Goodbye Hello

Miriel had a slip in concentration, he was focused on getting his robe back that he forgot to control his facial features and ended up rolling his eyes as Marcus spoke to him condescendingly.

"Yes but she didn't have a suitable candidate to father the child before."

From what he had heard a man that could surpass Marcus' own father had been found inside the city and Cierra was hastily preparing to try for another heir and this time she would not make the mistake of dismissing the child if his fangs did not come in.

She was going to groom this one from the very beginning to replace Marcus as heir which would grant him rights over the armies of Nalithia and cast her eldest son aside.

"I don't care who she believes is a suitable candidate. She thought Rosalind's father was a suitable candidate."

That had ended disastrously.

Marcus still held it above his mothers head to this day.

The Vampire pulled open the large door to the barracks and strode in. He was purposeful in his steps, moving towards one particular room. The room that he would occupy while he was here. The grandest room.

When he opened it, he gave a teasing bow to Sigil. "Your room, good sir."

Sigil and Miriel followed behind Marcus, the smaller Elf attempting to cover himself as best he could as he avoided looking at any of the soldiers.

Sigil's brows furrowed as he glared at Marcus for a moment.
"Are you purposely trying to start rumors and get me stabbed?"

The Prince's chambers in the barracks, really?

He was definitely not going to be making any friends while serving in the army, not with all this preferential treatment.

"I'm setting you up for some good team-building exercises," Marcus replied easily.

Lots of people would think that Sigil was only there to warm Marcus' bed. This would give him a chance to prove himself. He would make enemies, yes. But he would also find some good friends in this situation.

Marcus was doing him a favour.

"Where's my kiss? I won't be back here for a few days."

He gave a deep sigh and relented, he would just have to deal with this and make it work, some how.

Transitioning from slave to soldier was never going to be easy, he knew that from the beginning.

"Don't forget to send the runt down with my stuff."

He reminded and he made a show of grabbing the Prince roughly and kissing him fiercely, let the others talk, he was sure he could put anyone who tried to give him trouble back in their place.

Marcus was more than happy with the rough show.

"My neck," he prompted, his voice muffled against Sigil's demanding lips.

He was going to be spending days without the comfort Sigil bought him. He wanted to feel his rough hand protecting and restricting him one more time.

His hand slid up Marcus' chest and wrapped firmly around his throat, he gave it a squeeze to push the air out of him but eased up to just holding him in the comforting way he was accustomed to.

Being in his bed at night was what he was going to miss most, still, if this life didn't turn out to be what he had envisioned he could always go back to being a slave, right?

He doubted that had happened before but that didn't mean it was impossible.

Marcus gave a long, slow moan when his throat was squeezed, pressing up against his Elf needily.

His Elf...

Sigil wasn't his Elf any more, was he?

He leaned into the gentle grip on his throat, eyes squeezing tightly shut as if to attempt to banish those thoughts before they ruined the moment.

Sigil could tell by the expression Marcus was wearing that he was already struggling with this decision.

He gave the man's throat another tight squeeze to distract him and bring him back to the moment.

When he pulled away from his lips reluctantly he pressed his mouth to Marcus' ear and muttered the only sweet words he permitted from exiting his mouth, at a volume that none would hear beside Marcus.

"I love you."

He was thankful for the second tight squeeze, his tense shoulders immediately relaxing.

His fingers curled desperately into Sigil's hair as he pushed forwards into the kiss.

Marcus exhaled a rough breath when the Elf whispered in his ear. He could count the number of times Sigil had said something sweet like this to him on one hand.

"I love you too," be breathed in the same deathly quiet voice.

Sigil gave a small smile, laced with the same sadness that it had done for the majority of the day.

Leaning down he pressed his forehead against Marcus', letting his eyes slide shut as he just enjoyed the feeling of the man being so close to him.

His thumb brushed lightly against that tender spot on Marcus' neck, below his ear, just in the curve of his shoulder.

"One day, I'll make you mine."

He whispered again, he had been Marcus' for a very long time, he wanted to have that same possession over the man and there was only one way he could have that, it was forbidden but he had never cared about the law. Sigil began reluctantly pulling away, he had to, if he didn't he knew he wouldn't let the Prince go. Though each sliver of space that opened up between their bodies made him feel a stronger sense of loss.

He shivered as Sigil stroked that sensitive spot on his neck.

"I hope that's a promise."

To be made Sigil's... It had been a situation he had thought about a few times in the past four hundred years. It was something that he would enjoy. Something to look forward to in the near future.

