A Fairy Tale 1
I know I promised more of the Dragon Isles, but this one bit me and I ran with it. ^^; I blame this totally on watching too much Barbie Fairytopia, just so we're clear. :)
Kitty also had waayyy too much fun playing with the dollmaker. *grin* Who are these people? Read on, my friends, read on... ^.~
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A Fairy Tale
Soft, musical chimes went off somewhere near Rain's head and he grumbled as he yanked his pillow up over his head to block out the sound. He didn't want to get up; he wanted to stay in the warm, soft, too-comfortable bed and actually get more than a few hours sleep. It wouldn't happen, but it was nice to think about.
With a reluctant groan he shoved back the covers and slid out of bed, stopping to carefully tidy the sheets and bedspread until everything lay perfectly. That accomplished, he paced barefoot and nude into the bathing room, taking a quick shower and drying off with an offensively pink towel. That too was replaced exactly where he'd gotten it from, leaving no sign that it had even been used.
Next was hair. It mostly behaved itself, but it still needed to be brushed out and threaded with flowers, beads, and multi-colored ribbons after being teased into gently flowing waves. After that came makeup, subtle but necessary, and finally he could pace, still nude, into the closet.
Dozens of shimmering, sparkling, glittery confections of silk, taffeta, and gauze greeted him in a myriad of shining colors. Ignoring the elaborate gowns for the moment he fished a relatively plain corset from a hook and exhaled slowly before yanking it on and doing up the laces as tight as he could manage on his own. When it was done he felt he could barely breathe, but his waist was small enough to fit into the assembly of dresses hanging like a brilliant rainbow before him. He selected one at random, squirming into it and adding a few matching accessories before fetching a pair of slippers done to resemble vines climbing up his legs.
Finally, he returned to the bathing room and regarded his reflection in the wide mirror. White-blond hair with the faintest iridescent sheen, pouty lips, delicate features, silvery eyes and sparkling wings to match. He frowned, turning and striding back out into the bedroom, going immediately to a small table upon which sat two items.
One was a delicate crystal diadem set with jewels every color of the rainbow. The other was a matching scepter, glittering jewels wound around it, all of them put to shame by the shining, color-shifting gem at its heart.
He picked them both up, returning with them to the bathroom where he carefully set the tiara atop his head. Drawing in a slow breath, he raised the scepter and regarded his reflection. Both objects began to faintly glow in response to his request, their colors spreading slowly across him, drawing out the colors in his hair and turning his silver wings and eyes to a bright, sparkling rainbow instead.
Smiling sadly, Rain stepped back and inspected himself to make certain everything was as it should be. Even to his own carefully scrutinizing gaze, there was nothing about him to suggest that he was anyone other than who he appeared to be.
"Good morning, Queen Amaryllis," Rain greeted the mirror softly. He drew in as deep of a breath as his tightly corseted waist would allow, then turned and swept out past the bedroom and into the sitting room. Waiting for him on a small opalescent table was a handful of fruits, biscuits, and cold tea. Exactly where he'd left it the night before.
For a moment he wondered what it would be like to actually have a warm breakfast, but the thought was an idle one. He didn't have time to prepare warm meals. Hadn't for the last ten years.
Rain grimaced as he washed down one of the biscuits with a gulp of tea. There was no use fretting about what he didn't have. He'd made his choice and that was all there was to it. Tia-na-Niara, the Faerie Lands, needed him. Her people needed him. That was all that mattered.
Overhead, more chimes sounded. To his jaundiced ear, they sounded insistent, scolding. Once, he'd found them pleasant. A long, long time ago.
Taking one last sip of tea, he stood and crossed the sitting room, scepter in hand. From this moment until sunset, Rain did not exist. There was only Faerie Queen Amaryllis.
