"Arabian Nights"
Part 45
by Mel
It was almost dark before Orlando returned to them. They had ordered a fitting meal for Prince Viggo and Captain Karl, the cooks had seemed pleased. They had rushed the two boys back to their rooms, being careful not too mention to the rest of the kitchen slaves, or the boys, that neither the Prince or the Captain had eaten well today. They had begun preparation straight away, bent on ensuring that both men at least one proper meal this day.
As such, when Elijah and Dom returned to the room in silence, Orlando was still not to be found. Both boys looked at each other. Night was beginning to fall and it would be dark very soon. They set about lighting the candles through out the room and Dom took the time to set a small fire starting in the hearth in the centre. Orlando walked in as they finished.
“What took so long?” Elijah asked, fluffing pillows as Ian had instructed them, making sure the circle of them was as far away from the fire as possible. He batted Dom’s hands away when the other boy tried to move them closer to the fire, causing him to scowl. “You’ll be sorry when you set us all alight.”
Orlando smiled mysteriously, choosing not to answer. “Sean and Karl will both be arriving soon.”
Elijah’s eyes narrowed, but he let the other boy keep his secret. “The kitchen will have the food ready shortly too.”
“Then we’d best wake our Prince, stay here a moment Dom,” the taller boy grabbed Elijah by the arm, dragging him through to the prince bedchamber. “You will have to get use to this sooner or later,” Orlando hissed to him.
Orlando dragged the unwilling Elijah with him into their prince’s rooms. When they came through the beaded curtain, it took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the change in light, Orlando used that time to carefully light a few candles in the darkness.
Elijah watched as the sight of their Prince came into being.
Viggo looked peaceful in his rest. Elijah felt his heart lurch slightly, staring at the man that now owned the three of them. The man that, when you thought about it, had saved him from pretty much everything that had fallen in his life. He and Sean.
He couldn’t help the smile that graced his face, Orlando catching his eye and answering it with one of his own. The taller boy made a shooing gesture, egging him on towards their prince as he lit another candle. Padding quietly over to him, Elijah paused before sitting on the divan.
Viggo sat up as Elijah’s weight sunk down onto the bed, surprising both boys. Elijah yelped as sudden hands caught his wrists and he found himself slammed down into the bed. Elijah looked up, startled as his Prince straddled him, hands pressing his wrists into the mattress. Elijah held his breath as he watched the Prince’s eyes clear, watched his face soften as he realised it was Elijah beneath him.
“My Lord?” Elijah asked gently, fearing he had offended the man, that Orlando had indeed been wrong about the Prince’s reaction to him not sharing the bed with the two of them.
Viggo sat back, releasing Elijah’s wrists he ran a hand over his face and through his hair. “I am sorry Elijah, it seems the last few nights have kept me much more high strung then I would have hoped. I have not hurt you, have I?”
Given the position of his Prince, and Elijah’s stubborn streak to get to know the man to the level of intimacy Orlando had reached, Elijah propped himself up on his elbows, craning his neck so he could kiss the base of his Lord’s throat gently. “No, my Lord, but I fear you will soon enough.”
Viggo’s worry increased. “Why, what has happened?” Noticing Orlando moving around the room, watching them both, he asked, “you have not broken one of Dominic’s bones have you?”
Elijah laughed lightly against the Prince’s flesh. “Not yet.” He sobered quickly though, unable to look the Prince in the eyes, a blush staining his flesh. “When you and Orlando left me, I went to see the Captain’s slave. And I… He… I mean we…”
Viggo was a seasoned warrior. It was true, that when it came to friends and family around him, some things he did not notice until it was too far after the fact for him to do anything about it. Those who knew him, and even Viggo himself, knew that he was sometimes oblivious to matters of the heart.
But even should he be blind, deaf and dumb, Viggo still would have known what his youngest kitten was trying to tell him.
“You and Sean made love?”
Elijah nodded miserably, closing his eyes against what he was sure would be a violent, furious, reaction.
So when Viggo’s arms wrapped around him, Elijah was surprised. The bigger man drew him into a tight embrace, burying his head in Elijah's hair. Elijah was slower to react, but his arms wrapped around his Lord. Orlando smiled, lighting more candles, watching the two of them from the corner of his eye.
"You both have had me very worried, my dearest Kitten," Viggo murmured into the young man's hair. "I have often feared that nothing i could do would bring you from your history. And yet, it seems, the best thing i could have ever done, was introduce you to each other."
