forum The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Started October 31, 2021 by Deleted user

tune

Edit topic

That wasn’t good. Rin already knew all of Arquis’s excuses. Insisting for that he should eat right in front of a witness denied him the opportunity to use the forgetful card. If he claimed to have forgotten to get himself anything, they’d immediately know he was lying. He could bring something back and pretend to eat, but there was no way they wouldn’t notice. He pressed a hand to his chest and felt over the ribs there. So close. His goal weight had been so close, he was sure of it. And now he’d be setback.

But it wasn’t a setback. It was progress in the other direction. The right direction. He swallowed as he remembered the conversation they’d had. Starving. He’d been starving. Still was and would be in the future, if he didn’t keep eating.

“Alright,” he said weakly, letting his fingers drop. “Ari, would you like anything?”

He gave Arquis a faint, soft, sweet little smile. "Thank you, darling." he knew this was hard, but Arquis had nearly collapsed earlier from lack of food, and they did not want that to happen again. So they were going to make sure that Arquis was eating.

"Sure. Just…whatever's available is fine with me. Thank you." Ari replied, stretching and looking over at Arquis.

Arquis nodded at Ari before leaning in to give Rin one last kiss. This time, he lingered for just a moment, sliding his hand to the middle of their back and tugging him in. He broke away with a satisfied smile and tousled their hair.

“I will return shortly, then,” he said as he went for the door. He stepped out into the hallway and started down the familiar path to the kitchen.

On the way, he passed the front desk. Honey was sitting behind it, and Arquis stopped to greet him. The blond had changed into a very loose velvet tank top that hung off his frame, showing flashes of his collarbones and musclular chest. He’d put on a heavy layer of eyeshadow to cover his black eye and painted his lips wine red. The bandage on his neck was gone. The bite mark looked less severe; it could be mistaken as an intense love bite.

“Hey, dreamboat. Come for a visit?”

Arquis shook his head. “Unfortunately not. I am on the way to the kitchen. Rin and Ari are hungry.”

“Well, no need to rush. C’mere.” The nobleman did as he asked, and Honey gave him a peck on the cheek. It left a smudge of red behind. “Give that to lover boy for me, won’t you?”

“Yours or mine?” Arquis teased, and Honey reddened.

“Bard,” he muttered, pretending to busy himself with financial records. The nobleman laughed as he went on to complete his task.

He got a sealed container of soup for Rin and a fresh pitcher of water, a bowl of noodles with creamy sauce and a thick slice of garlic bread for Ari, and a plate of vegetable rice for himself. He also got a tiny container of ice cream, which he dropped off for Honey. Once he got back to the room, he passed out the items and rejoined them on the comforter.

Rin and Ari both took their respective foods, giving Arquis soft, grateful smiles. "Thank you, darling." Rin said, snuggling up to Arquis once the nobleman was seated again. "This was kind of you." he opened up the soup, looking down at the steam curling up from it. They looked over at Arquis, gaze spotting the lipstick smudge on his cheek. "Is that from Honey?" he asked, laughing a little bit.

"Thank you, Arquis." Ari said as he took the food. He laughed a little at the sight of the lipstick smudge.

“Is what from Honey?” Arquis followed their gaze and touched his cheek, surprised to find a trace of lipstick left on his glove. He was even more startled to find that the sight had an effect on him. Was he attracted to lipstick? Perhaps he should test that theory out with Rin at some point. Maybe if they agreed, he could get Honey to do their makeup. The thought made something spark inside him. A little breathless, he mumbled, “Oh, yes it is. I had not realized that- but of course, he was wearing lipstick. He sent me with instructions.”

He then gave Rin a long, overdramatic kiss in roughly the same spot. His lips curled into a smile against their skin. He pulled back and cocked a brow at Ari.

“My apologies. He did not give me anything to give to you.”

Rin laughed softly, letting Arquis pass along the kiss. "Ah, well. Of course he was wearing lipstick. That was likely the whole point of the kiss." they replied, gently blowing on their soup to cool it down a bit. It was still rather too hot to eat, though that would dissipate sooner or later.

Ari pouted for a moment. "How terribly unfair of him." he replied, laughing a little bit. "I shall have to make up for it the next time I see him, I suppose."

Arquis smirked, which looked a tad odd on him, and bit his lower lip. “Perhaps he was trying to make you jealous,” he teased Rin, then looked to Ari. “I suppose that goes for you as well.”

