The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Arquis smiled at them after the kiss and wanted to ask for another, but he refrained. It would be an intentional distraction. Kissing meant he wouldn’t have to think about eating, and he knew he needed to confront his issues with food head on. Avoiding them had only worked for so long. Plus, he owed it to Rin to at least try to get better. If they were willing to put in the time and energy to help keep him alive, then he could eat a damn roll of bread.

He finished it after a long, painful five minutes and washed it down with the last of his coffee. The bitterness of the drink brought him clarity.

“Rin,” he began, looking a bit anxious, “I have a proposal. You do not have to accept it if you do not wish, but yesterday you said that there was a lot about your life that you have not shared with me. I would like to know more about you. Not anything major, just, ah, small things. Your favorite food, for example, or color or poem. So much of the time we have spent together has been frantic, and I feel that there is so much about you that I have not yet learned.”

Rin finished his own roll, then ate another one. When Arquis spoke their name, they looked over at him with an almost comical expression, before he blinked and sobered again. "I…yes, there is much that I have not said." they said, clearing his throat quietly. "And I have a counter-proposal for you: I'll tell you more about me, but in return I want more of you. Same terms."

“Of course. I will tell you anything that you wish to know.” Arquis paused, unconsciously wringing his hands together. He was a little thrown off by the fact that he was only wearing one glove. The other hand was still in bandages. “Well, almost anything. I do believe starting small is best.”

He ran his thumb around the rim of his mug, unsure of where to start. Then, finally, he asked, “Do you have a favorite drink?”

He smiled softly at the question. "Yeah, I suppose I do. Probably earl grey tea, with plenty of milk and sugar." he said. "Or, maybe, hot chocolate with some cinnamon." they looked over at Arquis. "And what about yourself? Do you have a favorite drink?" they took a sip from their mug.

Arquis couldn’t help but grin at their answer. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but he definitely wouldn’t have predicted hot chocolate. It was endearing. He hoped he could make it for him someday; he had a fantastic homemade hot chocolate recipe tucked away somewhere.

“When I was a child, I used to sneak warm milk with vanilla up to my room before bed. I have not had it in a long time, but it was a comfort to me during wintertime bouts of illness. Sometimes I would even put in honey or cloves.” He folded his hands and lowered his head onto them, looking equal parts eager and curious. “You play music beautifully. Are you as proficient at dancing?”

Rin nodded slightly. "I have not tried that before, but it sounds like it would be delicious." they replied. "I am quite good at dancing, yes." they cocked his head faintly, looking at Arquis. "Why do you ask? And, are you good at dancing?" they couldn't help but wonder why Arquis had asked this.

Arquis burst into laughter. “Goodness, no, I am terrible at it. My father forced me to take dance lessons when I was about twelve or thirteen to impress ladies at parties. I had absolutely no precision or skill. My instructor once referred to my best attempt as awkward flailing.”

His laughter eventually died down, and his gaze softened as he looked at them. “I asked because I thought maybe we could slow dance. At some point. Eventually. If you would like to, that is. I have heard that slow dancing requires fewer techniques. But, ah, anyways, is there anything you would like to ask me? Anything hopefully not related to dance?”

He laughed as well, smiling over at Arquis. "I can teach you some slow dances, yes. Or country dances; those require less coordination and counting than formal ones do." their own gaze was soft and warm as they looked at Arquis. "What is your favorite color? That is the only question that I can think of at the moment."

Arquis reddened as he imagined the two of them slow dancing. He pictured Rin’s hand on his hip, his head against their shoulder. Thinking about that closeness, that distinct sort of intimacy, was almost too much for him to bear. It made him smile like crazy.

“Oh, you, ah, asked something. Color? Yes, that was it. I do not have a favorite color. Silver and sapphire blue are quite pretty. I suppose I am partial to most shades of blue, though I find indigo in specific also rather charming. How about you?”

Rin nodded. "Blue, probably." they replied. "Or green, perhaps. Those two colors are the ones that I suppose I am more partial to." they took a bite of one of the rolls, still looking over at Arquis.

Arquis nodded, then tilted his head as he tried to think of another question. The one that came to mind was a bit odd, but it was the only one he could think of.

