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

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

Honey wasn't feeling as energetic as before, but he was still having a hard time sleeping. The pain in his wrist was really irritating. He'd put ice on it if there was any around. Technically, there was some in the kitchen, but there was no way he was going to risk waking Ari. So he stayed in place, wincing to himself, holding his arm as still as possible in hopes of reducing the sensation.

Arquis flushed and pulled away, interpreting their words as a hint. Of course they wouldn't feel like kissing. He'd literally just gotten through talking about how exhausted they must be, and there he was, keeping him up for something so ridiculous. They must really think him careless. He gave him another gentle squeeze on the shoulder before parting for his side of the bed.

"It has been," he murmured. "Go ahead and rest, my heart. I can practically feel your exhaustion, all the way over here."

Ari continued to sleep, curled up just a little bit on his side. The braid that Honey had done earlier was still in, and his hair was still just a little bit damp.

Rin hummed very faintly, snuggling close to him again. "Alright. Good night, darling." he shifted so he could press a quick, soft kiss to Arquis's cheek, but otherwise stayed still, laying close to their partner. "Love you." he practically mumbled the last part, voice taken over by grogginess.

[Day Fourteen]

After lying awake for an unfortunately long time, it seemed that Honey had finally fallen asleep. He woke at around eight in the morning, yawned, and went to scratch his eyes. Searing pain radiated from his wrist. He hissed and froze. His arm was hovering over his neck, and his hand dangled by his jaw. He peered down at his wrist. The skin over it was pink and swollen, and when he pressed, it felt like one big bruise. So he really had overdone it with all of those push-ups. Whatever. He'd just go to his wardrobe and get some gloves; maybe he and Arquis would be matching. As soon as he thought that, however, he remembered the what had happened the previous night. His clothes were ruined. Maybe not all of them, but a lot of his favorite items. He'd have to spend the day cleaning and organizing everything. What a shame.

He rolled over, expecting to slide off the bed and onto his feet, and ended up on top of Ari. A strange noise sprang from his throat. He tried to right himself, but that only made things worse. His face thumped into the young man's chest, and, well, his lower half was all over the place. One of his knees had ended up between theirs, and the other leg was stretched out across the bed, almost like he was prepping to do the splits.

"Uh," he said, and then erupted into laughter, his entire face pink. He really hoped he hadn't woken him up, but that would've been impossible. An elephant entering the room would've been more subtle.

Arquis hadn't gotten much sleep. He'd spent most of the night watching over his lover, feeling rather protective. And sure, some of that time had been spent dwelling in self-loathing, but then he'd remember his partner's last words before sleep. They would automatically make him feel better. Rin loved him. It was a wonderful, soft thing, and it made him giddy with joy.

He got out of the bed and went to the window. The storm hadn't broken overnight, though it was much less intense. Maybe he could take Rin out somewhere nice before they returned to the inn. For a second, he worried about Myr, but then he remembered Ophia's threat and felt a little better. Even if they happened upon him in public, he hopefully wouldn't feel like getting close.

There was something that was bothering him about their confrontation the night before. It was the way he'd been looking at Arquis before he left, as if he'd recognized him. But he was certain he'd never met the man before. He'd gotten drunk at parties before and probably met a lot of people he wouldn't remember, but Myr wasn't the type to be invited to the Palace. His name wasn't familiar, and besides, he didn't have the overdressed pomp of a lot of the super wealthy and influential. How did he know Arquis, then? Had he been mistaken in reading his gaze? The man had been bleeding profusely, perhaps he'd taken Arquis for someone else. Or perhaps he hadn't. Could he be some sort of undercover investigator? Someone Muria had hired? It wasn't likely, but he had made that remark about a mother. That didn't necessarily mean anything, though, especially since Ophia hadn't heard it well.

He realized he'd been talking to himself for a while and turned, hoping he hadn't woken Rin with his muttering. It was likely just paranoia, after all.

Ari woke up when Honey flopped on top of him, inhaling a startled breath and blinking up at the blond. "Wh…what's wrong?" he stammered, having been startled out of sleep. "Did, uhm, is everything alright?" he rubbed at his eyes with a hand, looking at at the pink-faced man above him. He had slept soundly through the night, only briefly waking a few times before dropping back to sleep again.

Rin had slept deep through the night, not waking or, thankfully, having any nightmares. He had been so tired from everything throughout the day that they had fallen asleep very quickly, and had stayed asleep for most of the night. Arquis's muttering hadn't quite woken him, but it had certainly put him on the path towards waking up. They shifted around on the bed a little, pressing closer to Arquis in their sleep.