He took the rice and stuck his fork in it. For a while, he just shuffled it around, sorting the vegetables from the grain. The tines of the fork scraped against the plate. Finally, he skewered a sliver of mushroom and stuck it in his mouth. It tasted healthy. He kind of hated it. Sweets were his favorite type of food, but they tended to worsen his thoughts. Vegetables led to less negativity, though they generally tasted mediocre. He sighed and scooped up a mouthful of peas, onions, and thin carrot sticks.

Rin and Ari both got to work on their own food, and for a while, everything was relatively quiet. Rin's appetite seemed to mostly have returned, though it was doubtful that his stomach would have been able to handle anything more than the soup that Arquis had selected for them. Still, they were on the mend, which was without doubt a good thing for everyone involved.

Arquis finished a little over half of his plate before he put it aside. He sprawled out on the bed, letting his head rest on Rin’s knees. It was strange. He’d gotten so used to feeling hollow that he hated the sensation of being full. The food settled like lead. He’d apparently gotten worse about eating than he’d thought. At the Palace, he’d usually had one full meal per day, which was followed by several cups of tea or coffee and a snack at some point. But he supposed his diet had been somewhat lacking over the past few weeks, and his mindset had been slipping. Well, slipping wasn’t quite the right word. He’d actively encouraged it. He wondered if it was partially because he was dating Rin, not that it was in any way their fault. It was just that he’d never had anyone close enough to see him undressed before. Plus, everything had been so chaotic; he needed that control, that constant in his life, now more than ever.

He snapped back into the present and looked over at his partner. What he’d been thinking just then hadn’t been healthy. Rin had told him that they’d appreciate him in whatever form he came, and he knew deep down that he hadn’t been lying. They wanted him to get better. He wanted to get better for himself as well.

He turned his head, pressed a kiss to Rin’s calf, and closed his eyes. Like earlier, he felt exhausted, but he didn’t want to sleep yet. “Ari, do you have any embarrassing childhood stories about my partner?”

Rin gently ran a hand through Arquis's hair, setting his own bowl of soup aside after a bit. He had not eaten all of it, as his stomach was unable to handle it. He smiled down at his partner, letting out a quiet laugh at Arquis's question. "I'm sure that he does." he said, taking a sip of water and closing their own eyes for a moment, then opening them to look over at Ari.

Ari, who had mostly finished his noodles and was working on his garlic bread, raised his eyebrows. "I certainly do. You will justb have to give me a moment to think of a good one." he replied, shooting Rin a grin.

Arquis let out a small, breathy sigh when they threaded their hand through his hair. A sudden urge rose within him to get on top of his partner and pull him into an embrace, but he didn’t follow it. That would be clingy, and he didn’t want to seem too needy. But he didn't resist the impulse to leave a smattering of quick kisses on their lower leg, starting at his knee and working his way to a spot above their ankle. He stopped there and rolled to gaze up at them. The light blush across his face and the soft smile playing on his lips made him look absolutely smitten.

“I cannot wait to hear it,” he murmured in response to Ari. His hand found a place on his lover’s shoulder, and he moved his head to directly on their lap. He turned his head inwards to kiss and then nuzzle into their stomach.

Rin kept gently running his hand through Arquis's hair, smiling a little bit as he did so. He looked over at Ari expectantly, raising his eyebrows as they waited for him to come up with a story.

Ari hummed faintly, shifting to sit cross-legged and looking over at the two. He knew there were stories he could not tell, because they gave away too much of Rinlos's past. They contained too much information that would jeopardize Rin's secrets.

Arquis felt that urge again to tackle and smother them in kisses, and once more he fought it. He would not be that clingy. Not in front of Ari. Of course, he’d already kissed their neck in front of him and had just finished doing the same to his legs, but that was different. Full on making out would be a bit much. Goodness, did he want to, though. His tongue swept over his lower lip, and he pressed his forehead further against their shirt.

He scolded himself mentally. Rin was still sick, and there he was, acting like an insatiable teenager. It wasn’t his fault that he’d been deprived of touch throughout most of his life, but surely he could be a bit more polite.

"Alright." Ari said, smiling a little bit. "There's a bakery near where Rin and I grew up. A local place. Super nice, lots of really good sweets and bread and all of that." he said slowly, cocking his head for a moment as he spoke. "It really is great. The baker there would give us a treat in exchange for doing a few chores or something around the shop. Sweeping the floor, cleaning the windows, stuff like that. Nothing too difficult, but he was older and so he appreciated the help around the place."

“Mm.” Arquis wrapped his other arm around his partner’s waist and tried to imagine the scene that Ari was describing. He pictured a young, eager-eyed Rin on a step stool by a window with a bottle of cleaning solution. Behind them was a glass display case full of candies that sparkled like gemstones and a tower of macarons.

