edited 2/9/11
The seemingly ancient buildings that surrounded the coach were everything but new to Aminri. From the faded white walls of Hacker’s Bakery to the nauseatingly bright red paints of the Manorston household, this was the countryside in which Aminri had been raised. To Zane, the settings were boring and seemingly endless as the coach grew closer to the train station. Every house and every field had the exact same southern feel to him. But Aminri knew differently, with the ability to name every person who lived in each house. They were drastically different from one another, all of whom were drastically different than his elitist family.
The wheels of the coach came to a halt at Zane’s request. “What are we doing?” Aminri asked, confused.
“We’re going to a café to eat breakfast. Come,” Zane commanded, gently pulling the boy out onto the cobbled streets.
He took Aminri’s fragile hand in his and led him to the small shop that sat only a few meters away. The building was relatively fresh looking in comparison to its dilapidated neighbors, with a muted green roof and bright advertisements in its windows. Aminri was slightly glad Zane had chosen this one; the owners of it at least didn’t
hate him. They were an odd, elderly couple, one of which had a painful looking bend in his back and the other whose face was fixated in a perpetual frown. Aminri remembered their pet dog quite well, having become well acquainted with it before it passed away some months ago. The lively brown canine had always greeted the boy with great energy whenever he passed by. “Is the food good here?” Zane said, releasing Aminri from his musings.
“Hm? Oh, I’m not sure…I’ve spoken with the owners before, but I’ve never been.”
“Oh. Well then, I suppose we’ll see.”
Zane identified the inside of the small café as cheap, but homely looking as the two entered. They ordered their food quickly and sat at a small round table in a corner of the room. When both had been served, Zane began his interrogation, sharp but gently, “What happened to you, Ari?”
The boy looked up from his eggs, surprised. “W-what?”
“What happened at the estate? What did your brother do to you?”
Aminri was taken back at the barrage of questions, making him even more uncomfortable under the curious eyes of the others in the café. Some of them knew him, and could only wonder what had happened to his face. And why he was with a strong, noble looking man. Aminri could hear them whispering to one another, only being able to catch a few words:
“Apparently the Earl…prostitute…what a shame…became a whore…not surprised.” “I…” Aminri started, his eyes downcast, “I don’t want to tell you--”
“Why not?” Zane quickly replied, nearly interrupting his fiancé.
“I just…I just…can’t…”
“Come now, tell me,” Zane pressed.
Aminri was convinced that at least one person was staring at them now. “Please, let’s not do this here, Zane…”
The man sat back in his chair, his expression stern, though he eventually relented. He knew it was foolish to try and get an answer out of this broken boy. And he knew he was being inconsiderate. “Finish your breakfast, then. You’ve barely eaten your food.”
Aminri nodded slightly and picked up his fork, picking distantly at his eggs. When he had finally finished, Zane stood and began to leave. Aminri followed shortly after him, struggling just a bit to stand. He tried his best to cover his face as he left, the others in the café turning their head to stare yet again.
The two reentered the coach in silence. Aminri apologized to the coachman for making him wait, while Zane said nothing and simply sat staring out the window. The wheels of the coach began to turn, their movement against the cobbled road clacking in unison to the quickening beat of the horses’ hooves. With his chin settled upon the cushion of the seat, Aminri watched the rest of his hometown leave him with anxious eyes. The advancing countryside seemed much more lonesome and fleeting to him, now.
~ * ~ * ~
When they reached their destination, the coachmen effortlessly aided in carrying their bags to their stop, to which Aminri gratefully thanked him for. There hadn’t been much to carry, with only Aminri’s two brown bags and Zane’s smaller one to carry around. And even so, Aminri’s bags had barely anything in them. Zane carried all three in one hand as he nodded the coachmen’s dismissal and laid the other on the small of Aminri’s back. Zane lead him through the monochrome-colored station to the stop, where only a few people stood waiting. The man situated himself on one of the nearby benches and tapped the seat next to him, coaxing the boy to join. The color scheme of his surroundings seemed oddly depressing to Aminri, who was used to far more exciting combinations. Instead, the walls of the station were a variety of gray and black. The boy took his seat beside his fiancé, noticing that more people who he knew were staring oddly at his injuries. Aminri tensed, scooting in closer to Zane. “U-uh…when’s the train coming?”
