WHO: Alucard Emery + Rhy Maresh WHAT: dinner/date night, some important conversations WHEN: Thursday night WHERE: their room -> Pacific Rim -> their room WARNINGS: making out, suggestive/fade to black and then skipped over sexytimes, nothing explicit.
It had been a very long day, and in fact, it did not feel like the same day it had been when Rhy had gotten up this morning. So much had happened, and that was even before he had ended up in a different world. But this world had been hitting Rhy with new information almost non-stop, including meeting new people, over their intriguing network and in person. After a while, Rhy had simply retreated into the room he shared with Alucard, to fall into a chair, put his feet up on Alucard’s lap, and attempt to keep up with all the replies he was receiving on the network.
Eventually even that became somewhat overwhelming, and Rhy realized that he was hungry, as several hours had passed since he’d had tea. He put the tablet aside and looked at Alucard. His heart skipped a little at the sight, enjoying the look of concentration on his lover’s face as he used the network and read a book, almost simultaneously. The urge to kiss him, even to climb into his lap, was incredibly strong, but Rhy resisted, only to savor the feeling.
Rhy suspected Alucard had already noticed that Rhy was paying attention to him and was pretending otherwise, but he nevertheless cleared his throat. With a mischievous glint in his tired eyes, and a hint of it in his voice as well, he asked, “Are you planning to take me to dinner, or should I find it on my own?”
--
Alucard lowered the book to rest against Rhy’s legs, so that he could more easily see Rhy. Not that he had blocked his vision entirely before, no, but it was just a little showmanship, a demonstration of shift in attention. The book was still engaging, something out of the little library the vessel provided, but Rhy had always been good at grabbing and holding his attention. It was no different now.
Still, his eyes glanced down at the clock that lived in the top of the slates - tablets - these people used to communicate, that these people used to communicate (it wasn’t magic, no matter the ways it resembled the slates from their world). “Our reservations are in twenty minutes,” he replied, smirking slightly. “How long do you need to be ready?”
The captain marked his book and set it aside, not yet standing but pulling his hair back off his face. He had known how little time he was giving himself.
--
Rhy raised his eyebrows, and his smile widened, pleased. He had not actually expected Alucard to plan ahead for this, mainly because he hadn’t realized that dinner reservations were necessary on this ship - it had become obvious, when Alucard explained his actions, that he had put deliberate thought into courting Rhy, and taking Rhy out to dinner was really a minor feat by previous standards.
“How long will it take us to get there?” he asked. He had gotten a fair idea of the scope of the ship, but there seemed to be multiple restaurants, and some were easier to get to than most.
--
Alucard shrugged casually, as though he had to think about it. But his smile was pleased. His head start had only provided a slight edge - Alucard was still learning - but even with no promise of Rhy arriving, even without knowing the plans would ever be necessary, Alucard had done some preliminary work. Just in case. It had paid off, with that smile. “Five minutes, so long as we do not get distracted,” he replied. There wasn’t that much to do, walking down a corridor, but they would walk past other parts of the ship. New sights, possible experiences.
“I just need boots,” Alucard mentioned. His clothes were all of excellent cut and cloth, all of them well above and beyond the requirements for lounging in their room. But he had known what was coming and chosen his clothes accordingly. Not as elaborate as anything for the balls for the Essen Tasch; instead it balanced his intentions with the decor at their destination. So he stood out for the right reasons.
Still he made no move to stand, to force Rhy to ready himself any faster than he wished. Sea had taught Alucard to get ready in no time at all. This… this was far easier. With fewer swords.
--
“Then I need fifteen minutes,” Rhy said, this time with more than just a hint of wickedness. In truth, he didn’t really need to get ready - he had showered and changed earlier, and he still felt relatively fresh. But since Alucard was putting in an effort, it seemed only right to do the same. He could choose a coat, and shoes, and brush his hair.
He paused, and looked Alucard over, reconsidering his calculations to account for the possibility of distractions. “Make that… ten.”
Then he let his feet slide out of Alucard’s lap and come to rest on the floor, and he stood up. He was aware that he was probably going to be watched as he walked away, so he took care with his movements, not adding any particular extra flair, but just taking his time so as to make sure not to look tired, or rushed. He moved over to the closet and opened it in a way that obscured Alucard’s view of the clothes inside, and considered his options. He finally chose a coat, and carefully folded it against his body so that he could take it out without much of it being seen. Then he made his way to the bathroom, and glanced very briefly over his shoulder at Alucard before disappearing inside and closing the door.
--
His eyes slid up then partially back down Rhy’s form as he rose and walked away. A small content sigh escaped. Red was a wonderful color on him. They matched, easily, but then they were both mourning, both had lost family. Alucard didn’t need people on the ship, everyone except Rhy and Kell, to understand his choice of colors. They all looked good on him. His eyes glanced down to Esa, quietly resting on the pillow, and his heart ached. But they were living. They were going on living.
It was fortunate, actually, that Rhy was then in the bathroom finishing up his appearance. Thoughts about Anisa always rose, without warning. There was no balm to soothe the pain that came with them. But Alucard didn’t want any. Some things were meant to hurt. It was early enough the thoughts didn’t overwhelm the rest. His happiness was just as present, just as strong. He was taking Rhy to dinner, the two of them. It would be just them, not at the palace, dinner cooked by the same chefs it would have been. Nor were the ostra and vestra of the city present to watch and wonder. Alucard would have welcomed that; he had made his intentions clear. But it felt good, too, to visit this foreign restaurant, rather fancy for there being a restaurant on a boat, just the two of them.
Alucard crossed the room to his clean boots and pulled them on with practiced ease. His own coat pulled on, fitting him perfectly in the latest fashions (coming ashore had required a larger wardrobe). And just like that, Alucard Emery was ready.
--
Staring at himself in the mirror was a surprisingly sobering moment for Rhy. He could see the exhaustion on his own features, and the darkness hiding just behind the happiness. He had been putting effort into maintaining his composure - less effort than he had needed at home, where there was much more at stake in saying and doing precisely the right things to avoid war - and he did feel genuinely lightened by being here, and by having his relationship to Alucard restored. But there was still a heavy weight on his heart and shoulders, and even if no one else noticed (he knew both Kell and Alucard probably did, though), the mirror was uncompromisingly truthful in reflecting it back at him.
