Tainted (nonbinary mc x man)

Chapter 6

Toma was beginning to wonder what was wrong with him. It had been days. Days of sitting around the inn. Days of playing games and talking and laughing with Monrie. Days of walking carefully through the village on his ankle – which didn't bruise at all. It didn't even hurt anymore.

But even though everything felt perfectly calm, he knew there was a ticking time-bomb. Someone was bound to notice soon. Someone was bound to realize Toma was gone. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to do anything about it.

Toma felt a stabbing pain in his stomach as he thought about his life before Monrie. Sitting around, reading the same books over and over again, staring off the side of the mountain into the vast sky and never ending evergreen forests, ignoring Parim's reports even if it pained him to do so, and occasionally scaling the ravine to walk around the village.

What had he been doing his whole life? What had he accomplished? He'd always known the answer was a stark nothing. He'd been fine with it before. Toma knew where he'd been and where he was headed and, even if he didn't particularly like it, he ignored the feeling of dread that settled in his stomach every time Parim brought a report or letter or when she tried to sit him down to have an actual discussion.

Ignorance is bliss, but Toma wasn't being ignorant. He was just trying to pretend he was, that he could be, that this wasn't going to end with him on a chopping block.

But these past few days... they'd been the most amazing and thrilling Toma had felt in a long time, and all they were doing was sitting around playing board games and taking small walks through.

This was what it felt like to be alive.

Toma got to talk to his heart's content, and he was so happy to be doing it that he didn't even care that the topics were usually about Ilia. Monrie was happy to listen to him, nodding along thoughtfully and asking so many follow up questions that Toma felt a little like he was faking interest.

After a few days, as they walked around the village, bundled up in Monrie's capes and holding hands – which Toma had decided to pointedly not think about, thank you – Monrie asked absentmindedly, "What do you know about the royal family here? I have only heard a bit about them from the locals and I want to know more."

Toma hesitated, but in the end, he couldn't help asking, "What have you heard? I can tell you if it's exaggerated or not."

Monrie laughed brightly. "I've heard all kinds of things. I'm sure some of it is completely made up."

"Oh?" Toma asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Do tell."

"Well, to start, there's a group of kids who told me something. Something they warned I must only share with those I trust."

Toma hummed in anticipation. "And do you trust me with this secret?"

Monrie tilted his head and thought about it before turning to Toma so they could look each other in the eyes. Then he leaned in close, his lips next to Toma's ear, and whispered, "I do. I was told that the castle was made from the bones of the royal family's enemies."

Monrie drew back, an amused smile cracking his serious facade. Toma pursed his lips to keep himself from laughing. "Absolutely not."

Monrie pouted. "Really? I thought it was a credible source."

Toma giggled, the hand that wasn't being held by Monrie coming up to cover his mouth. "No. There aren't any bones making up the castle walls. Those children lied to you."

Monrie smiled and jokingly said, "It seems I can't trust anyone but you, my dear Toma."

Toma's hand fell away, but the smile on his face became brighter. "What else? What else did those miscreants misinform you about?"