A/N: thank you to Aikino for being my beta for the last chapter of this story… Now I just have to remember to label it as "complete" too... I tend to forget to do that…

Yes, it's over. Feels weird. Long A/N after the story, though, so I'll not bore you with more here.

This week's title is an Arabian and/or Romani proverb, I've found two very similar versions of it.

By Royal Command

Chapter 37: My Treasures Do Not Clink Together or Glitter; They Gleam in the Sun and Neigh in the Night

Robin still wasn't well from his cold, although he didn't feel half as miserable after making up with Slade. They were still a bit careful around each other, but when the man didn't make any advances on him that night, apart from bundling him up in blankets, getting him tea and holding him, the prince relaxed more and more.

They had crossed the former Blüdhaven border at the bottom of the first mountain, and were now making their way deep into the country by skirting the mountainsides and crossing valleys.

"It's so big!" Robin exclaimed the next morning as they rounded yet another cliff-side and saw the whole range spreading out as far as the eye could see. "I mean, I've seen it on maps, but from Gotham it looks like just a peak or two."

"From Gotham you can only see the southernmost edge, I would imagine," the man replied. "There's a bit more to Blüdhaven than that."

"I haven't seen any cities though, so far?"

"We only have one true city; Lockhaven. We have forts and a few larger towns, though. We'll pass through a few villages once we get to the main valley, but the geography doesn't leave much room for cities… Even most of Lockhaven is carved into the mountain side."

"I can't wait to see that…" Robin said with awe in his voice.

"You're' getting a bit excited about your new home now, aren't you?" Slade grinned at him, and the prince chuckled and shrugged.

"Well, it's… exotic," he said. "Oh, look down there! A farm! They are plowing!"

"Yes, this is why we try to keep our settlements small: farm land is much too precious up here. The valleys have very good soil, fortunately, but it will help now when we can get grain from Gotham too."

"And Gotham needs a better metal supply; we have to import almost all of it."

"See? We complement each other," Slade concluded with a grin.

"Will you import some manners too?" Robin jokingly sniffed.

"Seed is so much more fun," the man leered at him.

"Barbarian," Robin snickered. "Oh, what's that over there?"

"That's a small mine, would you like to stop for a visit?"

Robin did, and soon he was being guided deep into the mountain by the Mine Master himself. It was a bit daunting, having all that rock on top of you, but it was interesting too. This was an iron mine, so that part wasn't terribly exciting; he quite wanted to see a gold mine, even though Slade told him that he'd probably be disappointed.

"We can go pan for gold sometime in the summer, though, I think you'd enjoy that," the man told him as they rode away.

"Pan?"

"That's when you sift through gravel in a river, looking for gold nuggets."

"You can find gold just like that?" Robin blinked, suddenly wanting to go do that right now.

"Yes, quite a bit sometimes. But it's rather far to go, I'm afraid."

"But we still can?"

"Yes, I have some business in the 'gold country', so in a few weeks you'll be freezing your ass off in a cold stream somewhere, I promise."

Robin chuckled, thinking it might be worth it. "Who owns the mines and such, though?" he asked.

"The crown does. The crown owns all the metal and gems in the country, found or unfound."

"But… how about the people here, who dig it out?"

"The crown hires them and pays them salary. And if anyone should make a new find, there are substantial awards so some people make a living just looking for signs of ore or precious stones. The metal or stones are then processed and some of it is sold to individual smiths of different kinds who then sell their products, either inside the country or abroad."

"But now you can sell more freely? Without being afraid that people will realize just how rich this country is?" Robin filled in.

"Exactly. We've always traded with steel and weapons successfully, but some people get a bit crazy when they hear words like 'gold' and 'diamonds'." The man gave the prince a knowing smile, and the boy blushed a little.

"Well, it is rather exciting," he defended himself.

"Don't worry, I had a bit of a gold fever when I was young too."

"I don't have that!" Robin objected and then coughed. "I just have the regular kind…"

A couple of days later and Robin was well again. Slade hadn't caught his cold, luckily, although the other nobles had also got it from Riley. They were all on the mend now, however, but were starting to get anxious about finally arriving in Lockhaven, which they would be doing late this afternoon, if everything went according to schedule.