Still, he refused to let it ruin his mood. Rhy wanted dinner, and then he wanted to go to bed and reacquaint himself with his lover’s body, and then he wanted to sleep. He was particularly desperate for a good night’s sleep, although there was almost no doubt that he would be plagued by nightmares, and sharing a bed meant that Alucard might notice.
Then again, he wouldn’t have been surprised if Alucard had his own fair share of nightmares. They had both been through their own private versions of hell.
Rhy shook himself out of his thoughts and ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling and smoothing his curls in almost equal measure so that they appeared casually mussed, but not messy. Then he stepped into his boots and slid into the coat, a wool number that had been dyed the deep red reserved for royalty, with a black satin lining on the inside that was cool and smooth and comforting against his skin.
He had no idea whether he had actually taken ten minutes or not, but he was ready to stop looking at himself in the mirror. He moved back to the door and stepped out.
--
Alucard, for his part, crouched next to the bed, scratching Esa’s head and murmuring softly to her. He glanced up and stood with an appreciative look for the grand way Rhy looked. Even without a crown, it was impossible to ignore the way he stood, the way his clothes fit him in all the right places. And his hair, his curls, looked as though the sea breeze had had their way with him, as though they had been on the deck, instead of their spacious quarters.
His sense of time was good enough, without consulting anything else. “Three minutes to spare,” Alucard said. With a step closer, Alucard leaned in for a brief kiss, just brushing his lips against Rhy’s. Alucard stayed close an extra moment, as though perhaps they could spend those leisurely minutes delaying their departure. But it was early in the night, and Alucard was courting him.
Instead, he took half a step back and held out his hand. His arm bent, in such a way that Rhy had a choice of taking Alucard’s arm or hand without either seeming like a slight.
--
Rhy smiled as he felt Alucard’s eyes moving over him, appraising him. He enjoyed the feeling of being appreciated for his looks, but he already liked the feeling of being appreciated as both Rhy and king - simultaneously, because he was always both - even better. The latter was a feeling that was thus far unique to Alucard, and one that Rhy particularly wanted to keep.
He did not move as Alucard came closer, except to lower his gaze to Alucard’s mouth, and then to kiss him back. His hands moved ever so slightly, as well, pressing his fingertips against Alucard’s hips through his coat. Had he not been so hungry for a proper meal, he would have happily been distracted from going out.
But he was hungry, and he wanted to see where the night would go. He half-suspected that Alucard had other surprises in mind, and half-hoped that he didn’t, or at least would be willing to postpone them in favor of returning to bed, because there was only so much more Rhy could handle in one day.
He considered the arm offered to him, and then slid his hand into Alucard’s, twining their fingers together, the insides of their wrists and forearms touching. He wasn’t sure he could have done so at home, where there were always eyes on him, on both of them. But he had been here long enough to get the feeling that what Kell had told him about this place was true - no one knew who they were, and no one particularly seemed to care. They could simply be themselves. That was currently competing with the novelty of getting to explore a new world for Rhy’s favorite part about this whole adventure.
He didn’t say anything, but he was quietly thrilled by the ease of it, the simple display of affection without having to consider any potential ramifications from being observed. He gently brushed the pad of his thumb against the side of Alucard’s wrist, and offered him a tired but warm smile.
--
With a gentle squeeze of the hand, Alucard led them out into the hallway and closed the door behind them with a well-judged gust of wind. It permitted him to keep hold of Rhy’s hand, warm against his, without twisting them comically in order to accomplish such simple feats. With an easy sense of direction, this ship was laid out logically, simply even, a passenger vessel with passengers very much in mind, Alucard led them down the hall toward the stairs. He had discovered the portals in each hall, which led to the school, but their destination lay elsewhere. And Alucard enjoyed walking, together, between the two.
His gait matched Rhy’s easily, in a casual pace. “It is a larger ship than any I have seen before,” Alucard shared, “They call it a cruise ship, a kind of passenger ship large enough to be an ocean liner in their parlance. Designed as a place to sit back, relax, and take pleasure.” He watched Rhy’s face at the last choice in words. Given Alucard had not stolen Rhy away from London, he felt no guilt in using more of their newly freed time to court Rhy.
They reached the stairs, and Alucard’s steps continued evenly. It was no matter, both of them used to a palace with - if anything - more stairs than here. The sounds carried, each step, the soft brushing of their fabric, their breathing, their voices if they spoke. “The cuisine comes from a swath of countries in another world,” Alucard had tasted familiar spices in recipes from languages he did not yet know. “We’ll get to explore some of it, together.” A journey within the journey they were already on. Though no one could tell him what waters they were on, so it was hard to judge if it were a step away or toward their destination. His eyes sparkled. Here it was so easy to show Rhy something new. He loved it.
--
“We shall have to explore the whole thing,” Rhy said. His slightly sobered mood had not quite left him, but neither had his wide-eyed curiosity about this world, this ship. So he attempted to strike a balance between the two by adding, “But not tonight, I think.”
He hoped they had enough time to see it all. Not just the whole ship, but the different ports that he had heard about, and the other world, Tumbleweed, Texas. He was curious about trying to find another London, too, although not yet certain of the details of how he’d go about doing that. Kell’s magic was a possibility, but there were aspects of it that did not work.
He drew his mind back to the present moment, and smiled. “Although if my palate can explore the world while I’m sitting still, that would certainly be an acceptable adventure for the evening.”
--
“Everywhere I go on this ship, when I look into where things come from, be it the food, the beverages, the music… the more I want to explore,” Alucard grinned. He had already started exploring Thai, Vietnamese, French, and Italian languages based off the food and drink alone. The music, there was no end to the music in that clever little box. Without any magic, there were enough songs to take years to listen to. No, even within the constraints of a boat, every boat had its limits, there was more to explore than they would have time. Which meant they could do what they wanted.