“You were helpful children, then? For some reason, I thought that you would have both been little menaces,” he teased, lifting his face from his lover’s shirt to flash a grin at Ari. It wasn’t quite the truth. Rin was such a caring person that it wasn’t hard to imagine him helping an elderly man with his chores. But there was no reason why the nobleman shouldn’t joke around. “Though perhaps you were quite susceptible to bribery, hm?”

"We were both menaces." Ari confirmed, laughing a little bit. "And susceptible to bribery, it goes both ways." he smirked. "But anyways. Rin, being who he was, would help the baker and get his treat, and we both did that pretty regularly. So, in any case, one day we both go to the bakery to do some chores and get a treat. Well, Rin gets the idea into his head that we can get the chores done much quicker if we try to do all of them at once. This ended with them trying to clean the windows and sweep at the exact same time. Spray bottle and rag in one hand, broom in the other. It did not work, and made an even bigger mess that took them an even longer time to clean up, and he didn't get an extra treat for taking extra time."

Arquis’s smile grew throughout the course of the story, and by the time Ari had finished speaking, he was shaking with silent laughter. His eyes glistened with actual tears from all of his giggling; his face was bright red.

“Love,” he managed when he finally got his breath back, “that- you- love, you had to have known that your plan would not work. You had to have.” That made him start laughing all over again. The mental picture of a sulking, adolescent Rin cleaning up a massive mess was too much to handle. By the time the fit was finished, he was basically gasping for air. He looked like happiness personified. His eyes were crinkled at the corners, and his smile was carefree and natural. It was an expression he didn’t wear often, but he wore it well.

Rin was laughing a little bit, looking over at Arquis's face. "I was eight." he pointed out. "How was I supposed to know? I thought it would work! I could get it done extra fast." they were laughing, though, and leaned over to kiss Arquis's cheek, loving the way he laughed, loving the expression on his partner's face.

Ari snickered softly, watching them.

Arquis placed his hands on Rin’s cheeks when they leaned down so that he could keep him in place. If they really wanted to, they could still move. The hold was mostly just so that he could return the favor. He was still smiling as he brought their mouths together. He kissed them until he was even more out of breath than before, then collapsed back onto his lap.

“Your eight-year-old self sounds quite the mastermind, my dear,” he mused. A short wheeze sprang from him before he could stop it, and he grinned even wider. “Poor thing. You must have been so shocked when your genius idea failed.”

Rin sighed in a teasing manner. "I was quite the mastermind, and I was certainly upset when it failed. I had wanted to get it done faster, and instead it took even longer."

"The baker found it amusing too." Ari chimed in, laughing a little bit. "He watched Rin struggle to make it work for…probably over an hour?" he was smiling at the memories.

Arquis tried to school his expression into one of pity, but he fell way short. Pure glee seemed to radiate from every part of him. He ran his fingers down to their side and gave it a super light, teasing pinch.

“An hour? Oh, my love, that is just humiliating,” he crooned fondly. “I would pay a very large sum of money to watch that occur. I bet it was simply hilarious.”

There was a lot about Rin that he still did not know, but this scene helped to fill in some of the gaps. He could easily picture them as a tiny, chubby-cheeked troublemaker with a heart of gold. The image was brilliant and endearing. He let out a very unprofessional, high-pitched giggle and buried his face in their shirt again.

“I am very glad that I do not have such embarrassing tales,” he joked. “I was a perfect golden child.”

Rin laughed, gently swatting Arquis's shoulder. "You were not, I am sure of it." he replied. "If I asked your sisters, I am certain that they could tell me at least one story of something embarrassing that you did." they gave Arquis a soft little smile, leaning over to kiss his cheek. He was still laughing softly.

At the mention of his sisters, Arquis seemed to deflate. Sadness chased the joy from his expression, leaving no remainder. That pinched, tense quality returned to his brow. He sighed deeply.

“I miss them,” he admitted. He’d spoken so softly that his words were nearly inaudible, and he had to admit that he was surprised he’d said them. They were, however, the truth. He missed Quirisa’s jabs and blunt sarcasm. He missed late night gossip sessions with Marsiquia, where they’d swaddle themselves in blankets, sit in separate arm chairs, and talk about everything that had been bothering her. Other girls in her friend group, Carsui, and new fashion trends that she couldn’t keep up with. He despised himself for distancing himself from her. It was just that he’d felt like he’d been falling for a long time, and he didn’t want her to see him hit rock bottom. She was too young to see him crash and burn. He was glad she had their sister, at least. Quirisa would always take care of her, no matter what happened to him.