Robin had found that he wasn't the only one who thought traveling by carriage was a horror filled experience on the narrow roads, but he had now gotten used to it enough so he could rest up a bit in a wagon from time to time. He might be healthy once more, but three weeks on the road, being sick, and the falling out, had taken its toll and Robin desperately wanted to sleep for at least a week… in a warm, soft dry bed. It seemed the sheets in the caravan were always slightly damp and cold. He wanted a roaring fire, and a hot bath, and-

"Look Robin! There's a herd of wild horses over there," Slade suddenly spoke up, pointing down into a valley, and all gloom and discomfort was instantly forgotten.

"Wooow! Look at them! Ha, that foal looks like it's the size of a pony already! No, they spotted us," the young man groaned as the lead mare raised her head and quickly had the herd on the move. "Do they always run off like that?"

"I think our convoy was a bit daunting to them, but they are wild, after all… you won't be able to pet them."

"Pet them? I want to ride them!" Robin chuckled, his eyes still on the galloping herd, which was soon out of sight. They had an enormous valley stretching out before them now, and were slowly making their way down into it. From there they just had to cross it, and Lockhaven would be in sight.

"Promise me you won't sneak down here and try, tomorrow morning?" Slade half sighed half chuckled.

"Of course not," Robin snorted. "I'm going to sleep in first," he added with a smirk.

"Don't break your neck," the king muttered. "Although we can look for some that are actually for sale… I think I have a mare or two you'll like as well."

"Which you'll sell to me? For how much?"

The man just leered at him, making Robin mutter that maybe the prize was too high.

In reality it made his groin tingle, though. They still hadn't been together properly since their fight, and frankly Robin hadn't felt really up for it either, but now, when they were soon 'home', he was starting to look forward to it, quite a bit...

They reached the valley floor in the early afternoon and now the convoy started breaking apart. More soldiers took off to their respective forts, some wagons were dismissed and turned toward other destinations than Lockhaven. They were now all on horseback and travelled much faster, to Robin's delight. When they rounded a patch of trees, however, they saw that their road ahead was blocked by other riders.

"Who are they? Robbers?" the prince asked.

"I don't know…" Slade mumbled, tensing and moving his hand to his sword. The men were still too far away to recognize, but then one of them rode forward and raised his hand in a rather enthusiastic wave.

"It's my son," Slade spotted and the tenseness ran off him, being replaced with a grin. "Let's go meet him."

Ore charged forwards and Robin dug his heels into Slayer's flanks, making the horse follow. The prince was nervous about meeting the crown prince of Blüdhaven and Gotham, though… and it didn't help that he was tired and dirty and…

"Father!" the two men jumped from their saddles as one, and met in a tight embrace. "I'm so happy to see you."

"I'm very glad to see you too, son. Your brother sends his love, although I'm sure you've gotten letters from him since we left Gotham.

"Yes, he seems a bit keen on this lady from Steel…" Grant grinned.

"Not too keen, I hope, I told him I didn't want to miss his wedding," Slade said. "Like I did with yours. Where is that wife you decided you needed?"

"She's waiting at home, overseeing your welcoming feast," Grant said. "But speaking about weddings, I wasn't the only one with a surprise in that department... Is this the prince you decided you needed?" Grant asked and looked up at Robin with a grin.

Until that moment the young man had felt completely invisible and very awkward. He had stayed on Slayer, worried about the greeting he would receive. Grant was blond, just like Joseph, but had Slade's eyes instead of green. He was built much more like his father too; they could almost be carbon copies, where Joseph was more slender.

"I guess that would be me, yes…" Robin said, feeling shy. He was a bit irritated at himself for that, because meeting foreign dignitaries should be second nature to him. It was just that Grant wasn't a foreign dignitary; he was family.

"What in the world are you doing riding Slayer?! Father, do you want to kill him off?"

"Pah, I've always told you that horse is a sweetheart," the king snorted. "And he belongs to Robin now. Yesterday I saw him gape as Robin cleaned his teeth."

"I just noticed he had a bit of hay stuck when I was going to put the bit in…" the Gotham prince shrugged. "It was nothing."

"Nothing? There are stable hands back home still limping after just one encounter with this beast!" Grant laughed. "But it's your funeral. Are you ready to see Lockhaven, then?"

"Yes, very!" Robin nodded.

"He's just interested in the bathing facilities," Slade chuckled.

