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Post by ★ lysander on Nov 12, 2015 5:01:51 GMT
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Post by synchro on Nov 13, 2015 8:14:19 GMT
Rising with the sun had become an effortless part of Cyrus' morning routine. Today the air was cool, the grass beneath him soft, and aside from the occasional stirring of leaves in the wind, the private garden was the picture of silence ー perfect for meditation. Of course, with years and years of practice clearing his mind had become child's play, but a good atmosphere was a definite bonus. Closing his eyes, Cyrus allowed his mind to slip away from his body, taking in the thrumming of life all around him. xxx Once his morning duties were taken care of his days usually took a turn for the excitingーand today was no exception, a partnered exercise with Alex in preparation for the upcoming tournament. The knight and his opponent, an older and seasoned fighter, circled each other for what seemed to be an eternity, weapons at the ready. A simple enough duel, or so it looked. But even so, neither Alex nor his opponent dared to make the first move, dancing around each other and laying in wait. And yet most of the action of the battle was taking place around them and invisible to their ordinary senses. Trace and the Elder were quite literally locked in a battle of wills, unable to move lest either lose focus for an instant and crumble under the mental onslaught being aimed at them. Without a prince to rely on, a knight was vulnerable to both physical and magical attacks from the other side and unable to heal his wounds in the heat of battleーan almost guaranteed loss. Which is why, in the interest of giving Cyrus and Alex a hard time, their opponents were playing divide and conquer. Despite speed and raw power on his side, the clear gap in experience meant that he was almost constantly on the defensive and that Alex was all on his own fighting an opponent twice his size and considerably stronger. It was no surprise then, that Cyrus and Alex ended up back in the private garden not too much later, lying side by side underneath one of the grand oaks and looking considerably more tired than they started. After some magical patching up neither of them looked especially worse for the wear, but then again it wasn't even noon. Which could only mean one thing. "Today's going to be a very long day," Cyrus mused, smiling to himself. |
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Post by ★ lysander on Nov 13, 2015 9:49:59 GMT
Pain didn't mean anything to a prince and their knight. They were taught that pain was proof of existence, and that one should cherish that existence with their entire being. A testament to life. And pain was a mentor, too, in all things. Endurance. Strength. Control. Fear. The silent driving force behind the kingdom and its society, exercised with whips, knives, whatever the elders thought could further their teaching. Cyrus, the prince, was no stranger to it all. Neither was Alex. What differed between them was their position, their upbringing, their lives— essentially, everything else. The two of them could not be more different, and Alex, being a knight, was keenly aware of his status. After all, the elders did not go a day without training, repeating the same mantra they carved into his mind so long ago, over and over.
Knights were meant to serve their princes with their entire being. To think of nothing else but their princes' well-being. Because if something were to happen to their prince, unspeakable things would happen. What exactly, the elders did not elaborate on. Alex had no reason to doubt them, however. And even if he did, it was a long, long time ago, when was young and he did not recognize the meaning of the mark branding the back of his neck.
But now, none of that mattered. Funny thing, too. He remembered being miserable some long, long time ago, being told of the prince he was to serve one day between whiplashes. Cyrus was his name. The elders said he was bright. Perhaps one of the brightest princes they've seen in a long time. Clever, too. Handsome, focused, charismatic, talented. And perhaps most of all, kind. He remembered once, a long, long time ago, that Cyrus had asked about him once— about his name. And he remembered feeling something strange swell in his chest even as he counted the each cut on his back as the elder drew his knife through his skin again and again.
Yes, Cyrus. The one he was doing all this for. The countless days in solitude were to be followed by constant companionship as the prince's personal servant. His reward, his role, his life. When they first met, Alex distinctly remembered crying. He didn't understand why, but he was told that was the proper reaction. And the prince merely wiped his eyes, then told him he'd been waiting a long time to meet his knight.
One could say every moment he spent from then on was bliss.
This particular day, the two of them finished a training session with one of the veteran soldiers of the guard. Alex as no stranger to combat; he was actually quite good at it, as he needed to be, but even so he came away with more damage than usual. A few broken bones. Copious blood loss. The soldier nearly managed to scrape out one of his eyes. But it was nothing a little magic couldn't fix. What did linger was the insecurity that perhaps his shortcomings today would mean failure tomorrow— and Alex couldn't shake the concern from his expression as he joined his prince in the garden, where they agreed to meet up after his healing session. Cyrus was already there, enjoying himself in the sunlight. Alex never could understand how he could remain so unfazed and so saint-like despite all the training princes were required to undergo— but that was what princes were meant to be, after all. Alex admired Cyrus deeply for it.