Zane shuffled through his pockets and retrieved his pocket watch. “We have 30 minutes.”
Aminri nodded his understanding and hung his head, his hands gripping his pants tightly. Zane, noticing his anxiety, put his arm around the boy and pulled him closer. “You’ll love it at the estate. I promise.”
He rubbed his thumb tenderly against Aminri’s shoulder. Again, the boy nodded, unconsciously leaning closer to the man. After everything that had happened, Aminri couldn’t help but take advantage of the man’s unexpected affection. The boy was well aware that those around them were staring at him with great intensity, now. But for a moment, he didn’t care. Not until a young woman dressed in black approached him, “Oh, Ari!
The boy sat immediately up, recognizing the voice. He turned towards Zane to cover his face, seeing Lily through the corner of his eye. “H-hi, Lily…long time no see.”
“Oh, it’s been so
long!” the young women bent over, the low cut dress revealing much more than both of the men would like, particularly Zane. “Come now, A, let me take a look at you—”
As the woman turned Aminri around she gasped, her gesture much exaggerated as she covered her gaping mouth with her hand. “What
happened to you?!”
Aminri stuttered, “O-oh…it’s nothing really…I…um…”
Lily looked expectantly at the boy, wondering what was bothering her old friend. “Well, perhaps your…ah…companion could provide an explanation?”
Aminri looked back at Zane, who was staring intently at the much revealing black dress the woman was wearing. Noticing the other two staring at him, Zane snapped out of his disturbed trance. “Hm? What?”
“Really Lily, it’s nothing,” Aminri began to explain, gently pulling Zane’s arm off of him. “I got in an accident. I feel fine, really.”
“An accident? Oh, you poor thing!”
Lily embraced him, pulling the boy away from Zane. The man simply stared at the woman, wondering what her relation to his fiancé could possibly be. And that she must have been cold in that dress. Behind her, a flood of people were beginning to enter the station. Lily stood up, placing her hands on her hips and looking sternly at the boy. “You should have told me, though!”
Aminri blinked, not knowing what she was talking about. “What?”
“About him!” Lily pointed at Zane, almost accusingly.
“I—oh. Well, he…I mean I…”
Lily strode towards the man and pinched his cheek, unaware of his social status. “He’s quite cute. Oh, how dare you! Reeling in such an attractive man before me!” Aminri sat speechless, simply watching as Lily examined his fiancé with such fearlessness. “I never did expect that you’d fancy men, though. Ha, and all this time I thought you had something for me when we were younger!”
Zane looked at Aminri, eyebrows raised with both amusement and wonder. Lily, spotting her friends at the other end of the station, dismissed herself by saying, “Oh, I have to go now. It was nice seeing you, A!”
The boy silently waved goodbye as he watched her disappear in the quickly growing crowd. After he was sure the woman was gone, Zane began to laugh. “What is it?” Aminri asked, nudging the man with his elbow.
“Nothing,” Zane chuckled, wrapping his arm around the boy’s waist.
He shuffled through his pocket and retrieved his pocket watch once more. “Oh, the train should be arriving soon,” he commented hopping up and lifting the three bags.
Aminri followed after him as he joined the group of people lined up in front of them. The large metal train arrived with a large sweeping noise, followed by the screeching of its breaks. The boy stood in amazement at the thing, his hazel eyes staring wondrously at it. He followed closely behind Zane, eager to see the inside of it as he laid a hand on the man’s back.
They entered their respective car and entered a small, private space, which had two benches sitting parallel to one another. Zane placed the three bags in a compartment above the seats, then sat down as he unbuttoned his jacket. “Go on, take a seat,” he advised Aminri.
The boy sat in the seat in front of the man, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings. “…have you ever been on a train before?” Zane asked.
Aminri looked at him, then shook his head. “I’ve never been out of town before, either.”
Zane smiled and leaned over, placing a hand on the boy’s thigh. “Then I suppose this will be quite a trip.”