“Is there any occupation that you think you would enjoy other than being a bard? I do not mean to imply that it is a bad lifestyle, but I am curious as to what else you might choose if given the option.” He realized the question might be a bit personal and continued, “If you do not wish to answer that, then I could ask something else.”

Rin bit his lip faintly at the question. He knew what he wanted to be; he wanted to be king when their father died, wanted his birthright. But he could not say that, and he did not know if his father would ever grant him that birthright. Not when Rin was a bastard. "I…I do not know." they replied, hating the lie but knowing that they could not tell the truth in this case.

Arquis could tell they were lying. He’d had enough years of experience around liars—his father, his aunt, and Quirisa—to generally know when someone wasn’t speaking the truth. The only person that could typically get away with lying to him was Muria. But he wasn’t going to force Rin to say what he clearly didn’t want to say.

“That is alright. It was a bit of a ridiculous question. You are still young; you can likely travel for many more years.” He wondered if they were afraid of the future or settling down. Perhaps that was it. Bards weren’t usually known for their commitment to a place or job, so even if he desired a different career, they’d probably have a difficult time accepting it.

“Speaking of traveling, I should start to get dressed for our trip later. Not, ah, out here. In the bathroom. I would not want to throw off your appetite.” That last part was said teasingly and paired with an amused smile.

"Yes. I have plenty of time." they agreed, running a hand through their hair, and returning Arquis's amused smile with one of their own. "What, you think it would throw off my appetite? Never." they laughed softly, shaking their head for a moment as he looked at Arquis.

“Yes, I am sure being in a state of undress goes wonderfully with eggs,” Arquis replied wryly, jokingly tugging down the collar of his shirt to expose a hint of skin.

He stooped to pop open his suitcase and pulled out a clean dress shirt, some simple black pants, socks, a pair of faux fur-lined gloves, and the fake wedding ring on the chain. His coat hadn’t fully dried overnight, so he collected two of the water bottles that he’d had—they were still warm, thanks to the enchantment—and put them back into its pockets. The other one went into one of his boots, which was damp.

Rin's gaze flicked to the exposed skin for just a moment, and then they laughed again. "Yes, it's just perfect." they agreed. "Eggs, bacon, and clothes on the floor." they smiled over at Arquis, getting out of the bed.

Arquis laughed so hard that he nearly choked. He grabbed the arm of the chair in the corner to steady himself until the fit passed.

“That sounds like an interesting morning, indeed,” he finally said, sounding rather out of breath. His mouth hurt from all the smiling he’d been doing. He wasn’t quite used to it, yet.

After a few beats, he made his way over to the bathroom, stepped inside, and closed the door. He was still a tad sluggish due to his sore joints, so changing took longer than he would’ve liked. When he got around to his shirt, he found that his hands couldn’t manage the buttons. They were clumsy from the pain and bandages. He tried several times before giving up.

“Rin, I might need a bit of assistance,” he called through the door.

Rin was getting his clothes together when Arquis's call for help came through the door. He walked over to the door, raising their eyebrows faintly. "What do you need help with?" they asked, cocking their head faintly. They would help Arquis, of course they would, they just needed to konw what he was getting into first.

“I cannot, ah,” he started, speaking through gritted teeth, “seem to do up the buttons on my shirt.”

Admitting it was humiliating. That crushing feeling of uselessness returned. Toddlers needed help with buttons, not grown adults. He was pathetic. Completely and utterly pathetic.

His bandaged hand throbbed, and he knew the pain wasn’t just from the wound that he’d opened the night before. Part of it was psychological. They always hurt worse whenever he was hurting mentally.

"Alright. I'll do that, then." they opened the door to the bathroom, gaze soft as they looked over at Arquis. "Just hold still, alright?" they reached to begin buttoning the first button, starting from the bottom and working their way up. He tried to keep focused on the buttons and absolutely not on the fact that Arquis was standing in front of him only partially dressed.