What happened to him. Muria had tried to have him killed. The thought felt like a persistent itch, one he couldn’t rid himself of. Muria had sent someone to murder him, and he didn’t know why. For insurance? They were wealthy enough. She could be trying to cover something up, but why then? What about that day had been so special? He didn’t know.

Rin sobered when Arquis deflated, studying him for a moment. "I'm sorry." he said softly, kissing Arquis's cheek. "Hopefully you can go home at some point soon." they wrapped their arm around Arquis's shoulders, trying to offer some comfort. "It's just…not safe just yet, and I would rather not lose you." he gave their partner a soft, loving smile.

Arquis brought his knees up to his chest, turning sideways so that his face was once again pressed into their middle. “I never thought of it as home,” he mumbled, then shook his head. “Or I have not since I was a child. But it is, is it not? I have nowhere else.”

That realization was devastating. He sucked in a short, painful breath as the significance of it hit him. Even if Muria was tried for her attempted crime and somehow convicted, someone would have to take over the Palace. Marsiquia was too young and Quirisa would make for an insufficient candidate. She hated the responsibilities that came with the place, all the scheduling and financial arrangements and cordial measures. She barely helped with the few chores she already had; Arquis had done them all. He was the best option.

The rest of his life, then, would be spent under this crushing pressure. He’d never be able to love Rin openly. Their relationship would have to be kept private, if it continued at all. Arquis would spend the rest of his days in that stuffy, strict place, spiraling into despair.

He suddenly felt nauseous, and he pulled away from Rin. The look on his face was one of pure horror. “Oh. Oh no, no, no…”

Rin blinked, watching him, inhaling softly as he saw the look on Arquis's face. "What is it, Arquis?" he asked softly, reaching out to take his lover's hands, grip light enough that if Arquis needed to pull away, he could. "What's wrong?" had something happened? What was wrong? What was Arquis so panicky and upset about?

Arquis instantly yanked his hands away and crawled to the edge of the bed. His forehead was creased, his mouth taut and pale. He stood. Staggered to the window. Threw it open and let the freezing wind wash over him, causing him to shiver viciously. He drank in the cold air like it was water and he was a man dying of thirst. By the time he finally turned to see his lover, his eyes were stinging. He was a shadow silhouetted by the fading light of day.

“If I return,” he said slowly, “then we cannot be together. Even if Muria is out of the picture. Especially then. As the new head of the household, I will be burdened with many expectations. If I do not, for example, marry a woman within the next few years and sire a child, then ruin will come to my family. My sisters will be shunned. I might be banished, but even if I am not, financial devastation will inevitably occur. Everyone who is currently employed at the Palace will suffer greatly.”

He shuddered and, as if the thought hadn’t occurred to him before, closed the window. There was a single tear tracing its way down his left cheek. It was quickly followed by another.

“It was selfish to ask you to be my partner, and it was even more selfish to tell you that I…” The words died in his throat. “That I love you.”

Rin looked up at him, taking a deep breath, then another, studying Arquis. "Darling…" his voice was very soft. Ari quietly stood and left the room again, deciding to wait in the hall for a bit. This was not a conversation that he should be around for. Rin glanced at the door as it closed, and then his gaze returned to Arquis. "I…I went into this knowing that it probably could not last." his voice was still soft, and quiet, his gaze fastened on his lover. "And…we will enjoy however much time we have left together." they held onto the sheets, looking up at Arquis.

Arquis leaned against the shutters and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. When he spoke, it was in a shaky whisper. “I know. That is what we both said, in the beginning, but… but I am so selfish, Rin, and so weak. I do not want this to end.” He slid down the wall and crumpled in a heap on the floor. “I cannot go back there. I cannot do it all over again. It will kill me.” All of the air was forced from him, and he lifted his head to look at them. He felt incredibly lonely. His chest hurt so badly that it was as if something was ripping it in half.

If he returned, he would die. That was the truth. Not immediately, but the stress of the job would get to him eventually. If it wasn’t related to starvation, it would be a heart attack, a stroke, or insomnia. He’d either waste away in silence or go down in a blaze of painful glory. And he’d be alone when it happened.

Looks like Muria would have her way, no matter what.

“I am so sorry,” he gasped. “I wanted this so badly. I never wanted to hurt you.”

Rin got up from the bed, coming over to sit down beside Arquis. "You do not have to go back, darling." their voice was still soft, and careful. "You do not have to return if returning is not something that you wish to do. One of your sisters will take charge." they reached over to gently cup Arquis's cheek, thumb rubbing lightly over the nobleman's cheekbone.