NaraSeth: A Historic Romance (MxM)

An Abyss

ปราชญ์กล่าวชีวิตของผู้เป็นอยู่ด้วยปัญญาว่าประเสริฐสุด A life guided by wisdom is an excellent one

Narath tiptoed out of the quarters even before the rest of the boys woke up and headed to the room that housed their accessories and makeup. He took a small amount of the white powder with ground rice as it's base and mixed it with the sandalwood paste. It matched his golden skin somewhat and would cover the bruises from yesterday until he leaves the palace. He took the mixture and turned to return to the quarters.

"I saw your wounds yesterday. Here", Ayuseth offered him a small circular container with something like a balm in it. 

"Apply this before covering it up. It will heal quicker", he said extending his hand with the container in it. 

"I'll take care of it"

"This is made by the palace physician. Sure you will take care of it better than this? Just take it", Ayuseth pushed it into his hand and walked away. Narathip looked at the bitter smelling greenish brown balm in the container and sighed. 

"Thanks", he said in a mumble as he looked at Ayuseth who was far down the corridor. 

...

The troupe was ordered to leave by a parallel entrance due to the arrival of Kings of the neighbouring kingdoms at the main ones. Trumpets and gongs welcomed processions of the Kings along the main entrance of the palace while the troupe got ready to depart at the side entrance. Khru Dainath pulled out his tab once again, leading the group out of the palace. 

Narathip walked into the hut, grabbing the straw brush and sweeping off the fallen tree leaves from the muddy varendah. He sat down on the stairs and brushed his thumbs over the small scrape wound on his palms. He sighed and unpacked the steamed rice dish from the banana leaf and took a bite. With not much to do, he went inside, dropping his cloth bag beside the bamboo cot and got on it, aiming to sleep the stress away. There were too many things to think of and resolve but he was too tired for all of it. 

***

"My child, I will be back as soon as I can. Do well at what you love", the man in his  early 30's spoke as he gathered everything he needed in a silk embroidered bag. He grabbed the young boy by his shoulders and kissed him on his forehead before rushing out. The 8 year old boy looked as he sped away on the horse, trusting his words, that he would be back.

...

"Take care", he said to his wife before rushing out. He looked back one more time before the horse neighed and took off. The mother held her child, the 3 year old daughter that wouldn't stop crying as she watched her husband with vacant eyes. Something told her this would be it.  

...

"It was probably yesterday, early morning, I only saw two black robe clad men. They were too quick and brutal"

"A man. Witnesses say it was Sin, the royal painter"

"I heard he has a wife and a daughter"

The onlookers had spoken regardless of the faceless corpse, half eaten by wolves in the forest. The young kid grew breathless as his godfather, who accompanied him checked the corpse one last time before joining him. 

"Don't worry. Everything is okay. Let's get your mother and sister and leave, alright?" He said to the child who knew nothing was and would ever be okay. They neared a one storeyed house, lavish in architecture and painted in the most eye catching colours, the house shone bright even at night. But it was different this time, the fire in the fireplace wouldn't have lit up the entire area. The crowd around the house confirmed the man's suspicions. They had got to his family before he could. As he finally made sense of the horrifying screams coming from his burning house, his feet moved on its own towards it. The man grabbed the kid and closed his mouth. He kicked the horse, taking off into the night.