𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 // ꜱᴀʀᴀᴡᴀᴛ ✕ ᴛɪɴᴇ

iv

"D-Do what??" Tine pulled his hand back quickly, shocked for himself.

"Are you a mage?" The duke asked, grabbing one of Tine's arm to pull him closer again, this time with a tight grip.

"Ow... no!" He replied, glancing down at his wrist that was turning red around the other's grip.

"You... you healed me.." Sarawat spoke, shocked for himself. "And I slept peacefully for the first time in a long time.. until you left my side."

"I don't think I follow, m'lord." The confused young man tugged a bit at his arm to let the other know to loosen his grip. Sarawat had his eyes fixated on Tine before he suddenly let the man out of his grasp.

"It's nothing." He got up and put his clothes on before grabbing his sword and leaving Tine in the room alone.

"What... just happened." He sat there, baffled by whatever occurred.

"Tine!" Fang came running into the room, pausing when he saw Tine on the ground, frozen. "You're alive so that's great news!" She laughed loudly with a slight nervous tone. "Well when you're all washed up and okay then you're free to go home, I'm sure you had a long day." She patted him on the shoulder before leaving in a hurry.

-

"You left in rather a great hurry, was there something you had to attend to?" Man questioned as he watched Sarawat closely on the other side of the carriage.

"When we get back, call my doctor.." was all Sarawat replied with but Man knew that meant that he didn't want to talk at that moment.

When they got back Sarawat retired to his bedroom where he wanted to be alone while Man called for the doctor. Sarawat couldn't help but think about all the possibilities of what the reason for the sudden healing could have been. As a child he had been told by his father, The late Duke Radkan Danes, the truth about the power he would be given after he got to a certain age.

Many years ago, A Danes Duke worked with mages and warlocks for a way to strengthen himself. They indeed came to a solution, however such power would come with a price. It acted as a curse, in exchange for demon-like abilities and the power of a beast, he would suffer horrible insomnia and excruciating pain if he tried to sleep. But this would become a curse on the family, for it was passed down the line to the ruling Danes who took up the Duke's role, and the power would be granted once he turned 18.

Despite all this, Radkan told Sarawat about a story, or rather he called it a myth. The myth being that there indeed was a 'cure' for the power's side effects. One of the earlier Danes, Duke Holland, wrote about a woman that he came across after his gruesome battle. After spending a night with her, he noticed his health improving, he slept peacefully only beside her and his power had never felt greater. However, after many years of marriage, she died as a result of her weak health. But this was labeled a fiction written by a man who was bored with his time, only because none of the other Dukes had found their 'soulmate' like Holland had. And they all died at the age of 50, while he died at the age of 70.

Could Tine have been Sarawat's 'soulmate'? Sarawat had too many questions in his mind, and if it were really true that would mean that his only way to a life without painful nights was to have Tine by his side.

But this posed a problem since men on men relationships was very looked down upon, especially in his case since he was a respected secondary leader after the King. And relationships were never really his thing due to his job and way of life. A life on the battlefield and a job where there is only blood and death around him. He felt as though his heart wasn't made to be preoccupied by someone while he must maintain his strong devotion to the kingdom.