By Jobee
“Oh
heavens! Call for the nurse!” Atonu cried when he saw his poor widowed
sister’s son lying on the floor choking.
He ran towards the young man, but froze when he saw the splatters of
dark red on the floor. “Lusidas, who is
responsible?” He demanded, trying to
stay in control as the nurse came in to examine the damage. Lusidas didn’t speak. “Is he conscious?”
“Quite,” the
nurse looked up, “but he was obviously
attacked.”
Lusidas sat up
slowly, then looked up, “I’m well. Please… don’t be concerned.”
“Of course I’ll
be concerned! I’m sending word to your
mother at once!” Atonu growled. “What happened?”
Lusidas glared,
then turned away. “Mother shall hear
none of this. It is small reason to
cause her worry,” he looked up at his uncle,
“Please understand.”
“Well, tell me
what happened! I saw Rahad run out of
here in a hurry. Did he hurt you? Did Farren hurt you?” Atonu continued to
stammer.
“Listen!’ Lusidas shouted, shocking his uncle, “I am
well. Don’t send any word to my
mother.” He whispered before coughing again.
One
hour later…
“Really,
Lusidas, I apologize for my fiancé’s behavior,” Villianne cooed in her
beautiful way. She stood behind her
cousin, watching his reflection as he cleaned off the last of the blood. His lack of aggression surprised her. He barely even complained. He simply took care of himself and acted as
if he didn’t even mind.
“You
needn’t concern yourself, Villianne, I’m not angry at him. He simply walked in at an unfortunate
moment,” Lusidas briefly explained.
Villianne wasn’t any more satisfied though. Her scowl was evident to him without even looking at her. He could feel it. She wanted to know what happened. She wanted to see a good explanation for her fiancé’s
violence. She didn’t want anyone to see
her chosen husband as anything other than a good man. Lusidas smiled. She was
no different from any other person here, overly emotional.
“Why
did you do that?” Farren wailed, “It’s my fault!”
“What
do mean your fault?” Rahad glared, his voice scorching, “Tell me what
happened! I saw him taking advantage of
you. Was that wrong?” he didn’t let up an inch. Farren couldn’t even give a coherent word
through his sobbing. What had he
done? Seeing this was getting nowhere,
Rahad stood up and left Farren’s bedroom to blow some steam. He had to hit something, now.
Farren
cautiously watched his brother go, then curled up under his sheets. It was a warm night, but his stomach
threatened to run off without him and his head was deadweight. Why had he kissed Lusidas, a total
stranger? All he’d done was play
checkers and talk with him. It wasn’t
like he was going to make love to him, just stop thinking for a little while. That little while was a little longer than
planned, but nobody got hurt, until Rahad saw them. What was the problem?
Rahad touched and kissed Villianne more times than he could
remember. He just wanted to know what
it felt like. Lusidas wasn’t rough like
most people. Farren could feel him
freeze up, then become loose and relaxed when Farren kissed his neck as he’d
seen his brother do.
“I
probably shouldn’t see him again,”
Lusidas said as he buttoned up his collar and gently pulled his hair out
of the way.
“Why? I thought you enjoyed his company,” the
ghostlike reflection tilted it’s head.
When Villianne left, it had reappeared, reading the young man’s
thoughts.
“Farren
is just as bold and stupid as the rest of them. Why should I concern myself with one of them?” Lusidas looked
away. Why let one of those beasts into
my heart?
“Well,
he apparently likes you. Don’t make
enemies. You’re too young for enemies,”
the shadow came near to Lusidas, but he felt no difference.
“My
lord, might I remind you that his behavior was morally wrong?” Lusidas found a
hairbrush and began to groom his hair ceremoniously.
“My
son, you believe everything they do and think is morally wrong,” the ghost
vanished, leaving his young companion with that last thought. Lusidas set the brush down and slid onto his
bed, pondering the words as they echoed in his mind. Was everything here morally wrong, or was it he? Apparently,
Farren’s actions were inappropriate, to cause such a violent reaction. Of course, he had participated by allowing
Farren to continue. It certainly was
strange. Lusidas was hardly used to
physical contact, for people were much more conservative in his country. Kyhenne was the most civilized city in the
eastern world, which is why he and his mother had moved there after his
father’s passing. His mother, Sola,
followed the beckoning of family there who were very concerned for their
sister-in-law’s safety. It proved to be
a worthwhile move for Lusidas, who was able to study in the vast city of
knowledge and history. Sola finally
started to let him go on his own in the protected city, but she always wondered
if her husband would not have died should they have moved earlier. She often pondered her grief, but that even
eased as she watched her son grow. Had
she heard of what happened a short while, she’d probably fall into a panic
stricken depression.
