never to be seen again?" Leon guesses.

Charlie hit him in the arm. "No, silly! Haha, I'm about to be married!"

What. All nerves in Leon shut down at the mention of the last word. What. 

What marriage? When? Why

Yet, all that could come out of his mouth was, "That's nice."

"I know! The Princess is pretty, and I might become King of Italy!" Charlie excitedly claim.

No.

"And you like that? Being tied down to all ....these responsibilities?"

No.

Charlie shrugs. "I mean, yeah. I've looked forward to it all my life. Didn't you remember, we made a bet as to who will land the prettier princess?"

What is this treachery. I can't allow this. Leon could see darkness, and it's not just the lack of stars, it's the lack of oxygen in his brain. He abruptly sat up, leaving Charlie with a confused expression.

"Lee?"

That's dumb, Charlie! You're not supposed to get married! Why now, why ever?! Leon's fists could not be contained from shaking.

Yet, over all dangerous emotions, he calmly states, "What about me?"

"What do you mean? You're still going to be with me. You'll be my best man at our wedding." Charlie stands up and held the shoulder of a somewhat upset Leon. "Lee, what wrong?"

"It's okay," The Prince replies with a strain in his voice. "Congratulations. No one is as happy for you as I am."

Given that he is facing away from Charlie, the other Prince cannot see a stray tear spill from the corner of his eyes.

I've never felt such darkness in my heart before.

"Leon, is something the matt-"

"Nothing." Lies.

The voice mocked him like the coward he is.

"Are you sure?" Charlie faces him, shocked to find a crying face from the boy who never really showed much emotion. "Leon...?"

"I'm..." The Prince shook his head and pushes Charlie away stubbornly. "I'm jealous you're already going to become King and have a wife. Meanwhile I'm stuck here."

"That's because no Princess can resist my charms, haha..." That made Charlie laugh despite the negative aura that surrounds Leon. "Don't be jealous, I'm sure you'll get your Princess soon, anyways. You'll be the Emperor of Russia, how cool is that?"

Take him. Those words dangerously rang in Leon's head, confusing him. Wait, what for?

He's yours. Take him. No one else should have him.

"Are you still mad?" Charlie teases with a smile, as beautiful as the sad moon above them. He places a comforting hand on Leon's shoulders, just as the voice started to get louder.

Take him somewhere no one can find him. Take him!

"NO!" Shocking both Princes, Leon harshly shoved Charlie away, a force strong enough for him to land on the ground.

Shocked and confused, Charlie stares at an equally shocked and upset Leon from the ground. "What's wrong with you? Is that really enough to make you angry?!"

I'm beyond angry.

Please, stop. Leon suppresses those strange, unfamiliar and unintentional thoughts by taking steps away, looking like he's scared of ever touching his best friend again.

How dare he make me feel this terrible.

"Lee, come on..." Leon trips on a tree root but regained his balance. Charlie stands up, concerned for him.

How dare he... he should be punished.

NO.

Only I should keep him. Keep him. Take him.

"Please, don't!" Leon yells when Charlie took steps towards him, confusing the lad even more.

"Leon honestly, you're scaring me..."

He should be scared of me. That way...

"I'm fine. I just need a moment." Lies.

"Leon, you're not fine," Charlie says, eyes void of happiness, now replaced with that of concern and sadness. "Won't you tell your best mate what's wrong?"

Do you know how it hurts, Charlie?

It does hurt, Leon supports the voice's claim. It hurts so bad.

Then take him. He's right there, no ones around. Kiss him with his hands tied up-

No.

That way, he won't-

Leon turns away and ran towards the castle, away from the best friend who had screamed his name back there and attempted to chase after him.

It hurts, Leon. I know it hurts, and it will hurt for days and years and eternities to come.

"Leon!" Charlie yells at the distance, but Leon had successfully climbed back into his bedroom and shut the windows.

If I let him go, I'll be the one suffering.

"I-if I keep him to myself... he'll be the one suffering..." Leon crumbles into a ball at the foot of his bed, a crying mess after locking Charlie out in the cold night.

Which hurts more? The voice echoes throughout Prince Leon's thoughts.

The voice sounded like Leon, as it's all probably a manifestation of his bottled up feelings. However, it's starting to seem like it's not coming from him. He's starting to think that these urges and thoughts are not from his own conscious mind, from how unreasonable and impossible they are.

Take him. Only I deserve him.

It still sounded like Leon. It's still coming from him. But he wouldn't hurt or endanger Charlie... would he?

days later

"Young Prince, you haven't eaten anything but a bite of the bread! Please eat a meal," the servant begs while Leon sat on his bed with his knees against his chest.

"Prince Leon," calls the servant, who has been ignored by him along with many others.

I want to see him.

Leon closes his eyes. No, I don't deserve to see him. I'm terrible. I'm disgusting for having these feelings.

I am disgusting.