Tears filled Elijah's eyes and he fought to banish them away. He clung even harder to the man he had blamed for so long for his predicament. Everything had been Viggo's fault for so long in his own mind, he had constantly labelled him the villain in the stories his nannies had often told him as he had grown. It was taking time, but the image was shattering, dissolving, and leaving a man who was just a victim of circumstance as Elijah was. This was all so amazingly complicated, Elijah couldn't imagine how Viggo must be feeling.
"Thank you, my Prince."
Viggo got the feeling Elijah would not give him nearly as much trouble as he had till now. That anything that would trouble the boy would only be surface dust, and that Elijah would allow Viggo, finally, to fall in love with him. The Prince pressed his lips to the crown of the boy's head. "You are most welcome, my beloved Kitten."
"My Lord," Orlando's soft voice drew their eyes to him. "We have organised dinner for you, the Captain and Sean, as well as a little entertainment." Viggo raised an eyebrow, but Orlando ignored the pointed look, lifting the Prince's pants from their place on the floor. "If you would get dressed, we can prepare for your guests."
Viggo glared, wondering what was going on inside the boy's mind, but his look was quite innocent. The Prince still didn't trust it, but he moved off from on top of Elijah, kissing the boy's forehead before taking the pants from Orlando. "Should I wear a shirt, Master?"
Orlando grinned, kissing his lips teasingly. "I'm sure no one would mind, right Elijah?"
Elijah was looking everywhere but at his prince, flushing fiercely, his mind catching up that the prince had been sitting on him. Without one piece of clothing on. "Whatever my Prince wants." Elijah managed to choke out.
Viggo laughed quietly, pulling on the pants. "It is, perhaps, still to hot to be wearing all my clothes." Orlando's eyes appeared to twinkle while Elijah's face only seemed to get darker. "I trust there is no other surprise company involved?"
"Just we four and the Captain and Sean."
"Dinner and your guests have arrived, Sire." Dominic was hushed as he lifted the beaded curtain a little, speaking quietly. Viggo tilted his head, staring in surprise at the silent change in the most defiant of the boys. He looked to Orlando, but the boy shook his head, urging the Prince from the room. Elijah stood and followed beside Orlando, shooting the smug boy a glare.
When they entered the room, the Captain was already taking his seat in the loose circle, Sean helping a serving girl arrange dishes of food in the centre. Elijah could see her blushing from behind her veil and it made him scowl harder. Sean appeared to be clueless at the subtle signals the woman was sending him, much to Elijah's relief. Karl watched the woman flirt delicately with the unknowing Sean with an amused smile on his face. The woman left, looking rather frustrated, and Sean took his cushion beside Karl's.
"Perhaps European women are much more brazen about their affections then ours." Sean gave Karl a blank look, causing the dark haired man to laugh. "Sean, that serving girl made her intensions quiet clear."
"Perhaps you are right Captain," Viggo smiled as he took the cushion across from Karl. "I did not notice either."
Karl laughed again, relaxing, "It is amazing neither of you have been seduced into a marriage contract. Remind me to keep you both away from eligible women, it may prove dangerous."
Orlando took the cushion beside Karl, the other man's smile softening at the sight of him. Orlando smiled broadly, causing Karl to ruffle his hair, unable to stop the gesture he had preformed since the boy's childhood. Elijah sat between Sean and Viggo, smiling shyly at the blonde warrior. Sean returned the smile with one of his own, before looking questioning at Viggo. Viggo winked at Sean, making the blonde blush. Elijah busied himself with pouring some wine for his Prince, taking his mind from Viggo's light teasing.
That left the last spot for Dominic between the Prince and Orlando. Shame kept him from looking across at the Captain, filling the Prince's plate with food instead. Elijah watched the other boy's skill with some surprise, wasn't he suppose to be an assassin? Viggo too watched Dominic, but kept silent about the other boy, turning to Karl instead.
"Did the Caliph talk to you, Karl?"
Karl twitched slightly before batting Orlando's hands away from his plate and served himself. "He did, my lord and I had much to discuss, but it is all finished now. Did you get a chance to rest, Princeling?" Karl looked across at him. "Your sleep has been rather broken of late."