"Then I think he'll be pleased," Grant smiled. "I'm very proud of what we have achieved there…"

Robin introduced the lords and then they set off. To Riley's horror the pace was really high now, but Robin saw that he managed to keep up somewhat. Two hours later they were very close to the other side of the valley, but the prince still couldn't see a city. There were more farms here, and small collection of houses dotted out here and there, but no bigger settlement. Then the cliff the Gotham youth had thought was the very end of the vale almost seemed to open up, and there was even more land… and on the edge of that, butted up against the very mountain, was the largest city Robin had ever seen. It almost looked like a mountain of its own and, at the top was what had to be Lockhaven Castle; Deathstroke's Keep…

It wasn't pretty – it was a defensive structure more than anything, but it was impressive and looked enormous from down here. Slade had talked about a valley behind it, and Robin had to ask the man what he had meant, because it seemed there was only mountain there.

"You'll see later. There's an old gorge there, where the cliff has split in two and that leads to a valley which isn't as deep as this one, but serves its purpose well enough," the king explained.

The young man nodded, but he really had to see it for himself to believe it.

As the city rose so high, it had the same kind of roads as the mountain had had, winding back and forth, climbing slowly among the houses. Adjoining the main road were several smaller ones, as well as steep stairs, but if you wanted to ride or had a cart it looked like you had to stick to the street, the others were just too steep.

There were a lot of people –the whole city it seemed– waiting for them, cheering and yelling until Robin's ears were ringing. When the castle gates closed behind them and dampened the sound, he drew a sigh of relief.

Only then did he realize something. Slade and he were both wearing their crowns, and Slade was in full armor with his coat of arms on his chest, but…

"Slade?"

"Yes?"

"I remember you saying that you never showed your face, that you wore your helmet with the visor… so they only recognized you by your crown, then?"

"Yes and no… After I made myself 'official' in Gotham, I ordered Grant to spread my portrait so my lost eye wouldn't come as a surprise… although I think that's the worst kept secret in the country, actually. After all, I never used to wear a helmet to bed, nor with known company, only on official business and always when foreigners visited. It's safe to say that everyone in the castle knows what I look like. It used to give me an opportunity to travel more incognito, though… I won't be able to do that now."

"But you're not afraid anyone will challenge you because of your eye anymore?"

"If it didn't stop me from conquering Gotham, it won't stop me from cutting down an idiot or two here," the man laughed. "Besides, I gather that I'm a pretty popular king here at the moment. I wouldn't say 'loved', that's a dangerous assumption, but a challenger wouldn't have many supporters, I'm pretty sure of that."

Stable boys came out to take the horses, and yes, Robin could see that they neared Slayer cautiously. As to make sure they did, the stallion pranced a bit and snorted.

"Don't be silly, you be a good boy now!" Robin chastised him and the animal seemed to look a bit ashamed, calming right down. "That's better. You'll get to spend the night in a nice, warm stable and rest up on warm, thick straw," Robin told him. "There might be a few apples or carrots in it for you too, but only if you're a good boy."

"We'll see to it, Sir- um… Your… Majesty?" one of the older stable hands said.

"It's 'Your Highness'," Robin smiled politely. "And thank you, he means the world to me."

"Hm, do you want to sleep in the stable tonight then?" the king huffed behind him.

"Don't be jealous, Slade," Robin chuckled. "Wasn't there a bathroom you wanted to show me?"

But first there were more presentations to be made. Siw, who got a big hug from her father Wintergreen, turned out to be a lovely young lady; self assured but friendly, not as frightening as Robin had dreaded after hearing so much about the women here.

The prince got introduced to the rest of the Wintergreen clan as well, but names and faces quickly blurred together.

The grand entry hall was hung with banners and weapons. It looked just as impressive as it was meant to be, but not very cozy. It got better when they finally reached the king's private chambers, however. The wall hangings and thick rugs were there for warmth, but they were also surprisingly colorful, creating a welcoming feeling. The hearth in the main reception room looked enormous, and the heat from it was a welcome feeling, drawing Robin over there. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Slade, but this version of the man was from the past. It was a painting of three people; him, a brunette woman with green eyes, and a small blond boy. Adeline and Grant, Robin realized, and yes, she had the same green eyes as Joseph had. She was beautiful, and from what he had heard of her, the portrait captured her character perfectly; proud, half wild, with a great zest for life and still so much warmth and love. How could he ever hope to live up to all that?