Honey tried to speak, but he was still breathless from all the laughter. Any following attempts to push himself up failed. He finally gave in and went limp against Ari, tucking his outstretched leg in. As per usual, he had an elegant, composed way of moving, like he was a ballet dancer practicing poses. He was normally pretty flexible, and someone had once even called him graceful. He was just also sometimes clumsy, it seemed.

"Nah, everything's good. I just forgot you were here," he said, grinning. "I was trying to get outta bed, and I kinda rolled on top of you. And then I tried to get up, but, like, I don't know. It was real funny. Fell on my face and everything. Whole nine yards. Sorry, though. Didn't mean to startle you."

Arquis decided he should go check with Ophia and see what she was up to while Rin was still asleep. Perhaps she would need help with breakfast, as she did the day before. It was also possible that she'd gone to see a patient. He wondered if she left a note. Luckily, he didn't have to wonder for long. She was sitting in the living room with a basket of fabric, yarn, and other sewing supplies. Her feet, which were in fluffy slippers, were propped up on a chair. He smiled at her as he walked in, and she held up a half-made baby onesie.

"What do you think?"

"It is adorable. I, ah, was not aware that you were with child." As soon as it was out of his mouth, she tipped her head back and laughed.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm not. This is for an expecting mother I know. She has really bad arthritis, so she can't do a lot of work like this. I offered to do it for her. Like I said the other day, I'm never really gonna have a child. Honey's practically my kid, but that's not official or anything. I'm just protective of him." She lowered the onesie into her lap and frowned. "I'm worried about him. The man that was here last night seemed really aggressive. I hope nothing happened to him yesterday."

Arquis nodded, agreeing quietly. Her frown dissolved. She gestured with her head towards the kitchen, where an aroma of spice drifted out.

"I made gingerbread tea. You and your partner can have some, if you'd like. Are they awake?"

"I am not sure. They were not when I came out here."

Ari snickered softly, still looking up at Honey. "It's alright. I, ah, don't mind." he replied, not reaching up to touch Honey since he didn't know how the young man might respond to that. "It's not the worst way to wake up. Handsome young man on top of me, sunlight in the windows." he smiled, shifting just a little bit. "You do look lovely, Honey." though he himself needed to shower, wash the rain from his hair and his skin.

Rin continued to sleep for a few more minutes, slowly stirring out of his dreams, eyes flickering open. He looked around the bed, blinking tiredly. "'quis?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up a little bit. They realized after a moment that Arquis was not in the room with them, and they sat up, stumbling a little as they got out of bed and came out of the room, coming over to Arquis and Ophia. "Mornin'." he said quietly, leaning against Arquis.

(not gonna lie the "'quis?" got me that's so cute)

Honey glanced over at the window, then turned back, amused. "Well. Not really sunlight. Still kinda drizzling, though I get your point. But y'know, stranger," he leaned in playfully, close enough that his eyelashes were nearly brushing Ari's cheek, "you're a far lovelier sight."

With that, he finally managed to detangle himself from him and stand. He yawned and scratched his side with his good hand. The other hand was technically fine, but there was no way he was moving that wrist anytime soon. If it was gonna heal properly, it needed rest, time, and ice. He supposed he might do that last step later in the night, but as for right then, he really should start going through the remnants of his belongings. Who knew how long that'd take.

Arquis grinned and reached to hold his partner's cheek. Ophia watched as he repositioned them so that he was wrapped around Rin, his arms tucked under their shoulders. She smiled to herself as he kissed their temple. Young love was wonderful. She was glad they'd seemed to patch things up from the night before.

"Ah, there you are, my love. Good morning. We were having a bit of a chat," the nobleman said. "Ophia was telling me that she prepared some tea. Would you like me to fetch you some?"

(yeah it popped into my head and i was like "aww that's perfect")

Ari laughed a little. "Mm, yeah, I suppose you're right." he replied, laughing and sitting up on his elbows. "Did you, ah, sleep alright?" he knew that he himself had slept alright, but he honestly had no idea how well– or not –Honey had slept, and he really did want to know about that. "I know you were awake when I fell asleep, but did you at least get some sleep?"

