A Crown of Lilies and Regrets (MxM)

Chapter 1

Mikael woke up and his head hurt. He sat up and scanned his surroundings. He was in a large room. There was a lit fireplace with a sitting area, he was in a large bed full of the finest furs he'd ever felt. Sunlight streamed through the cracks of the curtains.

I'm alone. Mikael thought. Where am I? Who else is in this place? Are they going to hurt me? Mikael realized the clothes he was wearing weren't his. His heart sank to his stomach. Someone changed me. Someone saw me exposed.

Mikael drew his knees up to his chest and started rocking back and forth as a way to comfort himself. It was a childish thing to do, but Mikael didn't know any better. How could he?

Tears welled up in his eyes and his breathing became uneven. Chocked sobs escaped his mouth as he started trembling.

The door to the room opened and Mikael flinched. He looked up and saw a tall figure in the doorway. He scrambled back in the bed and screamed.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! PLEASE! Please! Please..." He quietly sobbed and the figure froze. They closed the door softly.

It was silent until Mikael felt warm arms envelope him.

"Please don't hurt me..." He pleaded quietly. He felt a dip in the bed as the other person sat down, then Mikael was lifted into their arms and cradled.

These are a man's arms. Mikael thought to himself. He continued to sob quietly into the man's chest as the man patted his head and hummed softly.

Eventually, Mikael stopped crying and was now focusing on controlling his breathing.

"Take deep breaths with me." The man said softly. His deep voice reverberated in Mikael's head. The man took slow breaths in and out, Mikael followed suit. They repeated this until Mikael was breathing normally on his own.

Mikael took that moment to look at the man. It was the man who he stumbled upon in the square before collapsing. The man had a strong build, that of someone who has been training their whole life. The man had short black curls that were random, yet neat on his head. He has a sharp jawline and pointed ears, like that of a demon's. Oh, but his eyes. His eyes were a beautiful shade of dark purple. Mikael could stare at those eyes all day.

"Are you okay?" The man asked him and Mikael flinched.

"I-i'm okay." Mikael murmured.

"All right, now that you've calmed down, would you mind releasing my arm? You have quite the firm grip." The man informed Mikael, he the realized he'd unconsciously wrapped his tail around the man's arm while he was crying. He quickly unwrapped his tail and clutched it close to his chest.

"I'm s-so sorry!" Mikael exclaimed. The man chuckled and Mikael blushed deeply, his laugh was so deep and voice so smooth. The way he held Mikael so gently made his heart melt. For once, Mikael was enjoying a man's touch.

"What's your name, little demon?" The man asked.

"Mikael."

"And why are you here, Mikael?"

"I w-woke up here." Mikael answered awkwardly.

"No, not this room. Why are you in Sinait?" He asked.

"Is that the name of the fiefdom?" Mikael asked and the man looked a little confused.

"Yes... This is my fiefdom, Sinait. I am Lord Nikolson Vallery." Mikael blinked then quickly stumbled out of the man's hold. He knelt and pressed his head to the floor.

"I-i'm so sorry, my lord! Please f-forgive me!" Mikael pleaded. The man he now knew as "Nikolson" stared at the trembling boy for a moment.

"...Why are you apologizing?" Nikolson asked.