With one more deep (or as deep as the corset would allow) breath, he pushed open the doors and stepped out into the hallway. It was as lovely as everything else in the royal palace, beautiful and breathtaking. Crystal and gemstones everywhere, accented with shining silver and white gold. A sparkling jewel that served as both beacon and symbol for everyone in Tia-na-Niara.
He stopped, casting a critical eye over the faintly shimmering floor and making a note to come back later that evening once he'd changed back to Rain. There were dull spots that needed polishing and his practiced eye could see some dust gathering in the corners. Entirely unacceptable, if he'd been doing his job properly. But of course he hadn't. There wasn't enough time to clean properly and pretend to be the Faerie Queen. It was all he could manage just to keep the public areas of the royal palace looking spotless.
There were many days he sorely wished he could bring in someone else to help, but then he would have to deal with the questions of why Rain couldn't handle the task alone. Or worse, where he disappeared to during the daytime. Questions he couldn't answer, for the sake of the people. They would panic, to know that their beloved Queen was missing - had been missing, for ten long years.
But no one had to know that anything was wrong. Not as long as Rain continued his masquerade until Queen Amaryllis finally returned from wherever it was she'd gone. And she would return. She had to. He was sure of it.
It was all he had left to hold onto. One tiny belief that meant everything.
He owed everything to Amaryllis. She'd taken him in, given him a place and a purpose. In return, he would do everything in his power to keep her land and her people safe until she returned to resume her crown. It was the least he could do, for Amaryllis, and for Tia-na-Niara.
Shoulders set, head held high, he swept out of the private halls of the palace and out into the Audience Hall. As always, he wasn't certain whether to be impressed or horrified by the throne, with all of its sparkling rainbows of gemstones twining all around it. It fit with the theme, a visible representation of the Faerie Queen's power, but it was still a bit... much.
Not his call to make, however.
Settling himself carefully, taking careful, shallow breaths to make sure he could still breathe properly while sitting, Rain raised the crystal scepter and pointed it toward the shimmery double-doors at the far end of the room. A moment later they swung open, to admit those inhabitants of the Faerie Lands seeking an audience with the Queen.
As the first of the supplicants approached him, a young man who'd been cursed in a rather spectacular fashion, he surreptitiously felt to make sure Amaryllis's crown was still in place. It and the scepter he held so tightly it turned his knuckles white were the only reasons he could pull off this deception at all. Within them flowed the power of the Faerie Queen. By their power he could protect and aid the people of Tia-na-Niara.
Concentrating hard, he let his eyes fall closed to better feel the power flowing all around him. Wild, mostly untamed. A riot of color and feeling and magic that defied description, it was completely unlike his own insignificant water magic. He sometimes wondered if his parents' magic had felt anything like this. They'd been weather faeries, he remembered that much. Wild and free. He wondered if they'd ever been disappointed in their son's minimal skill with magic.
Something he would fret about in his own time. For now, he had a duty to perform. He shaped and guided the Queen's power until it knew what it was supposed to do, wrapping around the cursed fairy and drawing away the dark magic, feeding it back in to itself and cleansing it until it was only a harmless wisp of power. The young man shuddered in relief, turning tear-bright eyes up to Rain, professing his thanks almost in desperation.
This was the part he'd never get used to. He was only doing what was right; there was no need for thanks, for gifts, for anything. It embarrassed him horribly when they pledged their undying gratitude or offered him things he had no need for. Though if any of them thought to offer such a base thing as hot, buttered bread he very well might cave.
"No thanks are needed," Rain managed to get in around the man's speech. "If you truly wish to repay me, then do a good deed to another who needs it. That is all I ask."
It was the same request he made every time, and the same awed, worshipful look he got in return. Really, what was so strange about wanting everyone to help one another? Better that than another pointless necklace or elegant rug that he'd just have to keep clean.
The rest of the morning went much the same, difficult problems that the Color Guard hadn't been able to handle and so the fairy in question had made the journey to the palace to reach the one person with the strength to help them. The day had shifted on, the angle of sunlight shining down indicating that it was now early afternoon, when suddenly the doors were thrown open and a tall, impressive figure strode swiftly in.
