The healers nodded a little, whispering words of recognition of his thanks, casting a few anxious glances at Kaz. Kaz stepped forward again, gesturing for them to leave. "Now, let's get you a bath and some fresh clothing." he said. "Can you walk now, or shall I carry you again?" he arched a pale eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. Muscle was easily visible as he did, those black markings shifting and moving.
"I can-" Will starts, but as soon as he moves himself, another blinding, searing bolt of pain splits through his head. "Fuck-" He whispers. He peeks through his fingers, green eyes flicking up and down Kaz's strong body. He hates the way his heart jumps, hates the way his mind leaps, hates the way his thoughts try to convince Will that Kazimir is a safe place. He's not. Kaz is going to slaughter Will. It's only a matter of time.
"Fine," he bites again. "Don't make this any more miserable than it has to be."
Kaz hummed faintly, and reached down, lifting Will up again. "There we are." he said softly, holding Will close and secure in his arms. "We'll get you cleaned up now, then." he carried Will from the healers, and headed through the halls again. This time, the trip took a bit longer. The floors of most of the ground level were marble, but the upper floors were mainly polished wood, with only some areas formed of marble. The walls were a lovely mix of stone and other materials, elegant and gorgeous no matter where the eyes looked.
Will's breath hitches in his throat as Kazimir lifts him off of the table. His mind swims, vision blurring and blackening in the corners. From the few glimpses Will catches of the castle, its beautiful. One day he would like to map it all out, find the nooks and crannies and secret passageways. For a fleeting moment, Will forgets he's a prisoner in the hands of the Snake.
The smell hits him instantly when they arrive in the washroom. It's still floral, but this time the smells are pungent and biting, unlike the soothing aromas of the infirmary. The perfumes cause his head to spin. He holds his breath waiting for the feeling to subside.
Kaz gently set Will down on the floor and began to draw up a bath. The water was hot, and he added some soap that made it bubble up. "Can you bathe yourself, or do you need my help?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at Will as he hung a towel on a rack, close to the tub so that it would be easy for Will to get.
The thought of the other man seeing Will so exposed is near mortifying. "No, I have it handled," he quickly answers, softly shaking his head and hiding the pain that comes with it. It's just a bath. It shouldn't be difficult. Will is a perfectly capable human being. "I don't require your assistance."
Kaz nodded a little bit. "Of course. I shall wait outside, then. Do call out if you need anything." he said, straightening and then leaving the room. He closed the door quietly behind him, and leaned against the wall to wait for Will to be done bathing. He could not decide how he felt about all of this. He was, of course, elated to see the Martyr again; this was the only person he loved, continuously and without pause, even if he did kill him nearly every lifetime. He didn't want their cycle to end. He closed his eyes and sighed softly, running a hand through his white hair. Their stories never stopped intertwining, life trying to bring their destinies about and every time Kaz denied that. He did not want to know what came after their stories ended. He knew what had come before, when precious few of the Fates (including his lover) knew nothing of it. The journey to find that knowledge had been a hard one, and he had made it several lifetimes ago. That knowledge was one he had never yet shared.
When he's finally alone in the room, Will lets out a long sigh of relief. The room still too bright for him to open his eyes, Will reaches out with his magic, finding some vines crawling up one of the nearby walls and has them extend and weave together, effectively covering the window and any other sources of light. He cracks an eye open, testing the lighting, and then blinks them both open. The bathroom is gorgeous to say the least. From the glittering marble to the silver and gold features embedded with gems. Luxury, but not tacky. Will can respect that.
His back aches as he struggles to strip down. The water radiates comfortable warmth… The water back in his home was never warm. His mother always requested to use the warm water for her work. Will never had an issue with that. He can deal with borderline cold water if it brings more revenue in for his family.
As he slips into the warmth of the bath, the reality of his situation hits him. The Snake… oh, the Snake. Destiny is always so cruel to Will. He's loved the Snake in a million lifetimes, he's hated every second of it. He's been killed by the Snake at the end of every single one, but Will can't find it in his heart to hate him. Kazimir is destruction, is pain and massacre and agony… Yet, he can't hate him. And Will resents himself for that.
Kaz waited quietly, sighing very softly as he did. To see the Martyr again, after so long…it had been his entire lifetime now that he had been waiting and watching for the man he loved to arrive; he had begun to doubt whether or not it would happen. What if their paths had already crossed and Kaz had killed him without knowing? But happily, that was not the case. His Martyr was here now. William. William was here now.
When he's done bathing, Will hoists himself from the bath with a wince. His arms feel like twigs during dry season, his back coated in lacerations and now wet bandages. That was a waste of gauze, he mutters internally. His hair drips into his eyes as he slowly slides from the bathtub. The towel is warm, fluffy… nice. He finds himself softly sighing as he pats himself clean, being extra weary of his wounds. It's only then, he notices, that he doesn't have any clothes to change into. His nostrils flare. He wraps the large towel around himself a little tighter. He could change right back into his pants, but those are filthy and his shirt is in tatters and currently in a different part of the castle.
"Kazimir," He says grudgingly after a few moments of ferocious internal debate. "I require clothing."
Kaz cleared his throat, straightening up. "I shall go and fetch you some, then." he smirked for a moment. "Though…you could walk the palace naked. Nudity is far more accepted by the Fae than by you humans." he looked over at the door, though he knew that Will could not see his face.