Rin smiled a little, leaning into Arquis. "Mmhm. Tea sounds good." he replied, looking up at Arquis, then glancing over at Ophia to give her a soft, quick smile. "Morning, Ophia." they greeted her, reaching to hold onto Arquis, quite content to be snuggled up with their partner right now.

"Yeah, I slept fine," Honey replied. It wasn't a lie. When he'd finally drifted off, his rest had been relatively uneventful. No dreams, but no nightmares, either. Or at least none that he could remember, which he appreciated. They'd been through so much the day prior that an additional nightmare would've been overkill.

"I'm thinking about heading over to clean my room soon. It'll probably keep me pretty busy for a while. Lot of things to sort. I mean, cleaning all the makeup stains and powder alone will probably be a good half hour, and then I've gotta go through all my clothes. I'm not even sure what to do about the broken mirror. Guess I gotta throw it out. And my drawings, well, they're all goners, so I'll have to trash them, which won't take long at all. But the burns in my carpet are gonna take weeks to fix. I'll probably have to call someone in to replace the whole thing."

He realized he'd been rambling, and he sealed his lips shut. Ari probably didn't wanna hear about his chores. He had breakfast to eat and other things to do, undoubtedly.

Ophia waved with one hand, the other holding her crocheting hooks. "Morning. Yeah, go ahead and get that tea. It'll get cold before long. Oh, and one of my friends brought over some breakfast croissants earlier today. Some are egg and cheese, and the rest have fruit and honey. I'm not gonna be able to eat them all myself, so go ahead and have some, if you'd like."

"Thank you very much. I will be right back," Arquis announced. He kissed the top of his partner's head before detaching himself and walking to the kitchen.

The older lady gave Rin a curious look. She pointed a hook at an armchair, directing them to sit, and then asked, "I don't mean to pry, but about last night—is he treating you alright?"

Ari listened quietly, nodding just a little bit. "I have to shower, but after that, do you want some help cleaning up your room?" he asked. "It sounds like you've got a lot to do, and I can help, if you'll let me." he knew that Honey might not want help, but he was willing to help if Honey would accept that help. "And after breakfast, too, I'm rather hungry, and you probably are too."

Rin hummed faintly, settling himself in an armchair and curling his legs up beneath themself. "Mm." he blinked tiredly at Ophia, processing her question. "Oh. Yes. Arquis would never hurt me, Ophia. And I would never hurt him, either." he was a bit tired of the amount of people who had questioned if one of them was hurting the other. It was rather exhausting.

Honey was surprised by the offer. His rambling hadn't meant to guilt trip Ari into helping, and he hoped it didn't seem that way. As he'd already thought, he was sure the other man had things he wanted to do. He'd hate to interrupt his daily plans.

"Uh, well, you can join if you want, stranger. Don't gotta. And I'm gonna have to pass on that breakfast offer, I'm actually not hungry at all." His appetite, it seemed, had been demolished alongside the contents of his wardrobe. He couldn't possibly eat when there was so much that needed to be done. "You go on and get yourself something to eat, though."

Ophia, sensing their exasperation on the subject, had the grace to look a touch embarrassed. She glanced down at her project. "Like I said, I really didn't mean to pry. It's just with Honey and all, I guess sometimes I tend to assume the worst. And if this is the Arquis that I am thinking of, then, well, you must know the rumors surrounding him and his family. They are rather dark."

"Ah, yes, everyone has heard them," Arquis said dryly as he re-entered the room. Cups of tea and plates were balanced carefully on his arm, as if he were a waiter. "There are so many at this point, it is hard to keep track. Have you heard the cannibalism one? It has resurfaced this season. Quite gruesome."

Maybe he was being unfair, but he so dearly hated the rumors. He couldn't help but be bitter.

"I want to help you, if you're alright with it." Ari said, soft and sweet, shooting the young man a gentle smile. "After I shower and eat, I mean." he got out of the bed, reaching up to undo the braid in his hair. His hair had dried overnight, but did need to be washed. The curls were a bit mangled from the braid and the damp, and he needed to wash and take care of them.

"It's…" he trailed off as Arquis came back in. "Arquis would never hurt me, and I would never hurt him." he repeated, giving his partner an apologetic look for the topic that had come up. "I am sorry, darling." they said, reaching up to bring him in for a soft kiss. He looked over at Ophia again.

Honey watched Ari's fingers dance as he untangled his braid, and he had the oddest impulse to stroke through his messy curls. It had been quite fun to play with his hair the night before. He'd jump at the chance to do it again, but he knew that this wasn't the time for that.

