The Gift of War [bxb]

Labyrinth

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...

Ryan woke up to the damp darkness of his dingy room once again.

The ordeal with the crown prince had left him confused, restless and disappointed. He had not gone there wanting something, but coming out empty-handed felt like a stab in the side.

He knew he had no monopoly over a writer's literary endeavours, but for a moment, he had truly dared to believe... He had truly thought himself the prince's muse.

What a pipe dream, he thought, shifting to his back to look up at the ceiling.

In the dark, his mind refused to go anywhere except the man who he had come to admire. The man who was unlawfully his current master, the man whose commanded armies had enslaved him and his subjects, the man who had picked him as a personal servant for his blond hair and blue eyes.

The enemy.

And yet, he was also the man who refused to treat him anything like a servant, had called him an acquaintance, a friend even, the man who freed a companion of his on his word without a second thought.

A friend.

So was it wrong for Ryan to have developed these unwanted, wretched feelings for the prince, when he treated him with such gentleness, such kindness?

Was he wrong, or was he human?

When he thought of the man, he removed his Perion blood. After all, the man never thought him less for being a Sythian.

It's only fair, right?

His father's weeping face sweeped through his mind, and he shot up abruptly.

Refusing to dwell on that train of thought for even a second longer, he got out of the bed.

...

Ryan leaned on the cool earthen wall as he nibbled on the piece of chocolate he stole.

The prince was right, it was delicious.

He was contemplating whether to risk it and steal some more to stash away, or to boot it out of there when a throat cleared before him.

Fear gripped his legs and he froze. The crown prince stood there, his silhouette brightened by the moonlight coming in from the kitchen windows.

"My lord." Ryan hid his treasure behind his back.

"Rafael." The crown prince's face was unreadable in the light, and in the dark it was undecipherable. "It is quite late for you to be out of bed."

"I can say the same for you." Ryan quipped, right as he beat himself for it internally. He tended to forget, while the man was kind to him, he had the unbeseechable reputation of a cold hearted killer.

"This is my castle, I believe." The prince defended, even though he didn't need to. Thankfully, there was humour in his voice.

"This is the servants' area." Ryan pointed out.

"My point still stands." Nusrat took a step closer until he reached the blond standing against the wall still. "The castle is mine, and so is everything in it." He reached behind Ryan, and plucked the chocolate out of his hand. "And so is this chocolate."

To rub it in some more, he broke off a piece and put it in his mouth, humming in delight.

"You're right, my lord." Ryan whispered, his eyes downcast. "It's all yours, and only yours."

Pushing past the prince as gently as he could, he tried to flee to his room.

"Rafael, wait." A hand grabbed his arm to halt him, but let go just as quickly. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset, my lord." Ryan didn't turn around. "I can't dare to be."

The prince winced behind his back. "You only call me 'my lord' when you're being overly formal."

Ryan turned around at that. "I think you forget, my lord, that our relationship should be entirely formal."

"It should be, but it's not."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Is it something you find horribly offending?" The prince questioned, a frown marring his elegant features.

"No. Yes." Ryan blurted out, frustration seeping through his tone. "I don't know!"

"Why?"

"Why? I don't know why!" Ryan all but shouted, still mindful of the sombering castle. "Ever since I've met you, I've been in a labyrinth of my own emotions. I'm lost, my lord, I'm lost!"

"Why?" The prince whispered.

"You make my question my beliefs, you make my question my own people, you make my question my own land, I'm supposed to be a Sythian, but I'm fraternising with a Perion!"

Nusrat let him continue.

"Every night I lay there in that box of a room, restless in the dark while the faces of my countrymen mock me for betrayal-"

Ryan's voice broke in a sob.

"I'm a betrayer of the worst kind, my lord."

Wiping at his eyes, he looked at the prince straight in the eyes.

"I have fallen in love with a Perion, my lord!"

The crown prince remained silent while the younger man seethed, seemingly pondering over his words. And then he spoke, in the most benign way.

"This Perion you love, is it me?"

Ryan looked at him incredulously.

"Who else would it be?" He cried.

"Good to know." Nusrat smiled, and before Ryan could rage at him some more more for his brazenness, he was interrupted by a hand on his cheek.

Ryan's blue eyes widened as the prince pulled him into an earth shattering kiss.

...

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