Will's face grows red at the mere thought. "I think not, you bastard!" He bites, hands balling into fists even though Kazimir is well on the other side of the door. "I'd rather preserve what dignity I have left." He shudders and groans, wrapping the towel further around his cooling body.
He laughed, a faint little smile tugging at his mouth. "Alright. I shall go get you some clothing, then." he replied, heading off. He returned after a few minutes. "I am going to open the door to put these inside." at least he had warned Will, right? He had let the young man know that the door was opening, so that Will could cover himself before Kaz opened it. He paused for a moment, then opened the door and set the clothes down on the counter. "Here you are."
Will starts when Kaz knocks on the door, lost in his own thoughts for the past few minutes. He scrambles to ensure that he's properly covered, puffing out through his nose as the door opens. It lets in more light, causing Will to squint and turn away. He makes a point to not look at Kaz. "Thank you," he mutters quietly, praying that the other man didn't hear.
Kaz's gaze flicked to Will, and he inclined his head faintly. His sense of hearing, as a Fae, was sharp. "Yes. Get dressed, then." He moved from the room, closing the door to leave Will in peace for a few more precious minutes. He waited outside the door so that the young human could get dressed.
Once safely alone again, Will slowly gets to his feet - wincing at the pain that shoots through his ankles. The barbarian must've had a stronger grip on his ankle than he thought. He orders some of the vines on the walls to him, wrapping them around his feet and calves as braces. He breaks off the vines, watching as they slowly solidify into sturdy assistance. It's still painful, but at least it's a little more comfortable. Will drops the towel and slips into the provided shirt, noting thankfully that it's large and doesn't press against his wounds. The pants are also considerably loose, but at least they have a drawstring to keep them on his hips. He sweeps his drying hair from his face, wishing for a ribbon to tie it back, and pointedly avoids his reflection in the mirror.
And then Will slowly makes his way to the door, closing his eyes tight to brace for the light, and opens it.
Kaz looked over when Will opened the door, gaze flickering over the clothing. The clothes are, in fact, his, and it does wonders for that curl of possessiveness that swirls up inside of him at the sight of Will standing there in his clothing, rumpled and tired. "Feeling better?" he asked, stepping forward to hold the door for his Martyr.
Will hums, raising his hand to form a visor over his eyes. The migraine has dulled to a headache, but the throbbing at the base of his skull doesn't cease for even a moment. "I want to go home," he says quietly, thinking about his poor parents and their small businesses. If he hadn't been out in the forest so late… He could be in his bed drawing his plants in his sketchbook… His sketchbook. Panic flares through Will as he searches for his stachel. He didn't remember removing it to take a bath… He pats down his sides, even though he knows it won't be there. He feels his shoulders for the familiar strap of the bag, but comes up short. "Where is it?" He asks, mostly to himself.
"Are you looking for something?" Kaz asked. "And I'm afraid you cannot go home just now. Going through the portals is taxing on mortal bodies and psyches, and were you to go through a second time, so soon, it could ruin your mind." he had gone down that dark descent into madness many times; once in this lifetime. Recovery was slow and difficult and in this lifetime, he was still trying. Sometimes he slipped back down, because it was so easy. It was so easy to just let that madness take over, let pain and suffering and anger rule him until all he wanted to do was hurt and destroy.
"My-" Will starts, turning in a slow circle as if he would somehow find it slumped against the ornate walls. "My bag." He unintentionally tunes out Kaz's reasoning for his temporary and unwilling hostel. He can feel the panic lumping in his throat. Maybe it's just the day catching up to him. Just that morning he had his life wrecked by an old woman with a card deck. And then he was in the forest - after dark, just like the Mayor always warned to never do - and kidnapped by a group of barbaric fae. And now he's trapped in a disgustingly beautiful castle, a hostage to the Snake… The man he's doomed to love, the man he's destined to die to. "I need my bag," he says, voice verging on pleading. He hasn't slept in thirty hours.
"Did you have it with you when you came through the portal?" Kaz asked. Perhaps it was still in the throne room? "If you did not, I can send some soldiers to look for it for you." clearly this bag was important to Will, so he would help. If he could. He wanted to, at least.
"I had it-" Will says, slightly frantically. His headache is getting worse. "It was taken with me-" He tries his best to still his breath and to rack his mind. He remembers… He was on the floor, he was in pain, he was bleeding and facing the Snake with bared teeth. "It's still down in that main room."
Kaz nodded. "Are you capable of walking, or do you wish for me to carry you again?" He asked, shifting and taking a step towards Will. He was planning on going to the throne room to collect Will's bag, and then he would take Will to a bedroom to help him settle in.
"I can walk," Will is quick to protest. He'd rather not have Kaz carry him again. He needs to spare what little dignity he has left. Instinctively stepping away from Kaz as the Snake steps forward, Will turns his attention to trying to figure out which way is towards the throne room. He wasn't in the best of shape when he was carried up. A sigh escapes his nose. The palace is practically a labyrinth to him.
Kaz smiled a little bit. "Fine. Follow me, then." he replied, leading Will through the halls. He walked slower than normal, to accommodate his Martyr; that was how he thought of Will. As his. The Martyr was the only person he truly loved, and even then, Kaz's ability to love was…well. It certainly was different from other people's.