In time, they could explore everywhere. Going to sea, traveling together, Alucard rather liked it. He found it a touch less settling not to sail the ship himself - there was a simple pleasure in that too - but it was easily assuaged. There was company. There was Rhy. “I thought we could order a variety of dishes to share,” Alucard said, “so we could do just that.”
It was no long walk, once they reached the right deck. But Alucard still pointed to the facility across from the Pacific Rim restaurant. “Another day, we can properly relax there,” he said. He had considered it, for that night, but then someone else would be pampering Rhy after dinner. And Alucard already planned to take care of that.
--
“I’ve always wanted to explore,” Rhy agreed, smiling. “This is my first chance at it. I’m trusting you to make sure I don’t miss anything essential. Including food, but certainly not limited to it.”
He was watching their surroundings as they walked, to gain his bearings in terms of direction, and also to gauge how much he was being watched. He hadn’t really felt watched since arriving here, and it was strange to realize how much observation he’d grown accustomed to - by his parents, by other nobles, by commonfolk - which only seemed notable now in the absence of it.
He glanced at the facility that Alucard gestured to, and nodded. He wanted to try everything, and then could choose among them based on what he discovered about his likes and dislikes. But once they sat down in the restaurant, he found his mind wandering back to home. After they were seated, Rhy picked up his menu, but before he said anything about the food, he asked, “How did this play out between us at home? After you returned.”
He was sure that it had at least ended well, not only because of the way Alucard had initially greeted him, but because he knew beyond a doubt he would have forgiven Alucard the moment he understood what had happened. How could he not, when the circumstances were so far beyond Alucard’s control, not to mention traumatic? But it would have been different there, with Rhy preoccupied with his duties to the city, his people, and the nobles and magicians still housed in the palace. They would not have had the time or the freedom for so many casual moments spent together, napping and reading and using the network and going out to dinner.
--
Alucard’s perusal of the menu, something he had already sampled widely after a discussion about the ship’s provisions, had more to do with choosing a varied tasteful selection that he and Rhy could eat in one setting. His initial options to introduce himself to many a new cuisine was no method for a romantic evening.
His eyes stayed on the pad kra pao description for a few moments after Rhy’s question. It hadn’t finished playing out there much more than it had finished here. Alucard spent similar amounts of time reading - imagining guard duty the ‘traditional’ boring way sounded like a waste of time - but otherwise, it felt quite different. They fit in around meetings of state, discussions of Vesk and Faro, whether peace had been established long enough to hold, whether Lord Sol-in-Ar pushed for another reason to go to war with their newly strengthened Alliance. London still was yet to fully recover, the Night Market had lost so many of its vendors, it hadn’t yet looked like itself. Many people were still missing, and the funerals trailed on as they were assumed dead. People needed different lengths of time to accept that. And his friends in lower places didn’t have the same resources to look.
None of it was a complaint. Alucard appreciated every moment they had, as they provided moments of relief and relaxation, company during dark nights when there was little they could do for each other than what they had done before - stayed there. For all that Rhy had established a place for him in court, Alucard had not simply become a guard, an advisor, or another member of the the vast when of royalty and nobility. No, he courted Rhy, differently than here, but his intentions were the same; Alucard loved Rhy and wanted a relationship that would last, that was strong and trusting and reliable. And all of it public.
“We aren’t married,” Alucard replied, “Yet.” He paused just long enough for that to have an effect. It wasn’t the only end Alucard was interested in. But it said how seriously he meant what he was doing. “You could say we’re in a similar position, figuring it all out,” Alucard continued, “But the rest of the world is too.”
He leaned back slightly, confident and more sure of himself than he had been entering the throne room at the moment in question. But Alucard stood by what he did. It was the only way to start it back there, with more than Rhy knowing. “You told me to request an audience, and I did,” Alucard smiled, “A public one.”
--
Rhy’s cheek’s heated, and he felt sure that the color of them had changed as well. He hadn’t gotten anywhere near considering marriage yet, and could not come up with any kind of a response to that, even as Alucard silently let the words sink in. He told himself he couldn’t really be faulted for that, having spent the last three years thinking that Alucard was completely out of the picture, while Alucard had clearly been planning to come back and win him back. But it still took a moment for the full weight of Alucard’s intentions to even begin to settle inside him.
It wouldn’t have been a complicated notion, if Rhy weren’t king. He had more to consider than just his heart when it came to marriage - what strengthened the throne, what alliances he could gain, not to mention ending up with an heir. It was not that he didn’t want to consider the idea, because he clearly wasn’t getting over Alucard anytime soon and did not relish the idea of having to part ways, and in many respects, Alucard would be well-suited to the position, being nearly as royal as Rhy and a powerful magician in his own right.
But the two of them could not have children on their own, and that was going to complicate things at some point. The throne demanded an heir, or the entire country could be thrown into jeopardy.
He was thankful when Alucard continued without a response from Rhy, and listened carefully. But the idea of having the initial conversation about their relationship in a public, royal audience only made his cheeks feel even warmer. When it had happened earlier that day, Rhy had been intensely emotionally vulnerable, which was something he could not have afforded in a public audience.
“That was… bold,” he managed to say, struggling to keep his voice even.
--
Rhy’s face was a journey in and of itself. One Alucard enjoyed immensely. But it also made the reason for his point for him; while Alucard didn’t have all the answers, he had spent time considering them. The rather tricky issue of children, heirs to the throne, topped them, as they were not going to obtain them from siblings; Alucard would never let Berras get so close to the throne, and Kell was not going to go about his relationships the way Rhy had to. Alucard had difficulty imagining Bard as a parent, but whether the two antari worked it out or not, it was - he had decided - irrelevant. Which brought matters squarely back to Rhy and Alucard.
He could imagine any number of solutions, but whatever happened, they had to determine it together. Also, Alucard loved children. Whether it was his imagining or not, he felt he could see similar calculations begin on the other side of the table. Well, it was easy to get there was it not?