He laid down next to the prince, running his fingers through the grass.
"I made too many mistakes today."
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Post by synchro on Nov 20, 2015 5:19:08 GMT
Their opponents had been extra ruthless today ー which was not to say that they were usually forgiving, for Elders and their associates were not known for their graciousness, but rather that they had gone the extra mile in trying to utterly ruin Cyrus and Alex. The knight had taken a couple of good hits and it looked like he was close to losing at least one of his eyes during the battle. And as for the prince, the Elder he was fighting had his brain half turned to mush with his mental onslaught ー and when Cyrus finally managed to mount a decent defense he found the Elder trying to set his clothing and skin ablaze as a distraction, so not all that much better.
Naturally, this was to be expected. After all, tomorrow was a big tournament and Alex and Cyrus were slated to participate. Loss in-game usually meant horrible disfigurement and dismemberment or death (and usually the kind that a little bit of magic really wouldn't be able to solve) and so today's training match was designed to be extra challenging. Better a little worse for wear than dead. Though by no means did he agree with Alex's statement. They were both, though pretty experienced and talented, quite outclassed in terms of experience and more or less on the defense from the beginning. They'd held out as long as possible under the circumstances.
"No, I don't think you did," replied Cyrus, rolling onto his side to face his knight. "If you didn't make any mistakes today you'd be perfect. And neither of us would have reason to train together anymore," he continued, tracing two fingers gently down Alex's arm.
"I think that would be infinitely more unfortunate, don't you?"
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Post by ★ lysander on Nov 20, 2015 22:50:57 GMT
And still Alex couldn't understand the way Cyrus' calmness seemed to sooth his nerves, ever raw as they were. Alex's eyes followed his hand as he touched him gently, making the knight look away thereafter. He... deeply enjoyed contact. With Cyrus specifically. Whenever he felt the gentle caress of his hand against his skin, the tension seemed to melt away from his shoulders if just for a while.
Alex swallowed a little, taking a breath. Hearing the prince's affirmation that he enjoyed training with him made him feel a little giddy, deep down inside somewhere. He couldn't allow himself overt forms of expression— at least not here, in the garden —but he did move a little closer, closing his eyes as he reached to touch Cyrus' hand.
"I... enjoy spending time with you," he said. "If... imperfection is what it necessary, then... so be it."
A part of him— no, all of him wished that moments like these could last forever— but time ticked relentlessly on, and tomorrow— the day of the tournament —would come. Alex wasn't afraid— he'd trained too hard and too long to doubt himself. But to push himself to do his absolute best, to win, to prove himself to his prince and his country— that mattered far more to him than anything else. He knew the other knights thought the same, each steadily holding the same wish beating in their chests.
Sometimes he wondered what other knights' lives were like. He'd been told by many that he was incredibly lucky to have Cyrus. He believed that, certainly, but it was all he ever knew.
"...What do you think of the other princes, Your Highness?"
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Post by synchro on Nov 21, 2015 5:52:25 GMT
Oh Alex. Even despite all that he'd witnessed and been subjected to in his training as a knight, he was still quite a gentle soul. And surprisingly skittish, though you'd never guess it with his sharp features. But it seemed that Cyrus and him made a good pair somehow, no mind-altering magic necessary. Sometimes a gentle touch was its own form of magic.
"I appreciate your company as well," he replied, sliding in even closer so that they lay just inches apart.
The other princes? Most likely also going through very rigorous training regimens in preparation for tomorrow's tournament. Some were quite talented in the various magical arts in which he'd been instructed and some less so. But either way, they were all dangerous and not to be underestimated. Not that either of them would ー they were planning on winning, after all.
"If any of them are planning on winning, they're sorely mistaken."
Grinning, he closed the gap between them, pulling Alex to him. "I've got the best partner, after all."
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Post by ★ lysander on Nov 25, 2015 7:28:45 GMT
The amount of faith Cyrus placed in him... was reassuring. To be trusted by his prince felt so validating, as if all the years of preparation and pain was all worth it-- which, as far as Alex was concerned, it was.
As Cyrus pulled him closer, his chest tightened-- something swelling within it with a kind of pain he only felt while around him. A strange kind that he did not mind-- even invited again and again. He allowed himself to relax further, thinking to himself that it may be acceptable to... indulge a little. After all, they were alone, right? And no one would come and threaten the prince here, deep within the royal grounds, among the flowers and grass of their private enclosure.
