Faro

2. A Game of Cards

'I assume you are familiar with the rules,' Izer spoke once the pair stepped into his chamber.

 Sivan nodded, gazing at the massive room around him. The walls were white, carved with similar gold as the rest of the Obsidian palace. A large four poster bed lay neatly made in one corner, the silk bedsheets beckoning. A spacious wardrobe stood on the opposite end, also embossed with gold. On the other end of the room, a long white curtain covered the entire wall-sized window that overlooked the palace gardens. The room was very much like the rest of the palace, classic and elegant. However, Prince Izer had added personal touches in the form of a large fireplace and a tall armchair with pearly white cushions and a large blanket that lay carelessly on the floor.

'I do apologize for the mess,' Izer said, waving a hand dismissively as he led Sivan towards the large window, moving the curtain and sliding the glass door open. 'I was rather...occupied with myself before I heard your footsteps. It can get rather...dull here.'

He glanced at Sivan once, a playful smile on his lips. Sivan was afraid he would burst into flames at his subtle teasing. He glanced at the blessed white quilt lying on the floor, momentarily entertaining the idea of Izer sitting on the chair, pleasuring himself before Sivan's arrival. The thought made blood rush to all the wrong parts of him and he quickly distracted himself.

Cards. Faro. Yes.

'I would be glad to assist you there,' Sivan said before he could wrap his words around his head. Izer smiled softly, his eyes lighting up in an ethereal glow.

'I would be very interested in that. But...' he lifted the cards again, 'We do have a different task in front of us for now.'

They walked out into the large balcony that had been meticulously decorated. White flower pots carved in intricate gold sat on the ground, lush green plants emerging from them with a careless elegance. At one end of the balcony stood an ornate, metallic swing, and on the other, a round glass table with two wicker chairs facing each other. Izer nodded at one of the chairs, gesturing for Sivan to sit. He sat on the opposite end, placing the deck of cards on the table.

'Would you like to do the shuffling of the cards?' Izer asked, crossing his long legs elegantly as he sat on the chair.

'I suppose so, I am rather deft with my hands,' Sivan said. Much to his delight, Izer's trilling laughter sounded again, making him pause for a second.

He placed thirteen cards of Spades face up, making the game board. Distributing the rest of the cards in stacks of twos. He then proceeded to distribute the golden coins, embossed with the symbol of the bee between both of them, before finally reaching for the smaller, silver pennies and dividing them in a similar fashion.

'Would you prefer to be the keeper? Or the player?' Sivan asked.

He glanced up at Izer, his breath ceasing for a moment. Izer's face was turned away from him, gazing at the magnificent skyline. His chiselled jaw set, his long eyelashes casting a dark shadow on his alabaster skin. His lips, parted slightly. It was hard for Sivan to imagine how the Creator had spent so much time and care on crafting this beauty. A work of artistry.

Izer finally turned to face him. 'I would prefer to be the one to wager.'

Sivan nodded, taking deep breaths to calm himself. The night was perhaps going to be long and hard, in more ways than one.

'I wager...' Izer began, his eyes scanning the cards facing upwards, 'Seven of clubs.'

He placed three gold coins on the seven of Spades, to mirror his bet.

The game commenced, and Sivan placed a card from his deck face up on the table. The seven of diamonds, the losing card. He then proceeded for the second card, the winning card, pulling out- a seven of clubs. He glanced up at Izer, whose face had lit up in a smile again. The moonlight streaming onto his skin casting an unearthly glow.