It was too early for that. Alucard knew Rhy needed more time than he did. It had taken lying on the floor of his quarters in the Night Spire while Alucard nearly died for him to see that Rhy loved him in return. Seeing it had been enough for Alucard to know the feelings were true. It had been enough to stake everything publicly to see whether Rhy would let himself consider those feelings, whether he would forgive Alucard, whether they stood a chance at a future together.
“I’m Alucard Emery, former captain of the Night Spire - you gave Bard my ship - champion of the Essen Tasch, and suitor to the king of Arnes,” Alucard dropped his menu in the broad gesture he made. A couple curious eyes looked their way, but not knowing who the gentlemen were, they quickly returned to their own meals. “I’m done hiding. They needed to know, too.”
His arms returned, and one hand twirled the menu. “I brought a liran,” Alucard added, “I’m fairly confident no one else could hear the memory of us.” Or his screams, later in the night. “They certainly didn’t see it.”
--
Rhy regained some of his composure as he watched and listened, but he was still blushing. He couldn’t seem to stop, yet, as everything Alucard was saying only served to maintain the warmth in his face. But he did not let his embarrassment stop him from actively trying to understand what Alucard had done, his motivations behind it, and his intentions for the future.
On a personal level, Rhy was deeply grateful to have had the private conversation rather than the public one - although technically, he supposed, he would have to endure that one as well. From a political standpoint, he could appreciate the gesture of a public audience, although it would have been nice if he’d had a little forewarning. It couldn’t have been easy to deal with, especially being confronted with a visual and audible presentation of what had happened the night that Alucard had disappeared.
“I hope I managed to make it through that meeting without too much loss of dignity,” he said, after a moment. And then, more curiously, “I gave Bard your ship?”
These were the details he’d really been after. Whether Alucard was staying in London, how often they were getting to see each other, how involved Alucard had gotten in palace goings on. He knew that he wanted Alucard to stay, not to disappear on his ship again, which was likely why he’d given it away. But if it hadn’t been a public audience, he also could have just asked.
--
They both had a flair for the dramatic, and Rhy had handled everything as best he could, Alucard supposed. It had not helped his nerves the order in which Rhy had announced his answers to Alucard’s answers. He had not clearly articulated a wish beyond Rhy, Rhy’s affections, and his forgiveness. A future. It also hadn’t felt right to say more, to ask for something that, if granted, could undermine Rhy’s authority before the court. So he had trusted Rhy, trusted that if he forgave Alucard, they would work something out.
They had. It still formed, steel in a metalworker’s hands. Their hands.
“To be fair, that part happened at a later date than my giving it up,” Alucard smiled. “And I couldn’t have seen a better set of hands to leave the Spire in.” Anyone else’s, and the person stood a chance of losing them. What Bard didn’t know about sailing, she could surround herself with people who did. Alucard hadn’t known that much more himself when he first captained the Night Spire.
He leaned closer to the table again, a touch more serious. “I live in the palace,” he said, “We both see a fair amount of each other’s quarters, and there’s more than enough work to do. I’m in London to stay and expect the next time I leave it will be when you finally have the chance to.” Kell had left with Bard, but that wasn’t the issue they were truly discussing. Them.
--
Rhy smiled slightly; he couldn’t help but agree. He liked Lila Bard a lot, and he particularly liked how much Kell liked her. Rhy wanted that for his brother, an equal partner, someone who could save his life and also keep him on his toes. Lila had proven that she could do both. And, Rhy mused, that was not an inaccurate representation of the way he himself related to Alucard, although to a lesser degree. Alucard was not quite as wild, and a lot of the ways in which he made Rhy feel off-balance had more to do with the past misunderstandings between them, and now Rhy’s attempts to understand the truth of what Alucard felt and wanted for him.
Marriage. The word was still moving around inside him, refusing to settle. He was not ready for serious contemplation of it, only acknowledgment of the possibility and the potential difficulties. He didn’t feel he needed to iterate them aloud for Alucard; more than likely, the other man had thought about them even more than Rhy had. He knew what being king meant for Rhy.
So Rhy did his best to ignore the jumble of thoughts and feelings surrounding that topic, and tried instead to imagine them in the palace together, fitting in time for each other in between their duties. He considered asking about the others in the palace, the rest of the city, but he didn’t. It made him feel guilty not to, as if he were slacking in his duties, but there was nothing he could do about any of it just now, and talking about it would probably only make him feel worse. Besides, if everything that Alucard remembered had already happened -- then, somehow, Rhy was still there working to take care of it. He could let himself put down that burden.
“Saints know when that will be,” he said, in regards to traveling. “I always wanted to travel - I kept telling Kell we should just go - but then everything else happened.”
He glanced down at the menu, still in his hands, but nearly forgotten until now. “I suppose that wish has been granted now, in a different way, and I’m grateful for it. I’m also starving now.” That was a playful exaggeration, an attempt to bring them back to the present moment. “What are we ordering?”
--
Something was always happening in the Royal Palace. The Essen Tasch had been no small affair, even three years coming. The details of everything else that could have held the brothers up wasn’t something Alucard knew, but that everything else had tossed the board up into the air, so to speak. Some of the pieces had likely been lost or set aside for a later date. And any of it that continued, Alucard had spent some time on or heard, whichever side of the door he was on.
“Whole new connotations to ‘be careful what you wish for,’” Alucard suggested. But he didn’t have to wish for anything too hard (it would be hard enough on its own, naturally). Everything he wanted, just then, he could accomplish by his own hands.
But he smiled at the question. “Chicken tikka masala with naan, panang curry, and bún bò nam bộ,” Alucard replied. “A small tour of food from three of the countries that form the Pacific Rim, as they call it.” There were more nations here than they usually dealt with back home. Fewer empires, or simply a time between them. It made for good food either way.
He looked across at Rhy, to see whether he would be challenged on it.
--
“Do you think so?” Rhy asked, amused. “I was thinking that perhaps I should have dreamed a little bigger.”