“
I wanna see him again,” Farren thought out loud, “I hope he’s okay.” The young brother yawned and finally found
sleep. Rahad peeked in from the
doorway, then shut it and turned to his room, tired from his workout. He flopped on his bed and winced, then
removed the shoe. Did he even leave it
there? Trying again, he stretched and
lay back, thinking about the days events.
What he saw was his little brother making out with a stranger, a
stranger who he never liked to begin with.
Would a relative of sweet Villianne be so perverse as to take advantage
of someone younger? Farren was coming
to that age where boys start to chase girls a bit, but engaging in an action
like that with a man like Lusidas was just wrong! Rahad twisted on his side and looked out the
window. Villianne must surely be
unhappy about this. What could be done
to save the wedding after assaulting her cousin? He prayed that amends could be made. The same prayer was whispered through the night, over and over.
Day
came, and with it Rahad’s determination.
It barely showed as he and Farren rode back to the esteemed Atonu’s
household, for lack of sleep. Farren,
for once, was eager to see Lusidas’s condition, so he bounced a little on the
poor camel. The city had barely begun
to wake up, with near empty streets and the echoes of camel hooves. Rahad shivered despite the heat, with a
sense of judgment day weighing on his shoulders.
“Farren,”
He muttered.
“Yeah?”
Farren looked at him. It was unusual
for either of the two to be so quiet.
“Listen,
don’t let that Lusidas guy touch you at all, not once, until this whole thing
is cleared up, okay?”
“But
Rahad! I told you it wasn’t his fault!”
“Just
do as I say until this is over! I don’t want any more problems!”
“You’re
just worried about your stupid wedding!
You don’t care about anyone else! I hate you!” Farren shouted. Rahad spun around and grabbed Farren’s
wrist, causing a yelp.
“YOU
are my top priority. If I think you’re
being misused, I will act on it. I love
Villianne with all my soul, but if there are problems between our families, I
want them to be solved first. Don’t
make things worse!” Rahad hissed and let go of Farren, who pulled back in fear.
The
rest of the ride was silent, save for the camels. When the big doors at the top of the alabaster stairs opened,
Rahad was astonished to see that Villianne herself had gotten the door, and
fell to his knees.
“Come
in,” she said gingerly, not looking down at her lover. Rahad took her hand and kissed it gently, but
her gaze still didn’t reach him.
Quietly, he followed her in, his heart aching. Farren hopped right in and looked around before Atonu beckoned
him to come forward. Farren nervously
walked toward the large man.
“Farren,
I know it’s probably not my business, but could you please tell me what
happened? I’ve been so worried and in
the dark and Lusidas won’t tell me anything!” He pleaded. Farren looked up in surprise at the strange
request. Atonu was a very cheerful,
though a little frightening, man and he’d never seen him so serious, even when
discussing the marriage. His beady
black eyes didn’t glitter and he wasn’t smiling.
“Um,
okay. Well,” Farren blushed, “I,
Lusidas and I, well, we were just hanging out and he was thinking and I said he
thought too much and I wanted him to stop thinking for a while so I jumped on
his bed and jumped in front of him and he was surprised, but not half as
surprised as when I kissed him and…”
“Whoa
whoa wait a minute! You kissed
him? Why?” Atonu got Farren out of his
babble.
“Yeah,
well, um, I just thought he shouldn’t think so much and one time I heard Rahad
say when he kissed Villianne all thoughts left his head and I wanted to kiss
him anyway, so I just… Um…”
“You
let your instincts and feelings lead your actions,” Atonu finished. Farren nodded, surprised how the older man
seemed to understand. “So, how did
Rahad get involved in this?”
“Umm,
you see, I kissed Lusidas and he kind of didn’t stop me, so I umm, kept it up,
and Rahad came in and he thought Lusidas made me do it and got really mad and,
well…” Farren bit his lip.
“So
Rahad and Lusidas got in a fight about it?”
“No,
Rahad just beat him up.”
“Ouch.”