Viggo smiled, letting the matter drop. Tonight the whole room appeared full of secrets, yet Elijah and Orlando, who were either ignorant of it, or did not care, took it in their stride, lighting the room with their presence. Viggo's grin turned to Orlando, causing him to blush. "I slept a little."
Karl laughed, ruffling Orlando's hair again. Dominic stiffened at the hearty sound, Viggo's hand finding the young boy's and squeezing it lightly. The grey eyed assassin looked at the other man, surprised to find genuine concern in the Prince's eyes. Viggo, for his part, was comforted by the odd look Dominic sent him, and secretly delighted that the young man did not remove his hand.
A young, dark-haired scullion boy appeared at the door, silent, Orlando noticed him, smiling brightly. He rose quickly to his feet, hurrying to the other boy. Orlando was remarkably quiet in their exchange, the slave boy handing him something wrapped in a dirty cloth. The shorter boy hugged Orli, grinning teasingly before dashing away.
"What was that all about, little Kitten?" Karl asked, shifting uncomfortably as Orlando sat.
Smiling, Orlando handed the cloth to Dominic, unknowingly forcing the boy's hand from the Prince's as Dom reached for it. The puzzled expression lasted on the boy's face until his hands wrapped around the cloth. Then his whole face lit up, smile bright as he carefully peeled the cloth away. A small bronze lyre was left in his hands. Dominic struck the cords hesitantly, the mellow sound rising in the air.
"Where did you find it?" Dominic breathed, staring back up at Orli in wonder.
Orlando couldn't help the grin that appeared. "One of the other boys found it before I came here, on the sea shore. I was going to return it to you, but then all this happened. One of the scullion boy's owed me a favour, so I got him to go get it for you. Surprised?"
"I never..." Dominic didn't know how to react, he was shocked, surprised, and, above all, in awe of his friend. "I never thought I'd see it again."
"Go on," Elijah couldn't help but be excited, his favourite thing in his father's court had been the musicians. That and Orlando's excited mood seemed to envelop everyone. "Play something."
"What should I play?" Dominic looked to Viggo, everyone else in the room shared a look and a smile.
"Anything you'd like," Viggo put a gentle hand to the small of Dominic's back. "I would love to hear you play."
Crossing his legs, Dom rested the lyre in his lap, letting the feel of the Prince's hand calm him. He took a deep breath, strumming a few cords before letting the breath out. When he began to sing, it was in Arabic, and Elijah shifted into Sean's lap, translating the haunting tune.
"Sing sweet Nightingale of times of passed,
Of legends and emperors, of children and thieves.
Let your voice rise above the din,
tell us your tale, sweet Night Bird.
Tell us of the king, and the pretty thief,
Of when she was caught and brought to be punished,
Her promise to him of a thousand tales,
Told to save her life.
A thousand tales, sweet Nightingale,
Told on a thousand nights.
Each more daring then the last,
Till the king was captivated in her words.
The thousand Arabian nights,
became a thousand games,
spun in tales of long lost times,
and blooming a love that none foretold.
The King married his pretty thief,
Dearest bird,
And now they have become the tale,
That the Nightingale reminds us of."
The song ended on the quiet note, Dominic pausing to wipe tears from his eyes. His mother had sung that to him, on the lyre, when he was a child. It was the first thing he had wanted to play when the gift had been set back in his hands.
Viggo was careful, dragging the quiet boy into his arms. He held him gently he looked at the others. Only Karl's eyes were free of tears.
"Very moving," the Captain said as though he believed anything but, "for a song that is normally light hearted. I've always believed it was too light hearted." There was something almost angry in the Captain's eyes, though his tone was light. It was gone so quickly that Viggo almost didn't believe he'd seen it. "Forgive me gentleman, but I have had a long day, and I can see it will be just as long tomorrow. I will leave you to your evening." And with that he stood and left.
Sean paused a moment, and then kissed Elijah gently. "I'd best go with him, you all have had a long day too, and will be needing your sleep." He looked at each of the three boys in mock hardness. "Make sure the Prince gets his beauty sleep. He certainly needs it."
The boys giggled and Viggo rolled his eyes. "Thanks so much Sean. Sweet dreams to you too."
Smiling Sean left and Viggo sighed. "I think I will try for some sleep tonight." Dominic went to move, but Viggo stood, cradling him carefully. "Shall we?"
"Coming, my Lord," both Elijah and Orlando followed Viggo and Dominic behind the curtain, ready for some sleep.
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to: Mel
go to PART 46