Servienne (LGBT)

6-Promotion

    He noticed one day that visiting the kitchen had become a common occurrence throughout the next two months after his and Noll's last physical encounter. He had not attempted conversation with Noll since then, the bloody bastard, but when he went to the kitchen, he found Noll cleaning away at the floors or dishes or walls as usual, watching him work. They would catch each others glances and then look away. It was almost routine, like there was some secret passing between them that even they did not fully understand. A truth hidden behind the eyes; a commonality--their equal curiosity.

  During the visits he gave every couple of days to chat with Gertrude--and also to, while he would never admit to it in all of his pridefulness, to catch those glances made between he and Noll-- perhaps it had been a month in when he had begun to notice that Noll was not scrubbing floors or dishes or walls anymore, but that he was helping in food preparation. When Aaron asked Gertrude about it, she had told him it was because Noll had gotten a promotion, and Aaron was just barely able to come up with an excuse as to why he would be asking about the former scullion. He made up some nonsense about how the scullion just seemed so out of sorts and he thought it was pathetic enough to be noticed, which was actually a truth. Noll seemed to be struggling a little in his new position, but despite what Aaron would have suspected, the man had gotten the hang of it within a week tops, and suddenly Noll was helping with more elaborate meals. It colored Aaron impressed. Well, until it went a step too far.

  A month after having received the promotion, Noll began being the one occasionally sent to serve meals instead of the butlers or kitchen maids. He would be completely quiet as he did so with a content smile before he would then leave promptly. It put Aaron on edge, expecting to be attack by that wild animal of a man at any moment. So, he requested less meals--one, to limit the amount of visits he would get from Noll, and two, so that he could focus on his work more. He wanted to forget this person. He just wanted to focus on his work.

  It was as that dreaded spring season began to roll around that the staff seemed to become more energetic and busier. He knew why, because despite Gertrude's attempt, it was painfully obvious. It was the season of his eighteenth birthday, whose date would come late into the springtime, and probably he least favorite of the holidays. While he did not mind a day dedicated to him at all, he found all of the little things that went into it, such as singing and party favors, gave it an unbearable air of immaturity. Still, Gertrude was passionate about birthdays.

  In the afternoon was when he had requested some tea for doing his paperwork that Noll came in again with a cup of black tea. Aaron took the teacup, sipping the hot tea. He finally put his pride away long enough to gaze up at Noll who was focusing on bringing one of the small bedside tables over to the desk for the teacup to sit more accessibly beside Aaron. Their eyes met, but Noll was the one who looked away, clearly not wanting to converse. Aaron could tell that much, but still, while he had wanted this, to forget about Noll, he didn't want it to be like this. He regretted wanted this.

  He drank more of the tea. "Congratulations on the promotion," Aaron said, a small, mischievous grin playing across his features. Noll kept his head ducked, not looking at the prince. "Thank you, my prince. But I am still very little compared to you, after all. Has my performance displeased you in any way?" Noll was conversing normally as a prince and a servant should, if at all. He made no jests and no chances at disrespect. He was being a good servant. Something had to be wrong.

  "No, you haven't displeased me, it's just..." Aaron bit back his words as he watched Noll carefully, watched him move about almost mechanically, watched his eyes purposefully focused away from the prince. Aaron frowned, admittedly a little disappointed. Where was the big, sweeping crazy act that Noll had always pulled around him? It put Aaron on edge. It had to be coming, correct? Or did this man really have such a change in attitude so suddenly? Aaron couldn't bear it.

  "Are you feeling alright today?" Why was he asking it? His heart sank, realizing how mortifying what he had just said was. Why did he care? Noll must have been wondering too, unable to resist raising a brow. "Your Highness, why worry for a measly peasant such as myself?" There it was, the slightest drip of sarcasm. Aaron's eyes hardened. He had asked for it, he had been looking for this cruelness, so why was he so upset when it came as he wished? He felt so mottled and twisted on the inside, unable to wrap his mind around his own feelings. He looked away from Noll, embarrassment burning in his cheeks. "It's nothing. Sorry for caring," He growled, unable to move. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't think of what else to do, what else to say. He heard Noll moving again, and dread washed over him as he felt Noll's hand press gently against his shoulder. Aaron forced himself back so hard and with all of his might that he collapsed from his chair, hitting the floor on his back, crawling backwards away from the man towering over him, who stared down at him in surprise.

    Noll's eyes softened. "Are you really that terrified of me?"

  Ignoring the pang that came to his chest, an unfamiliar pang of emotion he could not place a name to, Aaron's eyes narrowed as he looked up at Noll, heart pounding with adrenaline. "Don't fucking touch me," He tried saying, his voice cracking at the end. Noll took a step forwards and Aaron brought up his arms as though to shield his face. He heard movement, and again, his body began to shake. This man terrified him like no other person had ever. Every time he was around, Aaron felt death looming heavily above him. He hated it. He hated him.

  It suddenly occurred to him where he was. He was on the floor, cowering in fear. Aaron scoffed, legs trembling as he turned over, got to his knees, and forced himself to stand. His body felt like a feather and a giant weight at the same time, and he stumbled, unable to feel anything through the rush. Noll tried approaching to help, but Aaron stepped back, trying to get away. "Aaron, stop!" Noll shouted, but it was too late as his knees buckled. Before he could collapse to the ground, an arm wrapped around his stomach as he fell, catching him. He tried to get away, but he just gave up, unable to move or think of his own volition. He felt Noll place a hand behind his knees and hoist him up, carrying Aaron in his arms. After a moment, Aaron felt himself being lowered down onto his bed.

  "Who said," He muttered, unable to understand even his own words, "that you could speak to me so informally? I am your prince, you stupid--" He felt dizzy. Noll furrowed his eyebrows, dark emerald eyes hazed over in worry. "You haven't been eating, have you? Have you honestly been running on nothing but black tea for the last few days? Gertrude said she was getting worried. I didn't think it would be this bad," Noll said softly. Aaron's chest felt tight, sweat dripping down his cheek. He was completely out of it, and it worried Noll deeply. How long had he gone without a meal? Noll knew the prince had stopped asking for things to avoid him, he just knew it. But he didn't realize that the prince was not eating at all. He didn't want to care, but he did, because he had caused this.

  He reached up his hand to get the hair out of Aaron's eyes, dampened by sweat, but recoiled when the prince managed to smack him away, Aaron's head swinging back and forth as though trying to ward some awful nightmare off, eyes shut tight. "Don't... Don't touch me. I'm your prince, treat me like it..." He muttered. Noll cursed under his breath, looking around, sighing in relief when he saw that in that grand, golden-plated room, they had thought of putting in a bathroom. He rushed over to grab the teacup and headed to the bathroom, flipping on the sink and dumping out the rest of the tea, shoving it under the faucet. He needed to get some cold water. Rushing back over to the bed, despite Aaron's resistance, Noll held him up, leaning Aaron's body against his chest as he forced the prince to drink. "Help!" He shouted, praying someone would hear as he kept calling for help, over and over and over. Aaron needed medical attention.

    Through all of this, all he could think to himself was, Gertrude is going to kill me.