Ari nodded, smiling back, as he grasped the man’s much larger hand. Ten minutes passed before the train set off once more, the wheels screeching as they slowly began to move forward upon the rusty tracks. Startled, the boy jumped and gripped onto the cushions of his seat. Zane chuckled at the sight as he watched as Ari crossed his arms and leaned against the window, feeling foolish at his ignorance. Deep inside he felt rather sad that he was leaving his hometown, after all he had spent his entire life in this small countryside, and he could only imagine what the city had in store for him. But of course, he was overwhelmingly happy at the same time. With the dreams of his new life to comfort him, the boy closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall asleep as he rocked back and forth in his seat on the unsteady train.
As Aminri slept, Zane couldn’t help but occasionally glance up at the boy’s peaceful face. With skin so soft that Zane was tempted to touch in that very moment, the man had pulled out a book to distract himself. While eyeing his fiancé’s unsightly injuries, Zane was certain that he’d have to call the doctor to examine him. The bruise that poked out from the collar of the boy’s shirt told him that there were many, many more than just the ones upon his face and arms. Zane sighed and flipped the sheet of paper to read, but stopped as his eye caught hold of a small note wedged in between the pages. Confused, the man lifted it and read in neat cursive, “
This book is boring. You should read another one.” “Clovis…going through my things again…” Zane murmured as he scrunched up the paper.
The man looked once again at the sleeping boy across from him, then relaxed his head against the back of the seat. Aminri was…quite a change from his old lover. The boy’s fragile and feminine features differed greatly from Clovis’ much more masculine, yet graceful ones. Well, he supposed that was what happened when one was raised in a loving regal family. The feelings for him were long gone, though, their relationship having only been a short lived spark born from their adolescence. Aminri woke then, softly groaning as he slowly regained consciousness. “Ohh, I almost forgot,” he muttered, standing.
“What is it?” Zane set his book face down.
The boy reached his arms up in an attempt to grasp one of the brown bags above. Because of its light weight, Aminri pulled one of the two down with ease and set it upon his seat. “What are you looking for, Ari?”
The boy let out a soft sigh of relief as he pulled out a tattered brown journal, along with a small pencil. He returned to his seat and opened it, quickly flipping through the book to find his place. Zane watched in wonder as his fiancé began to avidly write, the dull pencil moving back in forth in circular motions. “Ari?”
The boy didn’t answer him. He moved over to the other side and leaned over to read what the boy had written. Panicked, Aminri shut the journal closed and looked at him. “My, my, keeping secrets again, are we?” Zane chuckled. “What is this, a diary?”
Aminri set the book onto his lap. “Yes.”
“I suppose I’ll have to read it when we get home,” the man joked, though the boy held it farther from Zane.
Just as he had been when the train first started, Aminri was taken by surprise as he felt the train slow. Zane turned his head and looked out the window, seeing that Feresfeld station had replaced the ancient countryside. He was finally home.
~ * ~ * ~
Zane was amused by the amazement that filled Aminri’s eyes as they left the train station. White, rackety houses with rusty copper numbers had been replaced by richly colored, towering buildings of sturdy bricks and metals. Dark gray streetlamps lined the road, each one ornately decorated with curled and twisted metal strips. The quiet countryside seemed to be retreating from Aminri’s mind quickly as he was surrounded by the deafening bustle of traffic and people alike. “Zane,” the boy went eagerly to him, “Which one is your home?”
Zane laughed at the comment. “It’s none of these, I assure you. Come, I need to find someone.”
The man took Aminri by the arm and lead him through the ever growing crowd, turning his head in different directions in search of Will. “Lord Zane!” he heard a call come from behind.
The man looked back and saw the young man, distinguishable from his tousled brown hair. Will smiled at Zane, then turned to Aminri, only slightly grimacing at the boy’s injuries. “Good afternoon! You must be Aminri, Lord Zane’s husband.” The boy nodded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Will held out his hand. Aminri simply stared, hesitating before finally shaking it. “Will is the private coachman for my family,” Zane added. “He’ll be taking us home today.”
The boy nodded his understanding as he followed the two men down the busy street to where the coach had been parked. And when Aminri saw it, he knew just how different thing were going to be from then on. It was significantly different than the plain red one his father used frequently; an intricate design of gold and silver was plated over the base color of black. The build was visibly sturdier and much more expensive, with each detail leading up to even the handles. Will walked in front of them and opened the door, nodding at the two to enter. Zane climbed in, then turned and put out his hand. The boy, forcing a smile, took it and allowed the man to pull him inside. Aminri watched as Will first placed their bags into the back of the coach, then sat at the front. Whipping the reins, the three men set off down the cobbled streets of Feresfeld towards the Bennington estate.