Truthfully, this was a much bigger dream than Rhy had ever dared come up with. He’d thought about going to other worlds, of course - how could he not, with an Antari for a brother? - but it had never occurred to him that there might be more worlds beyond the three - or rather, four - Londons. His worldview had now widened drastically, exponentially, to include a seemingly infinite number of new worlds, and if he was lucky enough, he might get to see a handful of them, and find out about the rest.
He looked at the menu as Alucard said the names, reading over the descriptions. In another mood, if he had a specific craving, Rhy might have challenged Alucard’s choices. As it was, he had tried none of the options on the menu, and all of them sounded delicious, and Rhy’s only motivation was to try something new.
“Sounds delicious,” was all he said, and set his menu aside. “That’s decided, then.”
--
Alucard caught the edge of his menu and set his down, closed, as well on the table. Some mannerisms were, if not universal, common. Their conversation, and Alucard’s attention, had been spent considerably more on each other than the food. That was what due diligence was for. New places were for company more relaxed or his own. Alucard always liked to know his places. Learning them was most enjoyable work. Though he had yet to discover a place that held any bar fights. All in all, it was a fit enough place for a king.
“I have heard,” Alucard grinned, “that there was a time they sailed among the stars.” Every story came with warnings, of the dangers on those interstellar waters, or of battle on water, or even elven wine. A ship at sea was always an adventure, for anytime one thought nothing would happen, it would. Preferably not pirates. Unless his ship was getting the jump on them.
A waiter came over, and Alucard ordered the three dishes, to be shared, along with some wine. Polite, charming, and efficient. It was taken care of. As ever, in High Royal. Or English, which Alucard considered Bard’s tongue. But his attention returned to Rhy.
“You can dream as large as you like,” Alucard declared. He did.
--
“Really,” said Rhy, intrigued. He certainly had not thought to dream that big. He wished now that they were outside, so that he could look up and see the night sky, but he could imagine it, at least. “The more I learn about this place, the more fascinating it becomes.”
In some ways, he might have preferred to be somewhere less fancy, more common. This was familiar, it was what he already knew. He had no doubt that in some places that were less familiar, his softer, privileged upbringing would show, and he would be forced to learn some things the hard way. But those were likely the lessons that he really needed to learn. They were certainly the ones he wanted to learn.
He took a sip from his water glass, and kept his hand on the glass even after he set it down, brushing his fingers lightly over the rim. “Maybe this place will be good for my dreams. Certainly for my imagination.”
What he was referencing, and what he was fairly certain Alucard already knew, since it seemed he had spent at least a few nights with Rhy at home, was how he was plagued by nightmares, made worse by the fact that his dreams blurred the lines with Kell’s. Rhy didn’t particularly want to broach darker topics, and yet at the same time it seemed necessary to go there, at least in small, brief conversational tangents or references, which could then be set aside.
--
Alucard nodded. “We can dream together,” he said simply. An overly overtly romantic sentiment, perhaps, to anyone overhearing their conversation. But it was simply what Alucard could do for Rhy, and Rhy for him. Alucard could not promise to make it better. He was there, when it woke him during the night, when he had not yet been able to fall asleep. Alucard didn’t know if his own imaginings would get easier or more heartwrenching the closer they got. But even if it grew worse, it was worth it. Love was worth it.
His head turned slightly. “Want to make a wager? As to what sort of place this boat takes us next?” Alucard asked, “I’ll tell you what I know of the first two ports. And we could each take a gander. Winner gets…” He shrugged. They could think of something.
--
Rhy’s gaze flicked up to meet Alucard’s. It was going to take him a while, probably, to get completely used to statements like that, with such intensely romantic overtones. He’d loved it when they were younger, relished it, because it made him feel special, loved. It still did, but there was also an element of surprise, when he remembered that Alucard still loved him. Remembered wasn’t the right word, because it was his heart, not his mind. Consciously, he had processed the difference between what he thought had happened and what actually had. Emotionally, that was harder to do, and the damage that Alucard’s disappearance had done was not helped by the rest of what Rhy had gone through in that time, the other insecurities he’d acquired.
But he kept that to himself, for now. It was only the first day, and Alucard clearly had plans to renew all the love they’d had, even if it might always be tempered by everything they’d been through.
Which was another aspect to that statement, perhaps. Alucard could have nightmares too, as well as insecurities. For all his projected confidence and determined planning, he had to have been shaken by what he’d been through. Rhy was somewhat comforted by that thought, because it would be easier for this to be a mutual pulling themselves together, as individuals and as lovers. Easier - and probably harder, in some ways. But it soothed him anyway.
“I’ve asked about the ports,” he said. “Atlantis and Middle Earth.” He did not know if his grasp of them was as in depth as Alucard’s; it probably wasn’t, given Rhy had only had a few hours of writing on the network from which to draw, and Alucard had been here a few days already. He considered what he knew, and what options there were for wagering. He smiled slightly. “What happens if we’re both entirely wrong?”
--
The moment felt parallel to, and nothing like, his evenings with Bard. Their words had carried more meaning than they stated, truths that did not entirely reveal themselves, secrets doled out in exchange. But here, the purpose was to reveal those truths. It took time, an exchange dictated less by trade than by heart, by building a solid foundation and up from there. Alucard wanted to share his secrets. Most of them. And those that made him anxious, well, they would come up in time, too. Another sort of worry.
And so the dance between their words felt familiar. Even as Alucard worked on sharing, instead of guarding. Rhy was the person he wanted to share them with, not just what Rhy was owed. Atop it all, Alucard had to remember what he had told Rhy back home and what here, because one did not cover the other.
His fingers tapped lightly against the table. By all odds, they would both be wrong. Nearly entirely. That made the difference. “Given we knew neither location before coming here,” Alucard considered, “we must accept we most likely both will be wrong. It’s a matter of determining who is more or less wrong. There must be specifics but also themes. It’s no fun if neither of us win.” He grinned.
--
Rhy smiled. “In that case,” he said. “I predict… large or tall buildings. And flying vehicles, or perhaps… horses with wings.”