“Is
he okay?”
"Lusidas? Yes.”
“Can
I see him?”
“I
don’t see why not.” Atonu hugged Farren, “Thank you for telling me. You will make a good addition to our
family. You have a good heart.”
“Thanks,”
Farren pulled away, bowed, and headed down the corridor to the dark, cold
rooms.
“Oh
my head…” Lusidas looked up at the
ceiling, then tugged the pillow closer.
Sleep had not come easily with his injuries. A dark bruise appeared on his head and two against his ribs. At least they weren’t broken. These overemotional people were becoming far
too much for him to deal with. Lusidas
closed his eyes and breathed slowly, letting the fresh air awaken his
lungs. His peaceful quiet was disturbed
by the creak of the heavy door and a line of light.
“Lusidas?”
the voice belonging to Farren rang in his ear.
Unsure of what to do, Lusidas didn’t move, as if asleep still. Farren tiptoed over to his bed and tapped him
lightly, then kissed him. Lusidas sat
up with a start.
“Ow! What are you doing?” he groaned, wincing.
“So
you are awake,” Farren grinned and sat on the side of the bed, “I’ve been
worried about you. How do you feel?”
“I’m
fine, but you shouldn’t be in here. We
don’t want to make matters worse,” Lusidas looked up at him.
“Aw,
I don’t care! Rahad can go smack into a
wall! This is my fault and I’m sorry,”
Farren pouted. “I didn’t want you
getting hurt. I just wanted to…”
“Kiss
me?” Lusidas looked skeptical, “That makes no sense. You’ve just met me and we have very little in common. It’s inappropriate to become involved with
each other and after the wedding I’m going home.”
“But
I, you were so nice to me and I wanted you to…”
“To
what? Fall madly in love with you and
stay here? Did you think at all?”
Lusidas felt his own emotions getting the best of him and looked away
shamefully. “Don’t be selfish. Why would I stay here anyway?”
“W-well,
I thought you liked me. I mean, you
didn’t seem to mind when I kissed you before and I, I just… feel, and it felt
like you, um…”
“It
was lust, Farren, and we both got caught up in it. We weren’t thinking and I refuse to let that happen again.”
“Wait
a minute! I wanted you to stop
thinking! Was it that bad?”
“I’m
injured because of it! Our actions were
inappropriate and won’t happen again.”
“But
I, I, Lusidas!” Tears ran down Farren’s cheeks. He buried his head in the older mans shoulder and sobbed. Lusidas stared, not sure what to do. The only other time such a thing had
happened to him was his father’s death.
For over a year, his mother would burst into tears at any given moment. This was a different matter entirely. He thought for a minute.
“I
guess what the problem is doesn’t matter.”
Lusidas whispered.
“Hm?”
Farren looked at him.
“Nothing. Come here,” Lusidas pulled Farren closer and
hugged him, “I’m sorry. I didn’t
understand how strong your feelings were.”
Farren just sank into the embrace and let more tears come. After a few minutes, he stopped.
“Lusidas?”
“Yes?”
“How
do you feel about me?” he asked.
Lusidas paused.
“I
think you’re an honest and caring person, but too high strung and starved for
attention,” he answered.
“But
that’s you thinking again! What do you
feel?” Farren tugged his sleeve. Lusidas paused again, thinking. “You are thinking again, aren’t you?”
“Well,
yes. I am a thinker. I trust my sense of reason better than raw
emotion.”
“Lusidas! I want to know your raw emotions! Please?” Farren pleaded.
“Well,
what do you think of me?” Lusidas tossed back at him. Farren stopped, thought for a minute, and
then spoke.
“I
think I want you to let me touch you again,” he admitted.
“What
about what happened last time? It could
repeat itself,” Lusidas warned him.
Farren thought again, then got up and dragged one of the heavy stone
chairs in front of the door. He hopped
back onto the bed.
“Better?”
he asked. Lusidas was dumbfounded. Farren was being serious!
“Farren,
I…” he was cut short by Farren’s mouth on his own. Farren held him down and straddled him. Lusidas stiffened and shivered with fear, but Farren started to
massage his shoulders, releasing tension until Lusidas felt his sensibility
losing its foothold on him. Farren wove
a hand underneath his captive’s head and managed to open his mouth, probing it
with his tongue, rewarded with a low moan from Lusidas’s throat. His other arm went under Lusidas’s back. Farren then felt Lusidas relax and almost go
completely limp, almost. Then Farren
released his mouth and ran a trail of kisses down his neck and licked his
earlobe. Lusidas gasped, but not in
ecstasy. There was a loud knock at the
door.