~ * ~ * ~
Aminri was in further awe as the group of three pulled into the courtyard. Just as he had half-expected, the household of the Bennington family was significantly larger than the already massive one Aminri was used to. The mansion towered over the boy with a fearsome air, each detail in the walls of it telling a story that Aminri was more than curious about. The front walkway that glowed white was nearly begging boy to go running inside. As the coach became closer and closer, Aminri could see that the courtyard was beautiful, with a garden of various flowers bursting with color lining the front in square bundles. An ornate, modern fountain stood at the center of the glowing green grass, and witting on the edge of it the boy could faintly see what he believed to be a young woman reading a book. She looked up, and, recognizing the coach, she stood, flipping her straight black hair back with a swift sweep of her hand. Looking expectantly into the window, she waved her hand eagerly in the air, calling Zane’s name, though it was muffled by the walls of the coach. Zane appeared over Aminri’s shoulder and waved back. “Who is that?” Aminri asked, leaning back into Zane and pulling head back to look at the man.
“My sister, Lydia. She must be out here to welcome us home.”
The coach came to a stop before the towering estate. Will hopped off of the front and opened the door, bowing slightly as the two climbed out. As Lydia came rushing over to them, Aminri hid his face by turning his back to her, embarrassed. “Zane, you’re back,” Lydia ran over to her brother, clutching the hem of her expensive dress. “I suppose you’re…Ari? Is that right?”
Aminri continued to hide his face as he softly replied, “Y-yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lydia.”
The attractive woman flipped her hair back once again and bent over to take a good look at the boy. “No need to be shy, Ari.”
When the boy still didn’t move, Zane gently pulled his face up. “Come, show yourself to her.”
Reluctantly, Aminri looked up, pressing his lips nervously together as he watched the woman gasp and grasp his chin with a gentle, gloved hand. “What
happened?” “Sister, that’s no way to act. I’m sure Ari doesn’t appreciate such a reaction,” Zane sternly retorted.
The woman composed herself and smiled her apology. “It’s wonderful to be able to meet you.”
She held her thin hand out. Having learned the first time, Aminri grasped it and shook hands, smiling back at her. “I-it’s nice to meet you, too…”
“Oh, you must tell me all about yourself. How old are you?”
Her question was interrupted as she saw Howl come running up to the group, his shoulder length hair tied tightly in a tail behind his head. A wide smile was spread across his thin pink lips as two small dimples were pinched upon his cheeks. “Well, look what we have here,” he said as he approached them.
Howl took Aminri’s hand in a tight grip and fiercely shook it. “Good afternoon, Ari. I’m Howl, Zane’s cousin.”
Aminri stuttered, taken back by Howl’s energetic greeting. “H-Hello…”
The cousin chuckled and turned to Zane, sweeping his bangs back as he watched Will carry the bags out of the coach from over Zane’s shoulder. “Uncle said he wanted to speak to you in private when you two got back.”
Zane raised his eyebrows. “What does father want?”
“Not exactly sure. I suppose you’ll have to ask him yourself.”
The man glanced at his fiancé, then at the estate and sighed. “Right now?” he asked.
Howl nodded, much to Zane’s dismay. He wanted to introduce Aminri to the house as soon as he could. “I’ll be back soon, Ari. Take care of him, will you?”
“Of course, brother,” Lydia replied and took Aminri’s hand.
Zane turned on his heel and walked coolly to the mansion, shoving his hands in his pockets as he went. Howl cleared his throat and placed his hand on Aminri’s shoulder, a calming breeze sweeping through the air. The hair that the boy had covered his black eye with went blowing through the wind, his pale blonde tresses swaying in perfect unison. Thankfully, though Howl took much notice to it, he kept his reaction to himself and simply smiled. “So, where shall we start?” he said.
Aminri scratched his neck and looked away. “I’m…not sure. I suppose I could see where I’m staying, first?”