He felt that he was almost certainly missing the mark, but there was simply no way for him to know any better. He suspected that it would be a place not quite like any they had already seen, which meant that certainly Rhy would not have seen anything like it. He was not certain what he was describing was necessarily what he wanted to see, but it was the first thing that came to his mind. He put more thought into what he wanted to see, and added, “Lots of lights and colors. Art, too - sculptures or paintings, perhaps. A different language to learn, I hope.”
“And if I win…” He trailed off, thoughtfully. He had a feeling Alucard had meant the wager suggestively, but they had not even been back together for a full day - for Rhy, at least - and he wanted that to develop naturally. “You have to write me a poem.”
--
All that Rhy listed sounded wonderful to visit, to see, and to experience. Whether flying vehicles or horses, Alucard would take to the air if given the chance. The mix of specifics, with that, and the broader scheme to the world (a myriad of images painted themselves in his mind). So Alucard thought to do the same. With so little to go on, there was no way to play it safe, or being too general could simply be boring. And they would cheat, if they could, but as of yet, there were no means.
“I say it will be a city on water, either one not on land at all or with canals for streets,” Alucard countered. He thought a moment longer. What did he want? Where could they slip in and most readily stand out the least? Rhy probably would take some work on that idea, but Alucard knew how to do it. When he wished. “Multicultural, with thriving trade and markets.”
As to the wager, Rhy had set the tone, and Alucard could well respect that. Certainly, there was a pleasure in winning and something desirable to be chosen in the wager. But Alucard never wagered what he decided he could not lose. At times he was liberal with what he was willing to set on the table. But he did so with that in mind all the same. It pushed beyond a safe comfortable zone, and that was half the fun. He wanted a similar effect on Rhy. He thought about what he had seen on the boat and smiled. “If I win, we take the cooking classes they offer,” Alucard declared. He wasn’t going to insist Rhy do so without the chance to see it for himself.
--
“How would a city not be on land?” Rhy asked, curious. “Would the buildings float on the water? Would it be composed entirely of ships?”
He found it hard to imagine such a thing, although he supposed that if such a place could exist, this would be the place for it. This world seemed to have an endless amount of ocean, and if humans could find a way to live on the water, it would give them quite a way to expand their nations.
The idea of thriving markets gave him a slight pang; the Night Market had been absolutely devastated by the dark magic that had crept over London, and it would take some time before it was back in full swing. Rhy could not even imagine the work ahead of them as they tried to put the city back together.
He pushed those thoughts away, and tried to imagine the two of them taking cooking classes together. It was an amusing notion, and a small grin crept over his face. “You have a deal,” he said. “Although I hope you realize I’m more likely to burn everything than cook anything edible.”
--
“We could meet people who question just the opposite,” Alucard suggested. “How would a city be on land? How do they stand when the earth shakes?” He thought about the last question, certainly a reminder of The Going Waters, a market composed of multiple ships, upon the water. Its existence had made Alucard consider the possibility that it was the tip of the iceberg, when it came to what was possible. They were comfortable with what they knew. But from another perspective, Bard’s for example, plenty they took for granted became unusual and new.
There was something wonderful about a door being open to another world, a door that Alucard and Rhy could walk through, not just antari. Not a usual door, exactly. It felt more like a trap door that opened without warning. But that also took away any guilt for being here instead of Arnes. Since Rhy had arrived, Alucard had little difficulty accepting it.
“At the start, certainly,” Alucard agreed as food wafting tempting aromas was brought to the table. “But we both enjoy eating wonderful dishes. It seems fair we learn something about how to feed ourselves.” Which, if one didn’t care much for taste, Alucard could survive. Probably. But it wasn’t anything he’d ever offer Rhy.
--
It was an intriguing point, Rhy had to admit, but he did not dwell on it long, because the food had arrived. His stomach growled, reminding him that it had been hours - maybe even a full day - since he’d eaten a proper meal. And this looked like a lovely one.
“Oh, thank you,” he said, to the server. “And you,” he added with a smile to Alucard, brushing his foot against his lover’s under the table. “This looks incredible.”
And without further ado, he picked up his fork and dug in.
--
It tasted incredible too. Alucard had known that much already, but it was still a new experience to eat the dishes in their entirety, to share them with Rhy, and to have a personal private meal in public. Something they never could have had in London. Not like this.
When they left, Alucard took them back the long way, past views of the evening, the stars that did not look familiar to him, and the sounds of the ocean beyond those of the ship. But it was a short walk. Alucard had seen the way Rhy looked, picked up on enough clues. It was time for night, for bed, for the calm of the world that left one alone, with dreams or with thoughts.
They returned to their room, and Alucard closed the door so that they were in private. Esa had made herself scarce. Possibly exploring the closets. Alucard reached out for Rhy, pulling him close for a kiss that lasted as long as he had breath. But Alucard leaned his forehead against Rhy’s, plenty interested in more. But also simply loving being there, the two of them. He felt confident this time, still their first night, a first night of theirs, because he knew how Rhy felt about him. The unease, the uncertainty, the doubt he had felt in the palace… it had questioned him a moment or two, interrupting a perfectly wonderful evening.
But smiling, Alucard brushed back one of Rhy’s curls. “I wanted to do that all night.”
--
The food lifted Rhy’s energy and his spirits. He was still tired - it was the kind of bone-deep, soul-deep exhaustion that could not be shaken so easily - but there was something about a full stomach, not to mention the new flavors and spices still on his tongue and the wine buzzing pleasantly in his veins, that could always make him feel a little more awake. He enjoyed the scenic route back, looking out at the stars and the ocean, and at Alucard. Everything he looked at was beautiful, and his heart felt almost as warm and full as his stomach.
In spite of his renewed energy, his limbs were aching by the time they got back to their room, and Rhy was grateful when the door closed behind them. He was unsurprised by the kiss, and went into it willingly, pressing Alucard back against the closed door. He had been wanting this, too; it had almost happened earlier, but there had been so many other things to do, so many people to talk to, so much of the ship to explore.
There was nothing else to do at the moment, though. Nothing except to get lost in the warmth between their bodies, and then sleep. Hopefully, the former would tire Rhy out enough that he would sleep deeply, restfully, without being plagued by nightmares.