Marcus stayed perfectly still as Sigil began to pull away.

Oh, he hated this. So much.

"It is a promise."

He replied with a small smile, he would have Marcus in every way possible, that included taking him as his mate.

"You have to go."

He muttered as he took a hesitant step back, his smile wavering.

"If you don't I'll end up following you back to the castle."

His self restraint was weak at the moment, at best.

Marcus schooled his features into his usual calm mask when Sigil stepped back, attempting to hide the small amount of hurt he felt at the gesture. He couldn't keep Sigil so he couldn't allow himself to feel hurt at Sigil taking a step away from him.

"I'll send the boy with your belongings in the morning."

With a short nod as parting, he turned and stalked down the hallway, calling for the older Elf to follow him.

Sigil hid his own feelings of hurt as Marcus merely nodded and walked away.

He promptly shut himself into the Prince's chambers, he had enough to deal with today without seeing his new comrades, that would be a task for tomorrow instead.

Miriel followed after Marcus eagerly after Sigil had thrown him his robe, he didn't put it back on but instead held onto it as he quickly tried to get out of the barracks.

"I wish to bathe before we meet my mother," he informed his companion.

It had been a while since he had had access to a decent bath. He wanted to soak and enjoy the hot water swirling around him.

He was certain he had sweat, dirt and other nasties caked onto his pale skin.

A bath would do him good.

"We?"

He replied, a little confused, he hadn't thought he would be allowed to go with him, still, it might be a good chance for Cierra to take him back.

Why Marcus was telling him about his need to bathe was beyond him, he had never been permitted to see the Queen naked so the thought of helping with a bath wasn't imaginable with any of the royals.

One they reached the castle, Marcus led the two down the hallways to the large baths.

He stripped of his cloak as he entered the room.

Of course he expected the Elf to aid him. He'd always had some lucky servant help him bathe. Now he had his mothers favourite, he was going to have the boy do everything he knew his mother didnt have her pets do.

He held his arms apart sightly, staring at the boy expectantly.

"The sooner I bathe, the sooner I'll allow you to take care of the problem that I am certain is starting to feel painful now."

Miriel went to reply but stopped as he blushed darkly, Marcus had barely looked at him and he didn't know that the Prince had noticed.

It was starting to hurt, the oil the Queen had applied had worn away with all the walking.

Reaching up he started to undress the prince, unbuttoning his coat before pulling it from his body.

He took a deep breath to stop his hands from shaking before he undid the buttons of the man's shirt, exposing his body before pulling it from his shoulder, which required him to get on his tip toes.

Marcus barely showed interest as the Elf began undressing him.

He stood passively, shrugging his shoulders to aid in removing his jacket and shirt, but not doing much else to help.

His lips quirked upwards as the Ef stood on the tips of his toes.

Marcus wasn't an overly tall man. The ffact that Miriel had to stand on his tip toes amused him. Such a tiny boy.

Once his torso was bare he dutifully undid the ties on the front of his pants before unbuckling Marcus' boots and pulling them off along with his pants until the man was bare.

Everyone called Miriel a boy, he was older than people suspected, it was just his race of Elves, they were small and nimble, built for living in tree tops or tight space as opposed to wood elves like Sigil who spent most of their times on the ground or in large forests.

He had grown up in the mountains south of here, with his tribe of snow elves.

Marcus dipped his toes in the steaming hot water and gave a pleased groan as he stepped into the bath, submerging himself in the luxurious bath.

This was one thing he had missed on his three week mission.

He had hardly had the time to bathe.

It had been quite unpleasant for him.

"Fetch a cloth."

Mikiel placed the Prince's clothes on the table, along with his robe before grabbing the cloth and heading toward the bath.

His toes dipped into the water hesitantly, people here liked things so hot, it was something he had struggled getting use to.

Slowly he got into the bath and dampened the cloth before bringing it over to Marcus.

The Vampire leant against the hot stone, his body relaxing as the sore muscles were soaked in heat.

He reached up, untying the band in his hair and letting it fall around his muscular shoulders. His fringe brushed his eyebrows as he leaned back. Soon he would need his fringe cutting again so it didn't impede his sight.

His head tilted back, revealing the reddened skin of his throat.

The Elf sat in the hot water and watched Marcus for a moment, the man was more beautiful then he let show.

In this situation he easily surpassed his mother in Miriel's eyes, still, he wasn't going to let himself be drawn in, Vampire's had a nasty habit of doing that.

His gaze descended onto Marcus' red neck.

"Why did you let him choke you?"

He asked without thinking.