Howl and Lydia looked at each other, then smiled. With a slight motion from Lydia, they lead Aminri through to courtyard and into the main lobby. Howl pushed open the large double doors with ease and walked quickly inside, nodding at a nearby servant. When Aminri followed shortly behind him and saw the inside of the house, his eyes widened. He looked up in awe and disbelief at the large crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling above, then at the floor below. He looked with discouraged eyes at his reflection, but soon wondered just how much effort was put into cleaning the floors so well every day. “Ari,” Howl called, standing upon the bright red carpet that lined the marble staircase before the boy.
Aminri snapped out of his trance and quickly hurried to follow the man. Lydia softly laughed from behind him and followed as well. She found the boy oddly adorable, with his small body and meek demeanor.
Howl led Aminri through the lavish hall of the Bennington estate, occasionally having to keep the boy on track as they neared the room in which he would stay. “Here we are,” Lydia commented as she walked past the other men.
She opened the door to the room and stepped aside, allowing Aminri to go in first. As the boy entered, softly thanking her, he was taken by surprise at just how nice the place was. He had assumed that it would be average compared to the rest of the house, but much like everything else, it was lavish and highly decorated. The bed was covered in sheets embroidered in a floral pattern, followed by two large and soft pillows that sat along the bed post. The floor was a consistent black marble, just like the rest of what Aminri had seen of the house. Against the far wall sat an ebony desk along with a wardrobe, both carved in a similar fashion. Surprisingly, right next the door lay Aminri’s brown bags.
“Do you like it?” asked Howl.
The boy turned to the man, a wide smile on his face. “It’s lovely,” he replied.
“Glad to hear it.” Zane appeared behind Howl, taking the others by surprise.
Howl composed himself and scratched his head. “That was a fast meeting.”
“Ah, yes. Father was just wondering how my visit went. Of course, since it’s
him, nothing has changed about the arrangements of the marriage.”
Aminri was frightened about the discouraged tone in Zane’s voice and wondered if Zane didn’t like him as much as he was led to believe. Howl and Lydia both nodded their understanding and smiled back at Aminri. Zane watched the scene from the doorway and reasoned that it would be best if he didn’t tell Aminri that he had let the others know of his suspicions. “I’ll take care of things from here. Thank you.”
Howl and Lydia both said their goodbyes, for now, and left the two alone. Zane closed the door behind him and walked over to Aminri. “So, I suppose you enjoy your room?”
“Oh, yes, I love it. I’ve never stayed in one like it before.”
“That’s good. You’ll be staying in here for the next week, anyway.”
Aminri blinked. “Week? We…you don’t live here?”
“No, I live in another house not very far from here.”
“Why did we come here then?”
Zane sat down at the bed and loosened his tie. “To meet the rest of my family. Since the marriage has officially been set in stone, according my father, it’s only appropriate that you meet them while they’re all still in one place. They live in all sorts of places around the country, and since our marriage isn’t for a while, we should take advantage of the situation. Also, I’m not allowed to go home until everyone else has, no thanks to my damn uncle Lucian.”
Aminri scratched his neck and looked awkwardly down at the floor. He had to meet the rest of his family? So soon? His once joyous mood had officially been ruined. “Are they…um…”
“Old fashioned?” Zane grinned. “Some of them, but not so much that they’ll hate you automatically. If you act nice enough, you may even come to change their opinions. Just as long as they don’t see us do anything too…’close’ to their taste.” Zane stood and place his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “I’m sure things will go just fine.”
Even with Zane’s reassurances, Aminri was still quite uneasy. He wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers, a strand of his hair falling down upon his face. Zane eyed his clothes, then silently let out a
hm. “Did you bring those nice clothes?”
Aminri looked up. “Yes, there in one of my bags.”
Zane walked over to them and shuffled through, finally coming upon a pair of brown herringbone trousers and a white shirt with a large bow at the front. He handed the clothes to Aminri and watched as the boy slowly began to undress. Noticing the man’s watchful eyes, Aminri looked over his naked shoulder and softly said, pulling his shirt protectively back up his arms, “Could you look away, please?”
Zane simply looked at him for a moment, then nodded and turned around. He wondered what the boy was so afraid of; Zane had seen Aminri naked before, in fact he had seen even more of what he would see by watching the boy undress. Then the man wondered if the boy was trying to hide something… He turned back around. Indeed, he saw the heavy bruises that were embedded in Aminri’s skin. The boy looked up from unbuttoning his trousers, as if sensing Zane’s eyes on him, gasped in surprise. “Perhaps we should get some ice for you, later,” Zane commented, turning back around.
