Aefstine was awake.
But why?
It wasn't morning yet.
Hmm… Something made a noise.
Where?
Aefstine moved under the blankets.
There it was! That noise again!
It came from the foot of the bed.
Aefstine tried to open his blurry eyes and saw nothing at first. It was really dark, no lamp nor torch lit, and the fire by the hearth was already dead. By the moonlight, he could only see silhouettes.
He could see one now. Looked like a huge person. The figure was rummaging through the big trunk, it seemed. The top was open and whatever was inside made a sound of clashing metal when the person moved stuff around.
Aefstine calmly observed that from his lying position, still half asleep.
The figure stilled, as if sensing Aefstine was awake. The silhouette
looked up and murmured something. The voice was deep, like...Was that Randal?
Was he dreaming?
The figure mu
Surely, Aefstine wasn't supposed to be wandering around the kitchen but he was feeling alone."Cealy… does the whole kingdom have this sort of food on their tables or… or is it just this castle?" he asked hesitantly, not wanting to offend but needing to know.She frowned at him from the soup she was stirring, as if trying to understand the question. He winced, his father had told him more than once that he should keep his mouth shut."I… I didn't mean like- I'm sorry.""Oh! You mean if the kingdom is poor!" her face lit up with understanding, and his stomach dropped at the rude words. "Oh, Dalli, what a good heart you have. Do not worry. Maudians were nomads once, we know how to hunt in these mountains. And the people that can't, Xiath Randal gives food away at the Great Kitchen downtown. That's why the cooks are always workingbusy.Well, usually most of them are at the Great Kitchen, but Xiath is letting them
Aefstine took longs gulps of the water and swallowed another chunk of the fish.It was so good!Syteiner was extremely amused by the contented sigh and the blissful face Aefstine was making. They were in a nice little room with a small round table where lunch was laid, and two chairs on each side.Aefstine liked the big window that the room had. He could see the snow outside.Syteiner told him that his family had apparently went- without him- to see the city and would be late for lunch. He didn't mind.Syteiner was nice and hadn't made any comments about Aefstine's less than dignified table manners. He usually wasn't this bad, but he was so hungry.And it was fish!You had to eat it like you were dying, there was no other way around it."Where is King Randal? I haven't seen him around," Aefstine asked, only realizing after the question that he had been looking for the king unconsciously.He hasn't seen the
Aefstine was feeling warm and cozy, sitting on a well cushioned chair by the fire and a book ‘stolen’ from the castle's library in his hands.He had told the guard not to let ANYONE enter without knocking, and stripped down to a night shirt.The book he was reading was in Maudinian, but he was having fun with the pictures. Apparently, Frost Giants were like humans, butway taller andtheir skin were a shade of grayish white. Once born, their skin will be blue in color then turn grayish white upon growing up, just like what Cealyhadtold him.There were pictures of them standing by fires, and enormous structures Aefstine supposed was their homes,all over the mountains. It made him look at the icy mountains out the window a bit differently. The females were eight feet tall and the males could reach nine feet.It was afternoon, not even close to evening, but he was feeling lazy that day. It wasn't just the
Aefstine walked to the dinner table guided by Phye, and was surprised to see his family already there, having an early dinner.He walked up to themand took an apple from the fruit bowl on the table-this freakishly tasty maudian apple - and sat on a chair. There was no sign of Syteiner, nor the WarlordKing.Aefstine nodded to his father, and did a double take when he received a smile back. His mother was also smiling, looking relaxed for a change. Cheanawas a little downcast, but that was to be expected.Kynanlooked at him curiously."Those clothes are strange.""His Highness Randal invited me for a hunt today. He told me to wear these clothes," Aefstine said, picking at the fur and the oversized brown cotton shirt.It looked like it was made for a Maudian but it was pleasantly warm, something that Aefstine was unwillingly starting to associate with the Warlord King.
Aefstine looked closer, walking up to the border of the stream, and saw that small silver fishes were jumping up and down the river.The bigger ones were at the bottom.Randal brought with him a quiver that was as beautiful as the bow, but Aefstine spent less time looking at it, quickly taking an offered arrow.The first arrow went straight into the river, but came floating after some seconds. Aefstine gave Randal an embarrassed smile and the king’s lips twitched again in that almost smile of his.He went to take the arrow back, but looked down at his new clothes and frowned. He didn't want it to get wet. The water was probably really cold too.Randal appeared in his vision with a thin and sharp long lance. He threw it at the river with such an easy, calculated strength that made Aefstine take a step back.The lance went straight into a big one at the bottom. The fish trashed a little but the lance had gone through
Finally looking around him after a tense ride, Aefstine could see the woods up ahead, but he wasn't in the forest anymore.Randal had slowed the pacing. This hidden place was full of stones and bushes, nestedon itwas some kind of pond, a lagoon that was surrounded with dark slippery rocks.The lagoon itself was beautiful and he noticed hot steam in the surface. Actually, this place was warmer than the forest. Aefstine could see the shade of the castle in the distance.It must be the hot spring.Still with the arm around him, Randal leaned in to kiss the skin at the back of his ear a few times, which made Aefstine's heart set off again into an unhealthy pace. He tried not to move, and Randal didn't seem to notice.Randal dismounted from the horse and Aefstine saw him carefully take his own cloak, boots, and shirt off. Aefstine, with his head still pounding, managed to take his fill of the muscular chest in front of him.
The finger went deeper and when it rubbed against something strange inside, Aefstine shivered all over and arched his back like a cat.He spread his legs further apart, bum sticking out and seeming to fit perfectly in the man's big hands."Randal…" he whispered.Mind blanking out, Aefstine wanted it again. He heard the king’s chuckle and felt himself get even hotter with arousal.Randal only held him tighter, and he felt a hardness at his lower back that wasn't there before, but now that the king was closer, Aefstine could feel it. It could only be Randal's cock, and he shivered with the knowledge.It felt really big, and the fact that it was probably going inside him made him shiver in fear and curiosity.Soon,there was another finger joining in, and the burn came back again. He shifted uncomfortably, and Randal growled softly at him, leaning and bending his bodyoverbehind him, tucking his chin i
In the midst of his tears and dizziness, Aefstine had barely heard the rushed, desperate words the warlord king had said over and over again, barely felt himself being lifted and curled in the naked man's lap.When the tears had dried and the panic gave way to anger, his waist was red and sore from the way Randal's arms clung to himtightly. The king’s worried eyes were searching for a reason, looking around the roomas if the one making him feel this miserable could be found aroundand then back to Aefstine, and he had felt something he never felt before.A deep, mysterious thing that uncurled from his chest like a newborn sparked to life.Aefstine felt a little better by it, a little comforted, and caressed the man's jaw with small trembling fingers in appreciation for something he didn't know how to pronounce yet.But saying ‘I'm okay now’ over and over hadn't quieted the big man down. Aefstine had to spen