"I should have asked them to take it down," Slade said softly behind him.

"What? No!" Robin objected. "Don't, please? She belongs here!"

"So do you."

Robin chuckled softly and shook his head. "I just got here, I hardly 'belong' yet. I don't want you to push her away, Slade, you'd only end up resenting me for it. If the painting had been in the bedroom, then maybe I'd ask you to move it, because it would feel a bit… strange, but it fits perfectly out here."

"If that is what you wish, but if anything bothers you… we'll be sleeping in the same bed-"

"It's still your bed, unless you want to change it because you think she would mind…?"

"I think she might be impatient that I haven't remarried until now," the king sighed. "When she got sick she was very adamant that I wouldn't end up as a 'boring old widower'."

Robin glanced up at the portrait again, and it was probably a trick of the light, but it almost looked like a corner of the woman's lips quirked up a little, and her eyes suddenly looked like they were full of laughter. Robin smiled at her, his insecurities and −frankly− jealousy, was slowly dying down now when he had a face to go with the legend which she had almost become to him.

"Your bath is ready, Your Majesty, Your Highness," a servant announced, and Adeline had to excuse him, but Robin now had more important things on his mind.

The servant left, and the prince was reminded of that they didn't have valets here in the same sense as they did in Gotham. In three weeks he had finally learned to bind his hair in a respectable bow by himself, however, and he really didn't need anyone to wash his back… well… apart from Slade.

They entered the bathroom and even Slade gave a low whistle. Everything was finished, and the tub itself was made of thick, polished copper, built into a hard wood frame with steps leading up to it… and it was huge. It would probably seat three people comfortably and it was so deep Robin could sit with water up to his neck when it was filled, like it was now. The water was steaming, smelling of green apples.

"Astonishing! How big is the water heater to fill this?" Robin asked.

"Apparently a small bedroom above us has been sacrificed to house it," Slade let him know.

"You better hire more servants to carry water to it, because I will use it a lot," the prince smiled as he hurriedly undressed.

"I'll start hiring tomorrow," the man chuckled as he did the same.

The water was almost too hot to handle, and Robin half winced half moaned as he sank down into it.

"The welcome feast is in two hours, don't get too comfy," the king warned as he also entered the tub.

"I'm never leaving," Robin mumbled as he rested his head back against the rounded edge before sinking down under the water completely for a moment.

"I guess we have to carry the bath to the feasting hall," the man said as Robin reemerged.

"Sounds perfectly fine… or you can just take something back here for me to eat?" the prince suggested.

"Well, if you really don't want to go…?"

"No, no, of course I'll go," he said, lifting his hands. "I'm sure the water will get cold eventually anyway."

"I'm afraid it will," Slade chuckled and handed him a bar of soap. "Start scrubbing off that road dust."

Robin did, with gusto, until every nook and cranny felt squeaky clean again. He then stood up and used the buckets of clean water the servants had left to the side to cool slightly, to rinse his hair and body from the suds and the now pretty dirty bathwater.

Thick, luxurious towels made Robin think that maybe they weren't barbarians here after all, and the servants had laid out fresh clothes for them both, Robin's having been packed back in Gotham. The prince hesitated a bit as he saw the outfit, though. It was very nice, but… would it stand out too much? On the road here he had started to wear the simpler style of Blüdhaven more and more, because it was more comfortable than his court clothes when he was riding, but he did like this fashion…

"Did they bring the wrong clothes?" Slade asked.

"No, I was just… maybe I should wear something more in this country's style?"

"The court expects a prince of Gotham, and you look splendid in that outfit. You'll be my exotic little bird," the king purred and kissed him.

"Mmm…" the prince said several minutes later as he pulled away a little. "The feast, remember?"

"Maybe we can just eat here?" Slade echoed the prince's earlier words with a smirk.

"Later," Robin smiled. "I promise."

"If you really feel like-"

"I can't wait," the prince snickered, putting a finger to the man's lips. Slade sucked the fingertip into his mouth and teased it with his tongue. "Maybe… maybe I'm not even hungry…" Robin gasped.