"Yeah, I'm good with that. You wanna meet in my room later, then? When you’re done? 'Cause I might go on and get a head start." He pointed to the door with his thumb, then hid a wince. He'd already forgotten about his wrist, and he'd used the wrong hand.

Arquis smiled into the kiss. As exasperated as the topic made him, he knew Ophia hadn't brought it up out of malice. She didn't seem the sort to be a gossip mill. Her genuinely apologetic expression supported this theory. She hummed to clear her throat and fiddled with the hook in her hand. It seemed like she couldn't decide whether to address the situation or continue with her crocheting.

"I'm sorry. I should know better than to share rumors," she finally said. "I really do just worry sometimes. Probably too much for my own good."

Arquis nodded. He set a plate with two croissants in Rin's lap, then handed him a cup of tea. The liquid inside was still hot. He bent to kiss them one more time before settling down beside him in the armchair.

Ari smiled again. "Sure." he replied. "I'll be there in a bit, just give me some time to get ready." he was planning on bringing Honey some food; he knew the young man had said he wasn't hungry, but he wanted to bring him some food anyways, just in case. Once Honey had left his room, he headed into the bathroom to bathe, stripping out of the clothes he had borrowed, which he figured he would return at some point soon. He was glad to take a shower, carefully working his fingers through his hair in order to untangle his curls.

"It's alright, Ophia." he said as he took the tea, taking a small sip and giving the older woman another soft, quick smile. "Thank you, love." he said to Arquis, shifting just a little so that there was more room for his lover on the armchair. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but Rin didn't mind being pressed up close to his lover like this.

Honey went to his room and unlocked the door. Inside, everything was just as they'd left it. He sighed, turned on the lights, and scanned for a place to get started. There was a bin in the corner of the bathroom. He took it out and put it in the center of the room. Then, he picked up overturned palettes, stepped-on cotton balls, nail polish bottle shards, splinters of eyeliner pencils, dried mascara tubes, and a snapped nail file. All of those items went straight into the trash. There was nothing that could be done to save them. One or two palettes had landed right side up and were fine, so he stacked them on his vanity. Some tubes of lipstick and gloss had also ended up scattered about but not destroyed. They went into a still-intact vase.

Arquis smiled in response and lifted his own teacup to his lips. The beverage was hot and spiced, perfect for a rainy morning. He swallowed a piping mouthful before setting it back on the saucer and placing it aside.

Ophia returned to her crocheting. It was probably due to the rain, but there weren't any patients scheduled that day. She was expecting one or two pop-ins. If none came by, then she supposed she could have the afternoon and evening to herself. Maybe Honey would come by. She really wanted to check in on him, after what had happened the previous night.

Ari took a bit to ensure he had worked shampoo and conditioner through his curls, along with soaping his skin to clean off his body as well. Once he was out of the shower, he used a bit of hair cream and worked it through his hair, gently working his fingers through the curls to ensure each one had some of the cream on it. His curls were long enough and curly enough that they required a bit more care and upkeep than straight hair, and he made sure to take care of them. If he did not, they got frizzy and greasy and tangled and looked bad.

Rin leaned against Arquis, sipping at his tea. He closed his eyes, letting out a faint, sleepy hum. It was peaceful in here. Cozy, even. With the sound of the fire and the pattering of the rain, he could almost drift back to sleep again. Not that they were going to, it was only that they could.

After Honey was done sorting through the makeup, he dampened a rag from the bathroom and went to the wall. The nail polish stains on it weren't going to come off with water, no matter how hard he scrubbed, but he could wipe away some of the powder clinging to its surface. There was also a smudge of eyeliner that was relatively easy to clean. He did what he could before placing the rag on his vanity.

Next was his books. Luckily, it seemed that Myr had left most intact. It took a lot of time and effort to rip entire sections out, so many were just missing a couple pages. He went through and taped non-crumpled pages back in, then arranged them on his shelves. Some were library books, so he'd have to pay fines for those, but that was alright. At least none of the spines were torn or split. He looked them over once more to ensure they were all in their place.

Arquis smiled softly when he saw that his partner's eyes were closed. He leaned in and very sweetly brushed his lips over his brow. Just as gently, he kissed each of their cheeks. His heart felt light with love, and his head swam pleasantly, like he'd had a small amount of sparkling cider.

"Oh, love, I adore you," he whispered. Ophia overheard and hid a grin.