The man was surprised at how calm he was. He assumed that he just wasn’t surprised, having already been shocked enough at Aminri’s face. Aminri placed a fragile hand upon Zane’s back, signaling that he was done. The man turned around, surprised to see the boy wearing only the herringbone trousers. With his nicer shirt clutched in his hand, Aminri said, his voice soft, “What should I do about my face?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your relatives…I’m sure they won’t take how I look right now very well. What should I do?”
Zane scratched his head, having never thought of that. “I’m…sure they won’t care too much. Besides, there isn’t very much we can do to hide it. You’ll have to bear with it. Sorry.”
Aminri nodded and continued to get dressed. When he finally finished, Zane opened the door and left, the boy trailing close behind him.
~ * ~ * ~
Aminri plopped onto his bed, thoroughly exhausted and eager for sleep. Zane’s family had proved to be much better than he had thought, though many had given him odd looks the first time they saw him. One woman had even pressed quite far, having asked the simple question of what happened to having asked Zane how pretty the boy was when he wasn’t beaten to a pulp. The man had reacted angrily to the latter and had led the boy furiously away from his aunt. But overall, the rest of the family was quite pleasant and was more than curious about life in the countryside.
Zane entered Aminri’s room, having finished getting ready for bed. “You don’t intend on sleeping in those, do you?” the man asked.
“No, no… I’m too tired to get changed, though.”
“Oh, come now.” Zane moved to go through Aminri’s bags, but seeing that they were no longer there he stopped and realized that the maids had probably placed them in the wardrobe.
He went to it and slid open the first ebony drawer, immediately seeing Aminri’s nightshirt. Lifting it up, Zane thought that it was quite different than he remembered. It was dirty and tattered, with two buttons missing. The man shook his head and left after putting it back. “Where are you going?” Aminri asked, concerned.
Zane gave no answer as he went out of the door, shortly returning with a shirt of his own. He placed it on Aminri’s small chest as he continued to lay sprawled across the best. “What’s this?”
“One of my shirts.”
“For what?”
“For sleeping.”
Aminri stared at Zane for a long while. “What’s wrong with my nightshirt?”
“It’s dirty. And old. You shouldn’t be wearing those sort of things at all. We’ll go shopping together tomorrow to get you some new clothes, but for now, wear that.”
The boy sat up and looked down at the large, silk shirt that sat gingerly upon his fingers. “I can’t…”
“Why not?” Zane quickly retorted.
“It’s too nice. I’m afraid I’ll ruin it,” Aminri replied as he shook his head and placed it at the foot of the bed.
The man walked over to the bed and handed it back to the boy. “I don’t care, put it on. Besides, I never wear it.”
The boy was tempted to defy Zane’s orders, but his voice was firm and his gaze was strong. Sighing, Aminri relented and stood from the bed. Zane watched the thin form slowly strip and slip on the shirt from the corner of his eye. Aminri folded up his clothes and placed them inside the wardrobe, then got in bed. He lay on one side of the large mattress, waiting for the man to slip in beside him. He was disappointed, though, when Zane began to leave. “Where are you going? Aren’t you staying in here, with me?”
“I’m afraid not. It’s an old tradition that after a proposal, the couple doesn’t sleep together until the marriage. I know, we’ve already broken that rule once, but my family will be pleased if they find that we’re following the rules.”
He walked over to Aminri and tucked him in bed. Stroking his hair, Zane kissed Aminri’s forehead. “Good night, Ari. I’ll see you in the morning. If you need anything, I’ll be in the room right next to yours, on the left.”
Zane walked away from the bed and finally left the room, closing the door softly behind him. Aminri reached over to the lamp that sat upon the nightstand and turned it off, then snuggled comfortably into the pillows. He let out a soft sigh and relished in the quality of the mattress he laid on. Although he felt uneasy at having done no work that day, Aminri thought he could get quite used to this new lifestyle. And his new fiancé.
No days remained; the day had finally come.
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Thanks to spaz666 this chapter is now back to normal! Thank you!
