Dragomir was alone in his room, but… well, it didn't stay like that for long. There was a soft knock on the door, but when Corbin heard the halfing crying, the king slipped into the room without a word, making his way over to sit next to him. He didn't say a word, resting a hand gently on Dragomir's back.
Mir startled when he felt the hand out of nowhere, hands flying to protect himself as he cowered, eyes wide and scared before he realized who it was. Then he immediately hugged the bigger man, not caring that it might end up awkward after he calmed down, he just needed comfort as he cried and shivered from fear.
Corbin had almost pulled his hand away already when Dragomir hugged him. The king let out a soft breath, pulling the man onto his lap and wrapping his arms securely around him.
"I've got you…" The king said softly, fingers going up to gently run through Dragomir's hair.
"No one can hurt you here, I promise…"
Mir buried his face into Corbin’s chest, crying softly, but slowly getting quieter as Corbin soothed him. He eventually was just reduced to hiccups and a wet face as he sniffled, still clutching the king for comfort, relaxing at the fingers in his short, fluffy white hair.
Corbin continued to running his fingers through Dragomir's hair, holding the halfling close. He wasn't going to let go until the man was ready, tucking him away in his arms.
"You're safe, Dragomir… I'll make sure of it."
“I’m sorry…. I probably look so pathetic….” He sniffled, not quite willing to stop looking pathetic though. He felt so much safer in the king’s arms. Corbin was so kind and gentle… He finally sat back to wipe his eyes with his hands, still apologizing.
"You don't," Corbin said softly, his hand still cupping Dragomir's head as he pulled away. "You've obviously been through a lot, both in and out of the army. I could never ask anyone to come away from that without any traumas. It's alright, Dragomir." The king wiped a few stray tears away, his voice so soft and soothing.
"Don't be afraid to ever ask for me when you're feeling like this," he continued.
Mir looked up at the king, still scared ands sad. “You’re- you’re… sure? B-but you have m-m-more important things to do than take care of me…” He leaned into his hands nonetheless, arms still loosely wrapped around the other’s waist
"I'm sure." Corbin ran his fingers through Mir's hair again, leaning just a bit closer.
"This kingdom has hurt you so much… the least I can do is help you through it. I am so truly sorry, Dragomir…"
Mir leaned back in, setting his cheek against Corbin. “It’s not y-your fault…. It’s just the way th-things are here….” He then looked up. “But why d-did you come in here in the first place…? I thought I was being quiet enough that no-one in the hall could hear me…”
Corbin wrapped his arms around Dragomir again when he leaned back in, keeping his touch gentle.
"Well… I had come over to check on you anyway, to see how you were doing here. I must say, I'm glad I did…"
Dragomir nodded. “Me too… Thank you…” He leaned up and kissed Corbin’s cheek to show his thanks before going back to the cuddles, feeling much better.
"Mm… you're welcome…" Corbin held Dragomir close, looking content to see the halfing doing so much better. The king held the man in his lap securely, letting out a soft breath.
"How are you feeling now?"
“Much better, thank you… I’m sorry for freaking out like that. I… Nightmares don’t really take pity on me.” He sighed and nuzzled. Corbin’s shoulder. “Did we need to do something soon? I don’t think I’ll be getting back to sleep any time soon.”
"There's no need to apologize," Corbin said quietly, holding Dragomir close.
"And we have some time before there is anything we need to do, which means we have time to get you new clothes, and have the doctor look at your arm again."
Mir nodded. “Ok. What kind of clothes will I be wearing then? Just a sleeve and pants?” He thanked the gods it was summer. He wondered what was suitable of a concubine while there was snow on the ground.
"Yes, that sounds about right. You'll be able to see what pants you're comfortable with, and what fabrics. The tailor will probably have you in the royal colors." Corbin let out a breath.
"Then there's the jewelry… There won't be much, not with the financial state the kingdom is in now, but there will be enough…"
Mir furrowed his brow. “Why do I need jewelry? If I need jewelry, wouldn’t my necklace be enough?” He reached into his ragged shirt and pulled out the gold chain with the ruby roses hanging from it. (Description is also on his character profile) It looked expensive, and not nearly close to being normal for someone of his stature to have.
"It's more a mark of status than anything." Corbin tilted his head some when Dragomir showed his necklace, thinking a moment.
"It would do for some of it, but you would need more as well. I'm sorry if it seems cumbersome."
“I would just like whatever else you need me to wear just to not be around my neck. Other than that, I’ll wear anything you need me to. Is jewelry a sign of a concubine? Or just of being a part of the court?” He tilted his head, wondering what else he’d be wearing. Ear cuffs? Bracelets? Anklets?
"A bit of both," Corbin admitted. "Different pieces mean different things. Thankfully, there's no meaning to neckwear for concubines, so I'm sure we can get away with just yours." Thankfully, collars had been out of use for years.
Corbin shifted to stand now, helping Dragomir up and leaving his arms around the man a moment.
“So what has a meaning for a concubine?” He stayed snuggled up against Corbin side, waiting to be led wherever he was supposed to go. “Also, inside the palace, should I be bare foot or have shoes? I know for people who live in houses there are rules for footwear, so what about here?”
"Bracelets and anklets, mostly," Corbin said. He kept one arm around Dragomir, turning to lead him out of the room.
"Especially the left bracelet. When there's more than one concubine to be found in the palace, the… favorite, of sorts, will have a more ornate one than the others. Belts are occasionally used as well, but we don't need to deal with those at the moment." Corbin thought a moment on the shoes, head tilted.
"Well, the most notable thing with footwear is that it is required for concubines to go barefoot during ceremonies since the things worn during them are so similar for everyone and there needs to be some distinction between different roles. Other than that, it's really left up to preference."
Dragomir nodded as the jewelry was explained. When he was told about footwear, and nodded, slightly relieved that he could go barefoot as he was definitely more comfortable feeling everything underneath him without obstruction. “What ceremonies are common? Like what happens rather regularly?” He looked around the hallway as they walked, trying to memorize the layout of the palace so he could navigate it without Corbin’s help.
"It used to be that there were many ceremonies, but the only ones I've ever been able to do is my coronation and promoting people to higher positions in the military." Corbin sighed softly.
"There had been ceremonies for almost everything, and for all the people of the kingdom, not just one or two groups…" The king shook his head some.
"My hope is to see the kingdom like that again during my reign," he admitted softly.