He fit his body closer against Alucard’s and leaned into him, moving his mouth to Alucard’s jaw when Alucard stopped kissing him to speak. “Mm,” he murmured agreeably, enjoying the fuzzy, tickling feeling of Alucard’s beard against his lips. “Me too.”
--
Alucard slid his hands down along Rhy’s shoulders, still a couple layers deep. Too deep, now that kisses trailed his jaw. His head tilted back slightly, while his hands returned to the jacket’s collar and slid down the soft fabric until there was enough to grip it gently. Then Alucard pulled that layer off, pushing Rhy’s hands off of him to do so. It was only a moment, and they would come back.
Rhy felt warmer below his touch. His fingers danced against the tunic, touches growing firmer, pulling, pulling Rhy against him, against the door. He didn’t worry about how hard or insistently he tugged. They weren’t in any danger of falling over just there. Instead he was able to grow mildly more frustrated with even that tunic on Rhy’s chest. One hand slid around, to find each button and release it, his fingers dropping with each one.
--
Rhy was unbelievably attracted to Alucard; that part had never gone away, even when he’d wanted it to. It had thrown him off balance when Alucard had shown up for the first time in three years in the palace, when he hadn’t wanted to be affected, but still was. It had felt like a weakness, one that was being exploited. It didn’t bother Rhy anymore, even if he could not rule out the possibility that this still might end in a broken heart. Rhy trusted that it would not be the same kind of broken heart, at least, not the kind that made him feel as though it had been meaningless, as if he were so easy to leave behind, as if he had been a fool to believe anything else.
He loves me, he thought warmly, as he felt Alucard removing his clothes and then pulling him tightly back in again.
He didn’t remove Alucard’s coat entirely, but undid the fastenings so that it hung open. Then he slid his fingers under the hem of Alucard’s shirt, touching the heated skin of his hips and belly. He curled his fingers into the waistband of Alucard’s trousers and pulled him along as Rhy moved backwards, drawing him toward the bed.
--
They kept moving until they reached the bed, this one, like many at sea, without the bedposts Alucard was familiar with in the palace. They dropped into it, naturally. And he lost himself in Rhy’s touch, in being together. Everything else still mattered, it simply wasn’t in the forefront of his mind. No, that belonged to the way Rhy’s voice hitched when his kisses moved slowly down his neck, down his chest…
Alucard felt exhausted, afterward, in a good way, in that good way exerting himself did. All the better for it being with Rhy, rather than a magical duel. He wrapped his arms around Rhy, still holding him close, and slowly stroked his skin. Sensually, softly, but not to bring another bout of arousal. No, Alucard wanted to ease him to sleep.
For all his physical exhaustion, his mind felt too awake. But if Rhy could sleep, Alucard looked at his lover, smiling, he would lay there and simply be there.
--
As Rhy came down from the high, catching his breath, feeling his heartbeat slow, he became aware of emotions that weren’t his own: a mix of embarrassment, frustration, and anger. Rhy sighed, and did his best to ignore it. He wasn’t sure if it was because Kell had just felt the same thing he’d felt, or if something else was going on with his brother, but either way, he didn’t want to deal with it. He wanted to enjoy the feeling of being warm, alive in his body, and loved for the first time in a long time, which he rather felt Kell should let him enjoy.
He was too tired to do anything about it, anyway. He shifted to fit more comfortably against Alucard, and closed his eyes. He lifted a hand and brushed his fingers along Alucard’s jaw, and then through his hair.
“I apologize in advance,” he murmured, “If I wake you up with a nightmare.”
--
His breathing slowed, not toward sleep, but away from exertion. His mind sped up a little faster, and Alucard again looked at Rhy to reassure himself that Rhy was there. Seeing Kell hadn’t completely reassured him. Even though it had been days, not hours, for Kell in this place, Kell had gone missing. It had always been possible, whatever, everyone said, that travel between worlds simply worked differently, that Alucard had again, against his will, left Rhy behind. His preparations for Rhy’s arrival had been forceful optimism (and good practice, to be ready).
Rhy could scream Alucard’s ear off that night, and he would still be glad of it. “It’s okay if you do,” Alucard replied. It wouldn’t be the first time, and it was far from the last. His own weren’t as often, but Alucard could make no promises. “I’ll be here for you, if you have one.”
He sighed once. “Nothing against our lovemaking, but I may take some time to fall asleep,” Alucard shared in return. Not the pleasant staying up late with candles burning low reading. Nor the staying out late with company. Not even teaching Bard magic until late into the night. His own troubles, of which he’d said more to Rhy, now, than to anyone else.
--
Rhy was not insulted. He had been exhausted long before they’d gotten back into bed, and if he hadn’t been, he probably would not have fallen asleep easily as well. Nightmares were as much a deterrent to sleep as they were a disturber of it, but Rhy desperately needed the rest.
But he opened his eyes and looked up to meet Alucard’s gaze. Rhy knew that he was not the only one who had been through hell. Alucard had been beaten, shipped off, returned only to be banished, and then finally come back, only to watch his sister - the only member of his family he truly loved, probably - die of Osaron’s corruption, and nearly died of it himself. Not to mention that he had seen Rhy return to the dead, and then back to life, and experienced whatever other difficulties or horrors he’d had to endure during the quest to get the Inheritor, to save the country and win Rhy’s heart back.
“If it would help to tell me what’s on your mind,” he offered, “I can put off sleep for a few minutes more, at least.”
--
Alucard smiled. It was a kind offer, and telling Rhy what he thought, sharing what he wondered about, the intimacy of that was something he had lacked for a long time. On rare occasion, he or Bard stumbled into it. They had certainly grown closer since the Essen Tasch and shared more. But he never gave most people the chance to be there for him in his moods, when his thoughts turned dark. Alucard didn’t want them to see him as the terrified young man he had been. And he knew Rhy didn’t, no matter whether he heard or saw what happened to Alucard. It changed their relationship, yes, because it told Rhy Alucard hadn’t left him. Not because Alucard seemed any less.