Somehow they managed to control themselves, however, and get dressed as well. The prince fidgeted in front of the mirror for a good ten minutes, making sure everything was straight and proper, but then they were both ready to leave.

As they entered the feasting hall, which was bigger than the Gotham throne room and the ballroom put together, a deafening cheer rose from the guests gathered there. Robin looked around. Yes, these were… rougher people. Most of them looked like soldiers or blacksmiths, it was hard to tell their ranks or who was the richest or most influential, and no one had ever slapped a king of Gotham on the back or shoulder, like these people seemed to do, showing appreciation for what their king had done for them. Robin even received a slap himself, so hearty that he would have fallen to the floor if he hadn't caught on to Slade. The man grinned at him and placed an arm around his shoulders. Robin happily allowed it, as it might save his collar bone from being broken.

The tables and chairs were far more rustic than Robin was used to and most of the tables only had long benches. At the main one there were rather huge chairs, though. They had arm rests, and sheepskin on the seat and back, to keep the person warm. They were comfortable enough, although Robin felt like he was a child sitting in his, as it was so wide. He didn't worry about that for long, though, because he could smell the food. As he looked around he found the source of the mouthwatering scent; big chunks of meat were roasting at the back of the very room, in large hearths, which also heated the hall. As he watched, some of the meat was taken down, put on a plate and cut in thick slabs. The servants then came in with more serving dishes with everything from roasted vegetables to gravy, cold cuts, fruits and berries. Someone filled Robin's glass with ale and put some meat on his plate.

"So… this is the first course?" he whispered to Slade, wanting to know if he should pace himself.

"This is the whole meal," the king smiled. "But there's as much of it as you can eat. We rarely serve several courses, that's mostly when some dishes take longer to cook… or when there's a special dish, like the on the Midwinter feast or weddings."

"Oh, I see… well, good, I'm hungry," Robin grinned. He was a bit curious about those traditions, but he'll find out in due time, he was sure, and others were demanding Slade's attention with greetings and congratulations. "What's this?" he asked and pointed to a white roll of something that was resting on a cutting board on the table.

"Ah, that is Blüdhaven goat cheese," Slade said and cut a piece off for him, placing it on some bread.

"The kind my mother liked…" the prince mumbled and took a bite. He closed his eyes and let the unfamiliar, but not unpleasant, taste wash over his pallet. "I think I agree with her…" he smiled and took another bite.

Robin focused on the food, until he suddenly heard a voice carrying over everyone else's, making the men and women around the tables grow quiet and listen. It was a rather short and skinny man, but he made himself heard, both vocally and with gestures, and he was telling the story of Slade's life, it seemed. After a moment it became clear that the main focus was the story of the invasion and, eventually, the wedding. Robin glanced at the king, who leaned over:

"You have your bards, we mostly have the story tellers. If we approve this story here tonight, it will become the official one, told for hundreds of years, I would think."

"Well, it's better than that song, so far... he seems to have all the little details, though…"

"Oh, everyone makes sure to tell the Story Teller everything… well, if it's not a secret, of course. It's important, because these stories become our history."

Robin nodded and listened while he ate, like the others. There were roars of laughter sometimes, like when Slade got whipped. Blackgate, dead as he was, got booed by the crowd. Finally the story wrapped up, ending with the wedding.

"…and that was the tale about how King Deathstroke didn't only win a country, but a fair prince as well," the Story Teller ended, and bowed. Once the applause died down, he straightened up again. "Was the story true, Your Majesty? Your Highness?" he asked.

Slade glanced at Robin who shrugged and nodded. He wanted to object to the 'fair prince' thing, but he realized it was just a joke, giving the tale the perfect, humorous ending.

"It was, Story Teller," Slade nodded.

"Your Highness Prince Robin," one of the dinner guests spoke up. "Who do you think got the better deal here? You or King Slade?"

Informal indeed, the prince thought, as he certainly wasn't used to be addressed by someone shouting across the room. He had to adapt to the customs here though, and smiled. "Well, the King might have gained a kingdom," he said and thoughtfully took a bite of the rib he was holding, "but I got a damn good horse."

The hall erupted in laughter again, and mock arguments broke out about what was the best thing to gain; a country or a steed. Robin happened to glance in Slade's direction and caught the man looking at him, smiling. The prince felt that warm, tingling feeling in his stomach again, which had appeared more and more often lately, and smiled back.