Alex allowed himself to make contact, curling up a little against the prince's chest. If there was such a thing as heaven, it had to be here, where he was, right now.
"You're so kind to me, Your Highness. I promise I won't disappoint tomorrow."
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Post by synchro on Nov 26, 2015 6:07:41 GMT
Sometimes Cyrus felt he was the older one of the pair. It was moments like these, their bodies seemingly endless points of contact with each other, that he felt the most lived, almost as if Alex was a child clinging onto him for support. Which was, of course, hilarious because his knight was much, much older than him.
Which wasn't to say that Alex was an exception to the rule ー on the contrary, it was expected that he had him wrapped around his finger, as the saying went. Absolute and utter obedience was not the hallmark of a good knight, but rather a mere baseline. All the competitors they faced tomorrow would be on the same wavelength. But Cyrus liked to think that his and Alex's relationship was special, powerful and absolute in spite of ー rather than because of ー the endless conditioning the knight candidates were subjected to in order to make them willing to lay down everything for their designated prince. There was no metal manipulation involved either, as was sometimes seen in zealous prince-knight duos.
"I know you won't disappoint me, Alex," he murmured, rolling onto the older man and closing the gap between them to create yet a new point of contact between their bodies.
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Post by ★ lysander on Nov 26, 2015 6:31:48 GMT
Alex made a little noise of surprise when Cyrus rolled on top of him— feeling his body weight press him down into the grass. It wasn't the first time that the prince did something like this, but every time he did, it always seemed to surprise him. Alex was, no matter how close and now intimate Cyrus could be with him, a stern man of rigid posture and sensibilities. And it wasn't even just because of the years of training, no. It seemed innate in his personality, to always be... a little wound up, so to say.
Which was why it was so important that Cyrus make contact with him.
Alex looked away a little, feeling just a bit of blood rush to his cheeks as he put his hand on Cyrus' waist with uncertainty. As it always was, he could never read Cyrus' expressions— his unreadability seemed to be a skill not taught during his own royal training, but something innately his, and Alex could feel its grip work on him further.
In other words, the prince was always absolutely charming.
He mumbled something about definitely winning, and maybe retiring to the garden again tomorrow afternoon after the victory ceremonies.
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Post by synchro on Nov 28, 2015 0:33:49 GMT
If you asked Cyrus, Alex was himself quite the interesting case. Not too long ago he'd lost enough blood to fill an entire tub and broken quite the number of bones, but not once did he make a sound of surprise. And yet with just a simple and deliberate motion Cyrus had broken through his guard and left him completely vulnerable. Cute. But then, so many things about Alex were cute. His steadfast loyalty, the fierce look of focus upon his face in battle, the way he got flustered when Cyrus got a little too close.
Speaking of which.
Cyrus didn't fail to notice Alex's reaction to his little move, a little laugh bubbling up from somewhere deep in his chest. The feeling didn't fade either, not when Alex, tentative as always, put his hand on his waist. Rather, the warm giddiness only spread till he could feel its tingle in his fingers and toes. As guarded as he liked to be, Alex had just as much broken through his defenses.
Cyrus idly traced a couple shapes on his knight's chest with one finger before leaning down to respond to Alex's mumble. "I would very much enjoy that," he whispered, equally softly, against his lips.
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Post by ★ lysander on Nov 28, 2015 5:33:54 GMT
Ah. Cyrus was doing that thing again— the thing that made his chest seem to flutter with a strange feeling that felt so painfully sweet. His laugh was so familiar, and yet each time Alex heard it he felt his heart leap a little at the sound. He, quite obviously, adored Cyrus beyond any reasonable measure. And while such was expected of his position as a knight, he couldn't help but feel that his and Cyrus' bond went beyond that of mere training. And there was no doubt in his mind that Cyrus felt the same way.
He closed his eyes, allowing the prince to kiss him. It was amazing to him that had he been assigned to any other prince, he might not be nearly as... happy. Was it fate? Destiny? A sheer stroke of luck that aligned the stars so that they might be together?
Tomorrow, they would test their bonds against other princes and knights. All of which underwent the very same conditioning and training that he and Cyrus had, but it made no difference to him. He would win. They would win. And tomorrow, in the garden, they... would spend time together, just as they always did.
Alex quietly murmured the prince's name, pulling him a little closer. There was no where he wanted to be more than where he was, right now.
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