"Prince Leon, your Mother requested that you prepare for the journey back to Russia in the morning. By the meantime, please eat even a plate of fruit..."

"Leave."

"Pardon, my Prince?"

Leon snaps his eyes open, staring at the servant with such menacing, deadly eyes, and says in a tone that managed to scare the servant more than Queen Victoria herself, "Get out."

"Y-yes, your Grace..."

At the sound of the door closing, Leon closes his eyes once again, this time for the purpose of holding back tears only for the attempt to fail. He calmly sits there alone with his inner turmoil revealed through his tears.

He'll be happier as a king, without me.

Liar.

"I am a beautiful liar," he replies to the voice in his head.

Letting him go... though it will hurt, it's probably for the best.

A knock suddenly came to his door. He chooses to ignore it, burying his crying face into his knees, but the door is slowly opened revealing the Princess Victoria, his mother, and wife to the Emperor of Russia.

"Leon, my dear..." she says, and he was ready to ignore her just like the rest, if not for a few words she announced. "Prince Charlie is here to visit you."

All molecules in Leon's body freezes, his breath paused, and he can hear the voice in his mind increasing volume without actually saying anything or making a sound. As confusing as it is, it's how Leon feels. He shouldn' t be here.

He didn't lift his head up, but he can hear the refreshing and precious sound of Charlie's voice.

"Lee?" The door is closed behind him, and he steps forward. "Why didn't you come to our secret place? You're leaving tomorrow and you don't plan to say goodbye?"

"Please leave, Charlie," Leon says, doing his best to avoid the pain in his heart cracking his voice.

Don't make him leave. Pull him in and let him stay here.

No.

Forever. Please.

NO. 

"But Lee, you cant resist me," Charlie laughs as a section of the bed dipped, and Leon's heart races at the presence of Charlie merely two feet away. "And I don't even know why you're upset, honestly. Won't you tell me? Why won't you tell your best mate?"

Because I already know I'm disgusting, and I don't need you telling me that if I reveal the truth.


"Leave, Charlie."

"Is it my wedding to the Princess of Italy?" The Prince insists on asking.


Charlie please, I'm drowning here... suffocating...

Confident that his pants dried up his tears, Leon looks up with the bravest face he could muster up; the usual stoic expression he was known for.

"I'm happy for you, Charlie."

Lies. Lies. LIES. Look how much it hurts! Look how much it'll cost me!

But it's for the best.

It'll cost me EVERYTHING. Charlie is my EVERYTHING.

"Charlie's better off without me..." Leon unintentionally mutters his thoughts out loud.

"What? I'm what?" Charlie asks, confused at Leon's incoherent words.
Charlie is the reason I put up with being royalty. I would've ran away from the castle a long time if not for these visits.

"Nothing," Leon says.

If I don't take him and run away with him now, I'll suffer in eternal sadness.

"We wasted time not spending time together," Charlie says with a negative expression. "I won't be here in England the next year you visit. I'll be spending my years in Italy studying, starting... uhm..."

Each release of those words plunges a different knife in Leon's heart.

"Starting when?" Leon asks.

"In two days. When the last leaf falls, I leave for the south."

Leon's right hand flies down and slaps itself on a pillow, strong enough to make a noise that makes both boys jump. Charlie fell confused at the sudden loud action, with the hand tightly gripping the fabric of the pillow.

"Great. That's great. Just great. You're going to be King." Surprisingly, Leon manages to hold back his emotions and remained stoic. "Great... great wedding. Everything is great."

"I'm glad you're... okay?" Charlie says with suspicion that maybe not all is well with this Prince.

Tie him downKNOCKHIM OuT lOCK tHEdOor TELL HIM THE TRUTHifheaccepts ORnot he is ｍｉｎｅfo R ever

"Charlie, please leave."

Ｈｅｃａｕｓｅｄ y Ou t0o mU ch ｐａｉｎ..! too dANGERous f3ELｉｎｇｓSTOP HIMRIGHT NOW

"Why-"

"LEAVE!" Leon aggressively screams out in the tone he hasn't used on any human being of all his years in this world. And to use it upon his childhood friend earned a look of shock and fear from him.

Charlie stared at him in disbelief, hurt, and confusion above all, yet without a word, stands up and rushes out of the door. 

After Charlie had closed the door with a bang, he stops after just one step away from Leon's bedroom, still shocked and speechless.

What's going on with Leon? He thinks, rooted into his place for a few seconds.

Meanwhile, Leon reached out his hand right before Charlie had closed the door, regretful of what he's done and what he has lost.

"No... no, not like this..." Leon muttered to himself, stumbling out of the bed to chase Charlie.

Until he realizes, I don't want to go after him. I want to leave him alone to have a beautiful life as the King of Italy with a beautiful wife.

So why am I going after him?

His bare feet slowly got closer to the door, his mind on a debate with his limbs to go faster. GO FASTER as he might lose Charlie.

But I let him go. I want to let him go.

I have let Charlie go.