No speeches, but cheers, stories, jokes, and quite a few drinking songs where everyone joined in, filled the rest of the evening. Robin now fully understood why Slade had been bored to death at dinners in Gotham, although things here were a bit… wild. It seemed anyone could speak up at any time, and once a man even stood up on the bench and, once it got quiet, gave the longest, deepest belch the prince had ever heard. And he got applause! The look on Robin's face must have been quite a sight, because after glancing at him Slade almost choked on his ale.

His stomach was full, the ale made his head pleasantly fuzzy and he was warm and comfortable. As no one else seemed to care about sitting properly in their chairs, Robin pulled his feet up under him and leaned his head against the edge of the backrest. The next thing he knew he was being carried somewhere, and opened his eyes.

"Hmm?" he mumbled.

"I'm just taking you to bed," Slade explained.

Robin smiled and let his head rest against the man's shoulder again. "Good… I want to go to bed…"

"I can imagine so," the man chuckled. "You must be exhausted."

"No, I mean… I want to go to bed with you," Robin said and played with the buttons on the man's shirt.

"You're just going to fall asleep in the middle of it," the king grinned.

"Mmm… fall asleep with you inside me… that sounds nice."

"That sounds like I'm not doing my job properly," Slade objected, making Robin chuckle.

The nap had actually helped, however, and the prince didn't fall back to sleep, even though he let the man help undress him until he was lying on the bed wearing nothing but a lazy smile. The king's own clothes quickly hit the floor when the young man reached out for him and soon they were kissing and touching like they were both starving for it.

The bed had a large canopy with a flat top and thick double curtains to preserve the warmth inside it. The headboard and posts were beautifully carved in geometrical patterns and the oak gleamed in a way wood only did when it was centuries old. As Robin wrapped his legs around the man on top of him he couldn't care less about all this, though.

They kissed and caressed each other, but both felt the urge to do more, be closer. Robin didn't see where the man got the oil from, but he was slick when he entered him, carefully, as it's been a while. The young man lifted his hips and welcomed him, though, gasping as the tip breached him.

"Are you alright?" Slade asked.

"Yes… yes, I'm… more than alright…" the prince smiled, and pulled the man deeper with his legs.

He was. He really was. The near future held so much to learn and explore. The horse market, the fact that he might have living family members, the whole castle and city, all these new customs and traditions… but Slade had become the most important part of all that, somehow. Robin wasn't even sure when and how that had happened, but he could finally admit it to himself. There was just the question of if he should tell the man… and how?

Their current activities didn't exactly let him ponder these things, not until it was over and they were tightly entangled; panting, sticky and sated. Robin ran his fingers over the man's scruffy cheek.

"You need to shave."

"You too, soon," the man smiled and returned the gesture. "Unless you want to fit in and grow a beard?"

"It would be a rather pitiful beard," the prince chuckled. "It seems the only place hair really knows how to grow properly is my on head."

"And some other places," the man smirked and rubbed their groins together.

"I don't have as much as you," the young man sighed, almost enviously.

"Please don't make me shave down there too?" Slade grinned and Robin made a little shocked sound.

"People can shave there?"

"People can shave off every hair on their body," the man told him, making Robin study him thoughtfully. "No," Slade added, in case the prince got a stupid idea into his head.

"What? No, no I was just trying to imagine you with no hair… I don't think I'd like that." Robin ran his hand over the man's chest, playing with the strands there.

"Good, because I'd feel like a child," Slade chuckled.

Robin laughed as well and then gave a deep, content sigh, before suddenly remembering what he had just admitted to himself, and blushing.

"What is it?" the man asked curiously.

"It's just that… Slade, I…" The prince took a deep breath. How did you say something like this? He now, finally, understood Joseph's words about being brave, though. "I don't know if… if you feel the same way or if… if it's even possible after everything, but I… I care for you."

The man just watched him in silence for a moment and Robin bit his lip, wondering if he had, somehow, insulted him.

"I care for you too," came the eventual, soft, reply. "Actually… that's not true."

"It's… it's not?"

"No, not completely," the man admitted. "Robin… I don't know how you managed to do it, but I love you."

"Iloveyoutoo!" the prince burst out, so quickly that the words were jumbled together. He hugged the man as hard as he possibly could and then found his lips with his own. When the kiss ended the first words spoken where from Slade.