As embarrassed as he was, Arquis had to admit that it was nice to be close to them again. He did stay still as they’d asked, though he really wanted to lean forward for another kiss. But that might seem manipulative. Perhaps he’d think that Arquis really hadn’t had trouble with the buttons, that he’d specifically called them in while undressed. He didn’t want to send the wrong signal. The budding relationship that they had so far was slow and sweet. He didn’t want to assume that they were ready for more, and he especially didn’t want them to think he was using them for purely physical means.

While Rin was finishing up, he picked up the chain with the ring around it and looped it around his own neck. Secretly, he was thrilled to wear it out in public. Though the marriage was fake, it would still show that they were interested in one another.

Rin finished buttoning the shirt, adjusting the collar gently and settling their hands on Arquis's shoulders after they had finished. "Anything else?" they asked with a soft smile. They needed to get dressed too; they were still in their pajamas, their hair sticking up just a little with bedhead.

Arquis glanced sideways at his reflection in the mirror and then shook his head. “No, nothing else. That is perfect. Thank you.”

His gaze drifted gradually to Rin’s reflection. They looked attractively ruffled. He felt his mouth go dry. Goodness, they were handsome. Luck had truly been on his side lately, which was an odd thing to think considering he’d basically almost been assassinated. He’d do it all over again if it meant he’d get to see such a sight again.

Rin smiled softly, catching Arquis's eye in the mirror. "You're welcome. Are you done in the bathroom? I need to change as well." they said, hands still resting on Arquis's shoulders. They almost did not want to let go of the nobleman's shoulders, but they knew they had to get ready.

Arquis’s attention snapped back to the real Rin, not just their reflection. He gently shrugged his hands off and stepped through the doorway. “Yes, of course. Let me give you some space.”

It was better that they be apart, anyways. He had begun to have certain thoughts about them, and not all were that pure. Space would give him time to focus on what was really important at the moment—getting them both out of the village.

He walked over to his boots and checked them for dryness. That one was still a bit damp, but it would do. He slid them on and then paused. There was no way he’d be able to manage shoelaces if he couldn’t handle buttons. He decided to wait, hopefully giving Rin enough time to dress. In the meantime, he put on his coat, flattened its collar, and then went about packing up his suitcases.

Rin came back out to grab his clothes, then went back in and closed the door so he could change. They changed relatively fast, not bothering to do more than wash their face quickly. They did not come their hair, seeing no real reason to. Once they were done, they came back out of the bathroom. "Done."

“Excellent. I was wondering-” He took one look at him and stopped short. A small smile played at his lips. Their hair was still breathtakingly messy; it was the most perfect case of bed head he’d ever seen. He had to clear his throat to tear his attention away, and even then he couldn’t recall what he’d been saying.

He stepped towards them and was surprised to find that he was falling. Ah. That was what he’d meant to ask. He needed help with his laces, and it seemed that they’d made him trip. His arm shot out and wrapped around the first thing in sight, which turned out to be one of the bedposts. When he came to his senses, he realized that he was on one knee in front of Rin, his head bowed like a knight.

“Oh dear,” he laughed, grinning up at them.

Rin laughed, reaching down to take one of Arquis's hands. "Are you alright?" he questioned, raising their eyebrows slightly as they studied him, a smile playing around their mouth. He had also put on the engagement ring, the fake one that they would both be wearing.

Arquis covered his mouth to hide his smile, which had only grown with Rin’s laughter. “Yes, thankfully. The last thing we need is for me to bust my knee open.”

He ran his fingertips down the back of their hand, stopping when he came to the ring. For a second, his mind went blank. Were they engaged? Why hadn’t they told him? He nearly passed out with relief when he remembered the whole fake marriage. How had he forgotten that just minutes after putting on his own ring? Adrenaline did strange things to the brain.

He realized that he was tracing the band of their ring and made an awkward sound in his throat. “I need help,” he blurted, then clarified, “with my shoelaces. That is why- I tripped because of the laces.”

Rin nodded. "Well, stand up straight so that I can tie them for you." he replied, gently pulling Arquis to his feet. "Now just stand still." they knelt at Arquis's feet and got to work tying the nobleman's shoes. They were aware of the way this positioned them; the way this position could be for, well…other things. That was why they didn't look up, or met Arquis's eyes.