Lunar Flare Book 2: Midnight Eclipse

Chapter 18

Emil didn't want to stop kissing Beowulf, but a bundle of nerves had started to form in his guts, so he eventually did pull away. "What about Thedrick?" he blurted out breathlessly, looking up at the big stupid oaf that had stolen his heart.

"What about Thedrick?" Beowulf repeated back to him, looking down at him quizzically.

"I... I thought you were in love with him," Emil pointed out, confusion creeping into his own voice now.

"Oh, of course I am," Beowulf said with a cheerful smile.

"B-But!" Emil exclaimed, stumbling over his words. "Then why did you k-kiss me?"

Beowulf tilted his head slightly in puzzlement. "Because I love you too," he offered plainly, though his smile had disappeared.

"You! You can't love two people at once!" Emil said insistently, trying to pull away from the big guy now.

"Why not?" Beowulf asked in return, his lips pulled into a small unsure frown now, and if he was really struggling to understand Emil's point. He had not let go of the noble, continuing to hold him in place close to him with his strong hands.

"B-Because!" Emil stuttered out, grasping for the reason. "Love is supposed to be between a man and a woman..."

"Says who?" Beowulf pressed, looking a little upset now.

"My... my parents..." Emil muttered, glancing down towards the ground.

"But you don't like your parents, so why would you listen to what they say?" Beowulf pointed out.

"Look you... you can't be in love with both of us... it just doesn't work that way. It's not... allowed..." Emil mumbled, avoiding looking up at the knight.

"But you love both Thedrick and I, right?" Beowulf stated as more of a fact than a question.

This took Emil off guard, and he glanced up at the large man nervously. "I... no... that's not..." He wanted to say it wasn't true, but the lie died in his throat. He gave the big guy a beseeching look, swallowing hard.

"And Thedrick loves both of us too. So, if we all love each other, then there is no problem, right?" Beowulf asked earnestly.

Emil sniffed back the tears that he felt building up again. Then he finally nodded, and leaned forwards, resting his head against Beowulf's broad chest. Maybe it was better to think about things like a simple big oaf. He felt Beowulf bow his head down and plant a gentle kiss on top of Emil's curls.

"Emil!" a voice loudly rang out across the courtyard, and instantly caused Emil's whole body to tense up. He quickly pulled away from Beowulf's body as much as he could and looked around toward the source of the voice, only for his eyes to go wide when he saw his father, Elric Rosenthorne, striding towards them.

Emil's heart plunged into his stomach as he quickly yanked himself out of Beowulf arms. "Emil! What in the names of the gods is the meaning of this?" Elric demanded loudly, gesturing towards his son and the knight.

"I-I... father I'm... I'm sorr-"

"That's it, Emil! You have brought shame upon our family for the last time!" Elric growled, closing the distance between him and his son. Emil cowered slightly, thinking he was about to be hit again. Instead, his father grabbed him by the collar, and started pulling, dragging him stumbling across the courtyard. "We are taking you home!"

"Wait, Mr Rosenthorne!" Emil heard Beowulf cry out while Emil was struggling in his father's grasp.

"You better stay out of this sir knight. We have the power to get the regent to strip you of your title and throw you out of the castle if you try to interfere," Elric snapped at Beowulf as he pulled his son back into the hall. Emil made small choking sounds as his father's tugging on his collar pressed it tight against his throat.