His thumb traced the shape of a feather on Rhy’s back. “When I first arrived,” Alucard said, “when I asked them after you and Bard, after so many people” - but before he gave them Kell’s name - “I feared it had happened again. Not so much torture, but here I was, at sea, again, leaving you behind in London. No explanation. After I promised to stay, after you asked me to.” He had felt powerless about keeping his own word.
It had only been a few days, and Alucard had spent most of them as if Rhy were coming. But the nights, alone in this bed, even Esa unable to lift his sour moods, Alucard had wondered if he would ever get the chance to keep his word.
--
A little shiver went up Rhy’s spine as Alucard’s thumb traced over his back. It took all of his remaining mental power to focus on what Alucard was saying. And as he listened, his heart began to ache. He reminded himself to breathe and stay calm, not so much for his own sake or even Alucard’s, but for Kell, who would surely interpret the heartache in the wrong way. Rhy tangled his fingers more deeply in Alucard’s hair, and pressed his lips gently against his lover’s.
“I never noticed Kell leaving for weeks,” he murmured. “I’m sure I didn’t notice you leaving either.” He drew in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. “And given the way our lives have gone, it might have been too optimistic for either of us to expect you to be able to keep that promise, when there are so many ways for a person to disappear against their will. That you want to stay, that you will try to stay, whenever you have a choice, that’s all I can reasonably ask of you.”
He brushed his thumb against Alucard’s jaw again, and then traced the curve of his ear. “And I promise, should you ever disappear without explanation again, I will track you down and find out the reason instead of simply letting you go.”
--
Being pulled out of time, like one thread from a spell, seemed an apt comparison. But Alucard had no way to truly know that he hadn’t abandoned one Rhy, even as another was with him then and there. Kell and Rhy, both being here despite never having left their home meant he had to have faith in his case as well. That or be perpetually in some state of torment. Alucard trusted his mind to return to that painful point even if he generally, mostly, believed Rhy’s reassurance.
His eyes lifted to meet Rhy’s. He hadn’t expected Rhy to be so accepting of that, of that possibility, when he had only just learned the truth. And Alucard hadn’t held that against him. For a moment, that promise held him. Warm, more than he had considered possible. His dreaming had always tried to be reasonable, attainable. “Unless the explanation comes from me, unless you hear it from me, it’s not to be trusted,” Alucard said seriously. “I would not put it past Berras to try something. He doesn’t have father’s slippery aptitude, but it’s not worth underestimating him. Or anyone else for that matter.” He had made plenty of enemies at sea. And the crown came with its own pool of plotters. Alucard was strong, an excellent magician with a keen sense for trouble. But he had been caught unawares before. It could happen again.
“I will always come back to you, if ever I am forced to go.” Life hadn’t been able to stop him yet, and it had not been cooperating with Alucard. He would do what it took.
--
“I believe you,” Rhy answered. His voice was quiet and tired, but not because of the subject matter at hand. It was the only answer he had, the truest one. Kell probably hadn’t looked for Alucard properly because he had been angry at him, and Rhy had not particularly wanted any answers. He’d been hurt, and coped with it by telling himself that it didn’t matter. “If anything happens, I will find you, and also find the truth of whatever happened to you. And anyone who takes you away from me will be the ones facing charges, not you.”
Rhy had learned quite a lot about who he could trust and who he could not in the last few weeks. His initial instincts, both about Alucard and about Cora, had been correct. If he had only trusted that instinct with Alucard, instead of his own insecurities, things might have played out quite a lot differently. It was a mistake he didn’t intend to make again.
He did hope he was right that they were both still at home, and neither of them were missing, either for each other or for the kingdom. Because if Alucard was truly missing at home, then Rhy was too, and there were far more lives and hearts at stake in a country without its king. Especially when, Rhy realized, a country without him, Kell, or Alucard would likely fall into Berras’s hands, if it stayed in the hands of an Arnesian at all. That was an uncomfortable thought. But Kell, at least, had been there only moments before Rhy had been taken by the portal, and surely he would be able to hold the throne in Rhy’s absence. If he was actually gone.
--
Despite all Alucard had done to prove that point, those words released tension Alucard had not quite realized his body was holding. It had simply lived there so long that it felt natural. His eyes closed, and Alucard leaned his head down against Rhy’s. Compelling stories, no matter the lies, were hard to undo, to undermine, and to rewrite. His father had been one of the best crafters of stories and rigid about their contents. As though the Emery family was the same as it had been hundreds of years ago. It wasn’t, and with the best parts of it dead, Alucard was content to let it burn. Another royal family lost to history.
“They will not find it an easy task to accomplish,” Alucard commented. He had been good enough to compete in the Essen Tasch three years before. But what he had learned, outside of magic, in the intervening years had helped him become a champion. And to do more than huddle in the hall afterward. But in a world where antari had been tricked, defeated, and held captive, it was hubris to think he was too good for anything to happen at all.
“Thank you,” Alucard whispered softly. His mind had other topics to fall prey to. But Rhy had helped defeat one. “Sleep,” he encouraged.
--
“I should think not,” Rhy answered with a slight smile. He could feel some of the tension draining from Alucard’s body, and was grateful that he’d been able to do that much, at least. He lifted his chin and pressed a kiss to Alucard’s forehead. “My champion.”
He had already apologized for not asking earlier, for thinking he knew the answer, or else he might have done it again. But telling Alucard that he was believed and trusted seemed even more important.
No, Rhy was not worried that Alucard would leave him again. He had been right to believe that Alucard had loved him when they had been together before, and that had not changed in all their years apart - that was a testament to just how much he loved Rhy. If anything was going to come between them, Rhy suspected it would be his own duties to the kingdom, or there was always the possibility that they would eventually fall out of love, through no one’s fault. But Rhy loved him now, and trusted him, and they had gotten through this much. It did feel like there was a chance they really would make it, somehow.
He kissed Alucard again, this time on the mouth, and lingered over it for a moment before murmuring a quiet, “Goodnight,” against Alucard’s lips.
Then he pulled back, rested his head against Alucard’s shoulder, and closed his eyes. Within moments he could feel sleep starting to drag him under.