"You do?" the man said, like he didn't believe it.

"Yes… yes, I do," Robin smiled. "After all," he added and pressed his whole body close to the man again, showing him that he was ready once more if Slade wanted him, "you're my stallion."

The End.

A/N: there we go! This story lasted close to the whole year… which kind of sucks for those who don't like AU's ;)

If you haven't heard, this year's Christmas story will take place in the Kitty Litter universe (which kind of sucks for people who don't like fluff/m-preg/nekos), so I'm working on that now, as hard as I can. If you haven't read my first original fic ("Now See Here!") , why not check that out, because I'm planning to write more of that as well. You can find it here: original,adultfanfiction,net/story,php?no=600106335 and here: www,wattpad,com/story/6268076-now-see-here-m-m (just change commas for dots) or on fictionpress under the username 'wynja'.

I'm hoping to make next year MORE about original stories, and if you like my writing style, I hope you'll join me there. I can't see myself abandoning Sladin, though, but I might go for drabbles or shorter chaptered stories next year, instead of something of this magnitude… ;)

I hope you liked the ending words… I had them in mind since chapter 2 or 3… ;) and, no, they aren't supposed to mean that Slade is just a sex toy to him… horses means the WORLD to Robin, after all, so hopefully it's understood that it's a real term of endearment (ha!) ;).

I know I'll get the question, so I might as well answer it now: I'm not PLANNING a sequel to this, but I earned a long time ago to "never say never", and the ending is open/all set up for more… but for now, this is it, at least… ideas of what might happen in the future are always welcome, however… I had planned to mention Bryant Blackgate's fate, but edited that out in the end… it's not important enough, and better left for a possible sequel in that case…

Whenever a story ends, I tend to ask for reviews about what you thought over all… was it good or just okay (if you have read it to the end, I will assume you didn't HATE it)? Do you think you'll ever re-read it? Was the AU-ness or something else annoying…? Did the characters evolve as I promised they would in the first chapter? While you ponder that, I'm gonna open the kitty litter file and try to crank out 26 chapters somehow… ;) As I write this A/N it's the 30th of August, so time is of the essence…

Thank you to ALL the betas from the facebook group who have helped making this less littered with mistakes than it would have been otherwise… (and the whole group for being supporting/helping me with research) you are the best, people!

Betas in order of "appearance":

Monster of Cookies

Reizo My

Fluffy09

Yaoigurl12

Aikino

Higashisaru

Amirrel

elyador

Euphoric Leo

Jayto

Baruga

An Insane Nobody

jaminyaoigirl51

luv animemanga forever

Robin555

lemonusAli

Kam-Frenshi

An extra thank you to those of you who edited many chapters, especially Baruga for jumping in to save the day a few times when shit happened… ;)

Love

Wynja

An extra bit:

I used quotes, poems and sayings about horses for titles in this story, but there were many, many I didn't get a chance to use… these are a few of them:

When you're young and you fall off a horse, you may break something. When you're my age, you splatter. ~Roy Rogers

Look back at our struggle for freedom,

Trace our present day's strength to its source;

And you'll find that man's pathway to glory

Is strewn with the bones of the horse.

~Author Unknown

Wherever man has left his footprint in the long ascent from barbarism to civilization we will find the hoof print of the horse beside it. ~John Moore

Somewhere in time's own space

There must be some sweet pastured place

Where creeks sing on and tall trees grow

Some paradise where horses go,

For by the love that guides my pen

I know great horses live again.

~Stanley Harrison

People have always scared me a bit, you see - they're so complicated. I suppose that's why I prefer horses. ~From the movie Separate Tables, 1958

I prefer a bike to a horse. The brakes are more easily checked. ~Lambert Jeffries

Horses - if God made anything more beautiful, he kept it for himself. ~Author Unknown

And Allah took a handful of southerly wind, blew His breath over it, and created the horse... Thou shall fly without wings, and conquer without any sword. Oh, horse. ~Bedouin Legend

The daughter who won't lift a finger in the house is the same child who cycles madly off in the pouring rain to spend all morning mucking out a stable. ~Samantha Armstrong

He flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions. ~Stephen Leacock

Horse sense, n.: Stable thinking. ~Author Unknown