Rain managed to keep from reacting, though only barely, and he subtly shifted the folds of his elaborate gown to hide the inevitable reaction. It would be the height of foolishness if his elaborate masquerade was undone simply because he couldn't keep from acquiring a hard-on every time Hyacinth was in the room.
One of the seven Color Guard, the Guardian of Blue, Hyacinth was one of the strongest faeries in the kingdom aside from the Faerie Queen. He was tall, breathtakingly handsome, with vivid blue hair done up in a series of braids that never seemed to be quite the same style each time Rain saw him. His eyes were a darker blue, like the sapphires embedded in the Queen's throne, and his snug tunic and breeches did absolutely nothing to hide the perfectly sculpted body beneath. He was completely and utterly gorgeous.
And totally out of Rain's league.
Petitioners scrambled out of his way as Hyacinth strode up to the base of the dais and knelt, making the fabric of his tunic stretch across the broad planes of his back. Rain silently chided himself for admiring the sleek figure, reminding himself that Queen Amaryllis would not be staring at Hyacinth's sculpted thighs and toned arms and wondering what they'd look like without clothing in the way.
"My Queen."
Rain yanked his attention away from Hyacinth's lips and managed a slight nod. "Hyacinth."
Belatedly he noticed how tense the man looked, how utterly unlike his usual easy cheer. Something was very wrong, then, to cause this kind of reaction in the easygoing Guardian.
"What's wrong?"
Hyacinth drew in a slow breath. "Kobolds, my Queen. In the Spring Meadows."
There was a collective gasp from the listening faeries, and Rain could feel the blood drain from his face. Kobolds were dangerous indeed, especially when they attacked in numbers. "How many?" he heard himself ask.
"I would hazard nearly a hundred, my Queen," Hyacinth replied. "Worse, they have a poison wyrm with them."
The resulting din was nearly deafening. Rain winced and stood, cutting off the chatter as all eyes turned toward him, everyone holding their breaths as they waited to see what he'd do. Or more accurately, what the Faerie Queen would do.
Rain stepped off the dais, gesturing for Hyacinth to rise. The man obeyed, putting him over half a head taller than Rain in a way that should have made him feel small and insignificant and yet all it did was make him want to lean in against that broad chest and see if Hyacinth smelled and tasted as good as he looked. It was a measure of how badly infatuated Rain was that he could still be thinking such things after being given such terrible news.
"Very well," he said softly, carefully looking away from Hyacinth to avoid further distraction. "I'm afraid I will have to cancel audiences for the rest of the day to deal with this difficulty." He smiled, touched and grateful when there were immediate reassurances from the waiting petitioners that they wouldn't mind waiting another day at all. There was something very significant that had drawn each and every one of them here, to the palace, something that only the Queen could fix, and still they would step aside for the sake of others.
He was vaguely aware of Hyacinth falling into place a half step behind him as they made their way out of the Audience Hall, through the Foyer to the Courtyard where Rain spread his wings and lifted off into the sky. It felt good to fly. He didn't get all that much opportunity, as crises that took him away from the palace were (fortunately) rare. But he was still a fairy, and the sky and the wind still called to him, laughing, teasing, asking why he didn't come to play more often as they wrapped around him, flowing past his wings and through his hair.
Hyacinth was still behind him, just far enough back that Rain couldn't quite see him. Which was probably all for the better, but it wasn't a short flight to the Spring Meadows and he didn't get to see Hyacinth all that often as the man was normally occupied tending his section of the Faerie Lands and, really, he'd take any excuse he could get to spend time in the man's presence. The only trick was, what sort of conversation would Queen Amaryllis have in a situation like this?
