62.

Elai lets out a groan when he opens his eyes. The light hanging from the ceiling is bright and his muscles hurt like no other. It’s weird that his first thought is that of disappointment. He knew he wasn’t going to win, but now that it has become reality, it stings like a bitch. Arlon will probably laugh at him, if he isn’t angry. He’s still in his personal room, and by the sound of people laughing and cheering, Elai knows all too well the party is still going. People are probably trying to get to talk to their one and only, ongoing winner.
His body hurts, his sore feet gently placing themselves on the ground. It’s almost like a fever dream. Maybe because he was out for a long time. The voices become louder when he opens the door up, eyes still trying to get used to the bright lights. The first eyes he catches are those of Arlon, who has his back against the wall and his arms crossed. He suppresses a grin and relaxes his body, feet immediately walking forward.
“You look terrible.”
Elai’s eyes widen when he feels the embrace of the king, his heat making his cheeks rosy in a matter of seconds. “Aren’t you-“
“You are the most mesmerizing person I have ever met, you know that?” The king’s muffled voice makes Elai’s heart skip a beat. He thought he knew Arlon well enough to understand that the king would get angry, that he’d yell at him and ask him why he’d participate in such a dangerous event.
But now the man is hugging him, holding him.. praising him for what he has done.
Elai smiles.
It feels good.
“I just really wanted you to see me..” He wanted to blame it on his urge to beat Connie, but somehow the truth slipped from his lips. It’s not that Arlon isn’t allowed to know why he did this, or that he’s scared of what he’s feeling. This time, it is simply because he feels embarrassed. He has never felt like he wanted to impress someone, to prove himself to someone. The feeling is odd. It stays odd. It will most likely always be that way.
“You don’t think I already do?” It feels nice to talk to each other without looking at Arlon’s face. It is easier to know what to say this way.
“I think making you trust me is very important..”
“By beating up Turian civilians?” Arlon’s joke puts a smile on Elai’s face. The people around them disappear again as Elai holds onto the king a little tighter.
This feels nice.
Arlon breaks the embrace only seconds after, though. He puts his hands against Elai’s shoulders, lowers his head a little and smiles as he looks into the boy’s eyes.
“There is no need to worry about my trust.” The kiss Arlon plants on Elai’s lips should bring color to the boy’s face but.. the king never says he does indeed trust him. Not after a short silence, not after a longer silence. Arlon doesn’t confirm his trust. Elai feels himself wanting to sink into the ground. What is he supposed to do to get the man to look at him and not be afraid?
“There he is!” Connie, and his disturbingly well talent of ruining moments, walks up to the two with a hand in the air. He has a bright, victorious smile on his face, his eyes ignoring all the people that are trying to get his attention.
Elai gasps when he feels his feet leaving the ground, Connie’s strong arms wrapped around his waist and twirling him around like an idiot. “Connie stop!” Elai lets out a soft laugh, fingers digging into the man’s shoulders. “Stop! I’ve got a headache, you know!” The hall spins on as the boy gets back on his feet, eyes blinking rapidly.
“You were so impressive! The way you had me all tangled up in your grip.. I mean.. that is some scary shit for a beginner!”
Elai laughs at the word. It has been too long to call him a beginner. He’s been training his ability for some good, long months now. No one should’ve been surprised by how well he was able to fight.
“I do, however, wonder how you were that bad with a sword.” Arlon’s gone back to his teasing self, smirk on his face.
“You guys haven’t trained me prop-“
“You were doing just fine that night.”
The night Elai and the king fought has been quite a blur. But he remembers all too well that it felt like fighting with a sword was easy when he was facing Arlon. He felt every move the king was going to make, and it was easy to react to them. It was different from whatever happened to him on the battle field. He couldn’t dance with them in the same way.
“Maybe you were an easy target.” Elai talks his thoughts away. He doesn’t want to overthink the thing that is going on between him and Arlon. He doesn’t want to believe in a story, a myth, something old.
“It doesn’t matter, the boy was really fucking strong out there.”
It feels weird for his progress to be praised by Connie this way.
“I’ll make sure to be a little more frightened of you from now on.” The warrior nudges Elai with a wink, making the boy giggle.
“I still lost, though.”
“Hey. I didn’t say that you were strong enough to defeat the one and only.”
Arlon grins as he watches the two joke around with each other. He doesn’t notice the first tap on the shoulder. The second one makes him turn around. Ah. He had almost forgotten about her.
“That was a nice show.” Nerys walks away from him, a way of gesturing him to come after her. Arlon looks back once more, but Elai and Connie are too busy teasing each other for them to notice. Good. He doesn’t want them to think anything weird.
He fastens his pace to be able to join Nerys, her graceful walk one of a true queen.
“Thank you. I like keeping my people entertained.” Arlon’s cheeky smile tells the queen of Zagaroth enough. She had never seen him in real life before, had only laid her eyes upon paintings of him. He eyes much younger.
“Why did you want to speak to me?” Arlon is quick to keep the conversation going. He had made some plans to be able to enjoy Elai a bit more, so all he wants is for this to end fast.
“I think you like to forget that you are king.” The tone changed. Her voice darkens and her feet slow down as they close in on the exit.
“I don’t hear much about you when people tell me about the war. When I do it is.. well let’s just say your reputation isn’t all too well in my kingdom. Or in any kingdom, for that matter.” Why does she sound like his mother?
Arlon frowns. His stomach is turning.
“You are feared, yes, but you are also seen as a lazy child. One unworthy of a throne.”
“I have been on this throne for seven years. I know what I’m doing.”
“Or you’re just tired.” Nerys is trying to pull something out of the king. She’s pushing him to say things, to admit into things. Arlon recognizes it. Eryx has told him about this behavior.
Do not bite into it, Eryx had said.
“What is it that you want, Nerys? I am sure you didn’t travel all the way to Turi to give me a lecture.” And biting into it he does not. His dead lover would have been proud.
“I do not want anything from you, child. I came her with an offer.”
An offer. Arlon feels his heart sink into his stomach. Maybe Nerys’ words weren’t all that stupid; maybe Arlon does like to forget that he’s a king. Even though he’s at war, even though he’s the warlord, even though he has people to protect.
His head shakes only lightly, so that Nerys doesn’t notice. He needs to get his shit together.
“And what might that offer be?”
“An alliance.”