Drowning in snow

According to Magne, his cousin Tapio was one of the world´s difficult, most whiny, but also most beautiful and wonderful man who existed. He was tall and thin, skin as white as a lily, and his hair just a shade darker as the waves rested on the man's shoulders.

Yes, Tapio was a beautiful man and Magne knew Tapio's feelings for him were warm enough to be inappropriate; they were, after all, family.
Magne often wished he could feel as strongly for his beautiful cousin as Tapio felt for Magne.

He liked the thought of being the one who gave Tapio his happines, his cousin deserved to be happy.

Tapio was not a man who forced his own feelings onto someone else. Therefore had Tapio and Magne´s close friendship continued to flourish despite unresolved feelings.

Magne and Tapio were cousins on his mother side and did not share name, but despite the shared conviction to large parts life, along with Magne´s sister Lenore they shared a home, a beautiful mansion just a few minutes walk from the city walls.

The house was huge with 12 bedrooms and a number of halls of different types and sizes, stables and outhouses were well kept and had plenty of indoor accommodation in the form of horses, cows and chickens, and so of course the occasional cat.

Though Magne did not have warm feelings for his cousin, that did not mean that Magne was not interested in men, no Magne had to his despair never found interest in a woman.

Because if it was something that Magne wanted in life, it was children and a family.

It was not unusual or forbidden in this country to love someone of the same sex.
There were places where you could buy the service off having someone bear your child but Magne did not feel at all comfortable with the idea of having a strange woman bear his children for nearly a year.

So Magne mourned over the fact that his taste was that it was but had now, after years of agony finally learned the acceptance the fact.
Nothing to do about it.

It was a cloudy morning in late September and the weather was cold and damp.
Magne was standing in his bedroom to get dressed in front of a full body mirror with gold frame that must have been from his grandparents' time, but still in good condition.

He looked critically at himself in the mirror but decided that he looked good enough.

The black tunic that covered his wide shoulders and flat stomach reached down to mid thigh and held together at the waist by a beautifully dove-gray belt.
Beautiful needlework in gold thread, beads and stones decorated his neckline in simple but beautiful designs.

The pants he wore on his long legs were black and wide, and on his feet, he wore a new pair of sheepskin boots.
A leather strap tied his black straight hair back, his face was shaven, and the bronze-colored skin was clean.

Yes even with self-critical eye, he had to admit that he look good.
The door to his bedroom was slammed up with a bang and Tapio came in like a whirlwind, as white as Magne was black.

"Magne hurry up! Lenore and Brent are already ready and is waiting for us!"
"I will, I will, they will not die to wait a while."
Magne turned from the mirror and his eyes landed on Tapio who was wearing clothing similar to his, but in White, the only splash of color was the blue charm that hung around his neck.

"Ah, you look nice!" said Tapio with eyes sparkling with admiration, you look good enough to eat!" he said while he with swinging hips went up to Magne and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

"You do not look quite bad yourself” Magne said and gave him a chaste kiss on the forehead.
Tapio put his hand around Magne's arm and together they went out of the room and down the stairs to the lowest floor where Magnes sister was waiting with her fiancé Brent, a youth with small body but with heavy wallet.

Lenore was as dark as her brother but used to dress in brighter colors and had the day in honor put on a beautiful dress of straw-colored silk draped over her short form.

During happy greetings and small talk, they went out and walked with the aid of a footman into the coach that was standing just outside waiting for them.
With all on-site the carriage began to roll down the rose lined gravel path.
The roses had long since stoped blooming but not lost all leaves.

When they arrived at the gate and gatekeeper house they stopped the carriage to let the gatekeeper's two boys rush out to open the big iron gates for them and then went further out on the road and drove north to the southern city gate and in through town and out on the many narrow streets teemed with people, carts and horses.

Many stopped and stared at them when they went past, it was not one of ordinariness to see a covered carriage in this city.
Even though there were many rich people in this part of the country, there were not many who put money into something like that as most of them never went anywhere in the weather when a coverd carriage was needed.

After traveling for about 20 minutes the wagon turned into a quieter street and finally stopped with a jerk.
Tapio and Magne went out of the carriage, stood, and fixed there clothes while Brent helped Lenore to step down.

Magne looked up at the building they stopped outside, it was a relatively large house on three floors.
The facade was clean and looked freshly painted and the stairs that led up to the gate was clean and recently scrubbed.

It seemed that they were in a wealthier part of town.
"God, I wish this night could just be over, I do not see why it should be forced to come here once a week."muttered Tapio in Magne's ear, "I mean it's the same thing time after time!"

"It is good to make visits on a regular basis when it is your own family, she’s our aunt after all" said Magne in a low voice.
"Do not come here and try to convince me that you suddenly love to sit there, night after night and listen to her eternal whining about ailments and silly maids and everything else booring in life"

"No I cannot say I find it particularly entertaining, but what choice do we have?"
To that Tapio responded with a snort and along with Lenore and Brent they went up the stairs and went inside where a servant took their coats and led them into a hallway where another servant was waiting to see them into the hall where their aunt was waiting.

Aunt Julie was a stout woman who you rarely saw move, she would sit in her chair, which looked more like a throne, her hair was gray, just as her complexion and her eyes were cloudy, the years had not been kind to Aunt Julie.

To the right of the aunt sat as always her lady companion, the very young Hannah, a beautiful young woman almost as light as Tapio, but she never said much, mostly just sat there and smiled with a tender gentle smile.

What Magne had heard, was that Miss Hannah was a daughter of one of Aunt Julia's distant cousins.
They sat down on the chairs that stood strategically on display in the room but "Well" the honorable lady started and cast a harsh eye on each of her guests, "it was about time that you came here it was excessively long since last time! You'd be surprised how much my back has been hurting!"

When they two hours later was discharged, Magne was totally exhausted, he may not complain as much as Tapio but it did not mean he liked to wisit Aunt Julie.
You'd be surprised how much my back has hurt"

When they two hours later were discharged, Magne was very exhausted, he may not complain as much as Tapio but it did not mean that he liked to visit Aunt Julie. Magne thought that she needed to find a good bedmate so she became less bitter and inveterate.

Speaking of the matter it was just what Magne himself felt that he needed right now.
Magne was not a fan of one nightstands but he was not a fan of having to use his right hand too often either, so it happened that he sometimes looked up a beautiful boy to relieve the pressure.

Once you came to the less fortunate side of town, there were plenty of boys who would not turn down to get some money in exchange for a little heat at night.
Therefore, Magne decided that it was time to make a small excursion in the evening.

end chapter 1.