With every passing day Rain was finding it harder and harder to remember exactly how she'd behaved. He was terrified that one day he'd slip up and do something entirely out of character (worse than getting the inevitable erection in Hyacinth's presence - thank goodness for flowing, layered dresses) and reveal himself. So far, no one seemed to have noticed, but...
"When did you first notice the kobolds?" Rain asked.
Hyacinth's voice carried forward just ahead of the man himself as he came up to fly evenly with Rain. "Late yesterday, but I was in the middle of another problem that I couldn't leave. By the time I managed to confront them they'd spread throughout the meadow too far for my power to have much effect. When the wyrm began spitting poison at me, I decided to seek aid."
Not an unwise decision. Poison in any form was dangerous to faeries, and that carried by poison wyrms was amongst the most potent. Just thinking about it made Rain want to shiver, though he knew he was safe enough. The Queen's crown would protect him.
It was late afternoon before they reached the Spring Meadows, the sun beginning to paint the sky a brilliant orange and vermilion. The once-bright riot of green grass and multi-hued flowers was dark, faded, dying. Death hung so heavily in the air that Rain could feel it even with the protective power of the Faerie Queen's crown. Beside him, Hyacinth gagged and flitted back, away from the meadows to a place less saturated with the stench. Rain flew on alone, slowly circling the destroyed area to get a good feel for what he would have to do.
The damage was extensive. From his vantage point high overhead he could see the dark figures moving about, spreading the sickness, their grating chatter only a faint din given the distance. Once, he would have fled in terror from what he saw now just as any other fairy would, but that was before he'd had to take up the role of the Faerie Queen. A lot of things in Rain's life had changed that day.
Power sparked up his arm from the scepter as matching power flowed down from the crown. He gathered it, focused it, detailing out in his mind exactly what would have to happen. It would need to be quick, to prevent the dark magic from having any time to re-infiltrate the tainted areas. First, to return the kobolds and their pet to the shadow lands from whence they'd come. So many, and over such a distance. It took his breath out of him to do it, but it worked.
He took a moment to steady himself once they were gone, wishing the damnable corset would let him breathe. Hovering, he drew in slow, even breaths until he didn't feel quite so dizzy, then let the power build again. Life magic, this time, to restore what had been destroyed. He let it spread slowly from a central point, working outward to where the edges had only just begun to brown, gradually turning it green again. As he watched, tiny points of color began springing up as flowers poked their heads out of the new greenery.
It was enough. It would heal. His role was finished, and he could return home to the palace. But his wings felt like lead and the horizon seemed to spin and swirl around him. He felt completely drained, though it was the Queen's crown and scepter that had done all the work. He'd only directed and shaped the power - though that also took magic. Apparently the shaping had used up what little magic he possessed. It had happened before.
Though not usually so far from home and his bed. His head swayed and he sank in the air, dimly aware of the ground getting closer, then abruptly his slow fall was stopped by something very sturdy encircling his waist.
Rain blinked, looking down at the blue-clad arm holding him steady, then turned to look over his shoulder at Hyacinth. Oh. Hyacinth had caught him. He was pressed up close against that chest he was so fond of drooling over. And didn't it just figure that he was far too tired to do anything about it.
"Hyacinth..."
Hyacinth frowned in concern, his grip strengthening just the slightest amount. "My Queen... are you all right?"
Oh, that's right. He was still Amaryllis. He couldn't drool over Hyacinth no matter how close the man was and how good he smelled and that was a scent Rain doubted he'd ever be able to get out of his head. Or body. He had a hard-on again. Hopefully the skirt of his dress was still concealing it properly. He couldn't see around Hyacinth's arm to check.
"Fine, I think. Just a little tired. I'll be fine..." Would it be entirely out of character to bat Hyacinth away? Probably, but if he stayed this close he was absolutely certain he was going to do something he'd regret, like lean a little closer to that warm, muscular chest and try to taste that arching neck that rose up from the collar of Hyacinth's clothes.
"You don't look very good," Hyacinth observed doubtfully. "I can take you to my manor and let you regain your strength before heading back to the palace in the morning..."