Ari finished with his hair, and got dressed. Once he was dressed, he headed down to the dining room to get some breakfast so he could eat, and he was going to take some to Honey, too. He knew the young man had said he didn't want any, but Ari didn't want him to go hungry. He sat down in the dining room with his food and some coffee, and began to eat.

Rin smiled softly, keeping his eyes closed. "Love you too." he whispered, staying snuggled close to his partner. He sipped at his tea again, not yet taking a bite of the food that Arquis had given him.

Honey began to clean his art next. The drawing on his bed with his eye burnt out was still eerie to look at, even in the light of day. He trashed it quickly. It seemed he'd have to get a new comforter and maybe even a mattress, too, but that would come later. He picked up scraps of torn sketch pad paper and wadded them into a massive ball to throw out. Myr had really demolished his artwork. Maybe it'd struck a nerve, the thought that Honey had actual talent and hobbies. He'd always wanted the blond to be his little, pretty doll, too scared to make a move against him. Obedient, even if it meant his death. He was glad that Rin and Arquis had found out, though it was still painful and embarrassing.

Arquis noticed that he hadn't eat anything. Worry surged within, and he gently petted through their hair. His selfish fear from a while back overtook him. By being with his partner, was he making them bad, too? Had he made him insecure about their body? He really hoped that wasn't the case. It was possible that they just weren't that hungry, but he didn't think that was possible. Rin hadn't eaten much the day before, just breakfast and toast, if memory served. Surely they'd be famished by now. Was their illness returning? He supposed there would be no better place to treat it than a healer's house.

He hummed quietly, deciding to get to the bottom of it all. "Not hungry, love?"

Once Ari finished his breakfast, he took a plate with some pastries and some little breakfast sandwiches, along with a mug of coffee, and some little containers of cream and sugar. He jsut hoped Honey liked coffee. He made his way to Honey's room, and knocked on the door. He didn't want to come in without permission, so he just stood outside and waited to see if Honey would answer. If Honey would let him in.

Rin opened his eyes sleepily. "Hm? Oh. I'll eat it soon." he replied. "'m just tired right now." he gave their partner a quick, gentle, soft little smile. "There's nothing wrong, love." he nestled his head on Arquis's shoulder again, their eyes closing again.

Honey stood as soon as he heard the knock and walked over. While the door was swinging open, he had a brief flash of panic, wondering what to do if it was Myr. When he saw Ari, he relaxed visibly. A charming smile formed on his lips, and he spread his arms wide.

"Welcome in, welcome in," he said cheerfully, as if he hadn't spent the last half hour or so throwing away prized possessions. His dimples were showing. "Brought breakfast? Stranger, there's no rush. You could've eaten in the dining hall."

Arquis was still worried, but then, he always was. He kissed his lover between the brows and held them close. With his free arm—the one that wasn't around their shoulders—he reached for his tea and took a sip. The rich, aromatic nature of it soothed him greatly. Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. He wished they'd make more gingerbread at the Palace, but it was generally considered unrefined. Something silly for children. Not as professional as other candies, like toffees and lavender honey drops.

"Alright," he whispered, nuzzling his neck. Ophia shifted slightly, turning her body and crocheting in the other direction. She didn't want to watch this slightly private moment.

Ari gave him a soft smile. "This is for you. I already had breakfast." he replied. "Where would you like me to put it?" he was still carrying the plate and mug, and he didn't want to just set them down somewhere Honey might not want him to put them. So he decided to just err on the side of cautioun and ask where Honey wanted them to go.

Rin hummed very faintly, grateful for the kiss. "Love you, Arquis." he whispered, taking a sip of his own tea. He really was just drowsy this morning; maybe it was the weather, maybe it was something else. He wasn't sure. He was just tired and sleepy, and it was fine.

Honey's eyes widened, and he blushed. This was an unusual experience for him. Men didn't really do the whole morning after thing. If they let him stay the night, then they'd kick him out early. He wasn't sure he'd ever had someone bring him breakfast. It was sweet. Ari was sweet.

"Well, aren't you just a charmer," he mumbled, grinning from ear-to-ear. Rather than answer, he took the food and coffee from him, placing it on the vanity. Then, he gestured broadly at the room.

"It's a work in progress. I think I'm gonna start going through outfits soon. See what I can keep and what needs to be thrown."

Arquis placed his hand on their side comfortingly. "Do you need some more rest? You seem rather weary, and I know last night was not easy for you. Nobody would mind if you returned to bed for a bit."