“Lusidas! Farren!
We need to talk,” Rahad bellowed through the door. Neither responded.
“Lusidas? It’s all right. Please unlock the door,” Villianne yelled. Lusidas blinked. The door wasn’t
locked. Then he remembered the chair in
front of it. Farren giggled.
“Farren! I can hear you in there, so come out!” Rahad
ordered.
“I’m
busy!” Farren shouted back. Lusidas sat
up.
“We
should let them in and talk,” he urged.
“Why? They’re just gonna yell at us!” Farren
sulked. Lusidas reached over and kissed
him.
“Everything
will be fine. Now please get up and
move the chair so they can come in, ok?” he asked. Farren reluctantly got up and moved the chair. Lusidas stood up and put on a robe over his
pajamas. Rahad stormed in.
“What
were you two doing?” he demanded.
“Rahad,
sweetie,” Villianne touched his arm, “We were going to solve this problem, not
get mad.” Then she turned to Farren and
Lusidas, “Father thought it best that we solve this ourselves and move
on.” Lusidas nodded in agreement.
“You
could have waited,” Farren muttered.
Rahad eyed them both suspiciously.
“Alright,
I’ve heard what Rahad had to say.
Lusidas, what’s your side of the story?” Villianne asked. Lusidas looked down, then began to speak.
“I
will be honest. I never expected what
happened yesterday to occur. I had no
idea that Farren was so… forward with his feelings. I had invited him back into my room since there were no problems
before. We had played checkers. I thought yesterday wouldn’t be much
different, but Farren seemed somewhat annoyed with my way of thinking and
decided that I should… try his way.”
“No! I told you that you think too much. You needed a little distraction,” Farren
explained. Rahad twitched angrily, but
kept his mouth shut.
“Well,
anyway,” Lusidas cleared his throat and blushed, “He and I were caught up in a
bit of a, um, moment when Rahad came
in. He thought I was committing a crime
against his little brother and acted on it.
I respect him for it.”
Rahad
stared at Lusidas. He hadn’t expected
such a polite answer. This week had far
too many surprises.
“Ahem,
so basically, Farren was exerimenting with the wrong gender and you couldn’t
say no?” Rahad asked sarcastically.
“Yep!”
Farren grinned proudly. Lusidas blushed
crimson.
“Farren,
where did you learn it was okay to do that?” Rahad crossed his arms.
“You,”
came the innocent reply.
“Wait
a second. When did you see me messing
around like that?”
“Everytime
we come to Villianne’s house.”
“Farren! I don’t do that!”
“Yes
you do. I’ve watched you and Villianne
go at it!”
“How
dare you!” Rahad fumed. Villianne
covered her face with her hands.
“I
see. So cousin, how long have you been
in such a serious relationship?” Lusidas grinned, relieved that his current
emotions were something Villianne had experiance with. Perhaps he could ask her about it
later.
Rahad
paced, closed his eyes and whispered 1 through 10, then went back over.
“Listen
Farren. What Villiane and I do isn’t
the same. She and I are going to spend
the rest of our lives together. You and
Lusidas can’t do that. You haven’t even
begun to court women yet.” Rahad explained.
“Can
Lusidas be my woman?”
“Farren! No he can’t!” Rahad sat back down, “Although
he looks like one.”
“Rahad,
we weren’t going to toss insults!” Villianne frowned, “Must I always be the
voice of reason?”
“If
you’re the voice of reason, please explain to Farren why he can’t be with a
man!”
“Well,
actually…”
“Villianne! You’re kidding me, right?”
“Lusidas
is a member of our family, and you were discussing a marriage between Farren
and one of my sisters anyway, so maybe…”
Villianne didn’t finish.
“I
knew it! You were gonna marry me off
just so the family could be closer! You
do not care How I feel about it!”Farren jumped up and pounced on Rahad. The two tumbled and fought on the
floor.
“Villiane,
I’m not sure what to do,” Lusidas admitted.
“We
should call the guards to stop them,”Vilianne sighed, dissapointed, as she
gently pulled on one of her many long black curls.
End
of part 2