Rain started silently. Morning? Spend the night in Hyacinth's house? Where Hyacinth changed clothes and bathed and slept? Bad idea. Very bad idea. Besides that, he refused to sleep in the dratted corset.
"No, thank you, but I need to get back in case I am needed," Rain managed to protest, drawing on energy reserves he was fairly certain he didn't have and pushing away from the all too warm and comfortable embrace. Hyacinth let him go, though he still looked worried as Rain turned to face him fully. "I thank you for your concern, Hyacinth. It is appreciated. But I will be fine."
Hyacinth's sapphire eyes narrowed slightly, then he nodded. "I will escort you home."
Oh Light, that wasn't much better. But it was a lot harder to refuse, especially as Rain really wasn't all that certain of his own ability to fly straight. He nodded finally, turning toward home, well aware that he was flying far more slowly than he was capable of. Or perhaps he was flying exactly as fast as he was currently capable of.
It really was too bad that he was too exhausted to really appreciate the trip back with Hyacinth hovering so very near, just close enough that if Rain stretched out an arm he could probably touch. On second thought, maybe it was good, given that his self control seemed to have gotten washed away with his energy. Dealing with Hyacinth took every ounce of willpower he possessed on a good day. On a day like today?
It was with a sense of abject relief that the royal palace finally came into view, though it also meant Hyacinth would leave him now, and he was having considerable difficulty remembering why that was a good thing.
They landed just inside the grand Foyer doors, and Rain was quite pleased to note that he didn't stumble (much) as his slippers touched the floor. He turned and smiled at Hyacinth as the blue-haired fairy landed, striving for 'polite and grateful' rather than 'I want to strip you naked and lick every inch of your body'.
"I trust you are reassured that I have made it home intact?" he asked, wondering even as he said the words whether he should have taken the opportunity to 'accidentally' fall a few times on the way home and make Hyacinth catch him.
Hyacinth smiled. "Yes, my Queen. I wish you the most pleasant of dreams, and hope that you are much refreshed on the morrow."
Rain didn't quite manage to stifle a grimace. It was already late, well into the hours when he would normally have been cleaning, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep for a week. Preferably with Hyacinth, but that was a very bad thought and he stifled it as quickly as it formed.
"Perhaps I will take the day off tomorrow to rest," he mused aloud, thinking how wonderful it would be to spend an entire day in bed. Not that he would, but it was still a nice thought.
"I think that would be a very good idea, my Queen," Hyacinth replied, a small smile touching his lips in a way that did entirely bad things to Rain's cock, regardless of how tired the rest of him was.
"Then I shall take tomorrow off," Rain decided. It would give him the opportunity to catch up on much of the cleaning that he'd fallen behind in, and if he worked hard enough he might actually have enough time to make himself a hot meal. The thought was almost enough to make him drool.
Hyacinth smiled again, and Rain was extremely glad for the dark as he doubted even his flowing dress could entirely hide his aroused state. "Then I bid you good eve, my Queen, and a restful day off." He bowed and turned, spreading his wings and lifting off into the sky. Rain watched for a moment, admiring the curves of the man's ass as he flew, then turned and walked, somewhat awkwardly, back through the silent hallways to the Queen's suite.
Once securely hidden away behind closed doors he stripped out of all the finery, hanging it up properly though he did give in to the impulse to kick the horrible corset across the room. Evil thing. Necessary, but evil.
For a moment he debated dressing again and at least getting a little work done tonight, then dismissed the idea as he slid into the soft, luxurious sheets of the Queen's bed. He had all day tomorrow to work. It would keep. And he really was very, very tired.
With a soft sigh, Rain snuggled up to a pillow and exhaled slowly, picturing in his mind a certain pair of blue eyes and a beautiful smile, remembering warm arms and a delightful scent. He had the feeling he was going to have extremely pleasant dreams that night.