N 0 Ｃｈａｒｌｉｅ ＩＳ  ＭＩＮＥ

He realizes it is not he who controls his own limbs. He is now running towards the door.

"No... no!" He crashes onto it, now on a batlle with his own body whether or not to open the door. He curls himself up, threw himself to the side, and caused a vase to be broken.


Ｈｅｉｓｍｉｎｅ

ＩｍｎｏｔＬｅｔｔｉｎｇｈｉｍｇｏ


ｉｔＨＵＲＴＳ

DONT ｌｅｔＨＩＭｇ0


ＤＯＮＯＴLＥＴ ｈｉｍ GO DO NOT l e t h i m G O


The war inside Leon's head surfaced out and he prevents himself from opening the door and potentially harming Charlie.

Meanwhile, Prince Charlie who is walking away from Leon's bedroom suddenly halted in the middle of the hallway at the sound of a crash on the door. Turning around, he notices the door of Leon's bedroom is shaking violently.

"Leon? Are you oka--" something breaks, and he could hear the struggle from the inside.

"CHARLIE!"

"Leon?!" Running back, Charlie assumed that Leon was being attacked and ran back to help him, only to get held back by the locked door. "Leon, what's happened?! GUARDS!"

"CHARLIE, NO. Please stay away! Please!" He can very well hear the pain and tears in Leon's scream.

"Leon, open up! If you're being attacked, I'll get help!" Charlie turns away to get the guards and maybe finding something to open the door, but as he ran for help, he hears something heart wrenching.

"Please... Please Charlie, I love you...."

Shocked by the words said from the other side of the door, Charlie turns around and faces it. Leon's voice sounds pained inside.

"Always, Charlie... I've loved you... more than a best mate..."

Leon crashes himself against the door in attempt to stop himself from opening it.

"S-someday... " more crashes and commotions went on for a brief second inside the room, until Leon was able to continue. "... someday... I will say that in front of you... s-someday, I won't let you go..."

Charlie was paralyzed. He didn't understand anything. As anyone would, after hearing such a confession while danger could very well be happening to the Prince.

And danger did get to him, for the next thing Charlie saw was the bottom of the large, wooden door bleeding thick, red blood, spreading a patch onto the hallway.

Prince Leon, supposed heir to the throne of Russia, was found dead by the door with his throat slit by a piece of sharp, broken china.

♔↭♚

2014
The Present Day

The music in the Starbucks store wasn't overwhelming enough to distract customers from their relaxing moment with coffee. One thing did, however, when the resident heartthrob barges in the doors announcing his glorious presence.

"ELISE MY HOMOSEXUAL PRINCESS, I HAVEN'T SLEPT FOR 26 HOURS AND I AM IN NEED OF CAFFEINE TO KEEP ME AWAKE FOR 3 MORE," a High School senior wearing heavy sunglasses threw himself onto the counter, making everyone but the staff question his sanity and manners.

"I told you not to procrastinate on your research paper," says Elíse, the Barista who has been close to him since middle school. As she was brewing she says, "I thought you were going to seduce your way to good grades?"

The boy took off his sunglasses, revealing a rather attractive face despite having purple eyebags. "My teacher's a hundred year old woman, she'll turn to dust if I touch her."

Elíse smirked at him as she finished creating a drink for one of the customers. "Black iced coffee with shipped cream for... Victor... Strai--Strauss?"

The man who has been quietly reading a book by the display case for the pastries raised a finger for Elíse to notice him. She handed Victor the drink, and as he accepted, he caught the attention of the flashy boy on the counter, too.

"Ew, you like that?" He cringed at Victor's book, Twilight: New Moon.

"I haven't finished it, how can I say I like it or not?" Victor replied, and the boy actually blushed at the much more attractive and gorgeous man in front of him.

"Hmm, same Philosophy for my one night stands... reasonable," the boy snorted.

"One night stands? You're a high schooler..."

"Depression and Global Warming will kill us soon, so might as well have fun while you aren't dead," was the reply, then the boy's face shifted to that of sly flirting. "Besides, no one can resist me..."

"What's your name?" Victor asks, not taking his eyes off this proud vixen.

Just then, Elíse delivered a drink. "One coffee with all the toppings found in the menu for Jace Ford, enough to keep you awake for 8 hours."

Jace winks at Elíse before waving them off. "See ya'll."
He turns to leave with his drink, only to be held back by Victor, a hand tight on his wrist.

"What are you doing? Let me go," Jace says the last small phrase in his home language of Italian, thinking Victor wouldn't understand.

Victor being fluent in almost 7 languages, merely smiled at him. "Oh, I will."

Ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ Ｌｉａｒ
Fun fact: the first idea of this was, "Reincarnation of two destined souls that is never meant to be"

Prince Leon was son of a German Emperor, Victor Strauss is a German
Prince Charlie married an Italian Princess, and Jace Ford is half Italian.

Whether or not both of them are descendents or just mere reincarnation is up to the readers.