On his hands and knees in the middle of the Foyer, Rain scrubbed fiercely at a particularly offensive spot. Given that practically everyone in the Faerie Lands flew wherever they went, it was amazing how much dirt their feet could track into the palace. It was definitely a good thing that he'd taken the day off from impersonating Queen Amaryllis, given the sorry state of the Foyer and Courtyard.
Not for the first time he wished his small gift of water magic wasn't quite so small. It would have been nice to have a little extra help with the cleaning. As it was, it would probably take him all day to finish. So much for the dream of a hot meal. He really ought to know better by now.
Redoubling his efforts, he finally got the dark spot to go away, leaving only shimmering crystal in its place. That was more like it. He sat up a bit, brushing back the few strands of hair that had escaped from his long braid as he contemplated his triumph.
"Admiring your handiwork?" a cheerful, musical voice asked, and Rain's head snapped up to stare. He hadn't heard anyone arrive... oh. Oh dear.
Hyacinth smiled that warm, dazzling smile of his as he sauntered across the Foyer in that easy, confident pace of his that always made Rain's brain promptly think of sex. Then again, everything involving Hyacinth made Rain think of sex.
"Um..." He looked up at the tall, handsome fairy, cursing the blush he could feel spreading across his face. It was so much easier to deal with his pathetic infatuation when he was pretending to be Amaryllis. For one thing, Amaryllis's dresses hid his crotch. His servants' clothing wasn't nearly so accommodating.
"I'd say it's clean," Hyacinth observed, crouching down in front of the spot Rain had been working on and casting a critical eye over it. Rain promptly stifled a moan, jerking his eyes away from the man's very prominently displayed crotch. Why, oh why, did Hyacinth have to crouch like that?
"Yes, it is. I just spent the last ten minutes making it that way," Rain retorted, resisting the urge to sigh as his mouth ran away without his brain's permission. Honestly, this never happened when he was Amaryllis.
Fortunately Hyacinth seemed amused rather than offended, and he looked around thoughtfully at the part of the floor Rain hadn't gotten to yet. Spotting another particularly bad spot, he snagged one of Rain's spare scrub brushes, dipped it in the bucket of soapy water, and began scrubbing.
Rain did his best not to stare at the man's ass. "Lord Hyacinth..."
"Just Hyacinth."
Rain sighed. "Hyacinth, you're not a servant. You shouldn't be scrubbing floors. It's beneath your station."
That blue head came up to blink at him. "We already had that argument. I won. It doesn't make sense to repeat the same argument every time I see you."
Resisting the urge to tell Hyacinth he'd only won because it was taking all of Rain's concentration to avoid jumping the man, Rain picked another dirty spot and began scrubbing out all his frustrations on the floor. Sneaking the occasional peek at how Hyacinth's muscles rippled ever so splendidly as the man cleaned, of course.
For all that he complained that Hyacinth shouldn't be doing such menial tasks, the man was certainly a hard worker. In far less time than Rain had originally allotted they were finished and the Foyer practically gleamed. Now all he had left to do was clean up the courtyard and the palace would actually look respectable again.
"So..." Hyacinth was eyeing him in a way that Rain had learned years ago boded no good. "The Foyer is sparkling clean, you're ahead of schedule because of my help, and you missed lunch an hour ago." He smiled in that manner of his that went straight to Rain's groin. "So, why don't I treat you to a meal, hmm?"
"I have work to do..." Rain protested feebly, fully aware that Hyacinth wouldn't let him get away with it and that he did 'owe' the man for the help. Even if that help hadn't been requested in the slightest.
"You're ahead of schedule and you can pick up where you left off when we get back," Hyacinth refuted cheerfully, snagging Rain's arm and tugging him away from his scrubbing brushes and weak protests. They both knew he'd eventually give in, and about a year ago Hyacinth had taken to forgoing the 'protest' stage entirely by simply dragging Rain along to wherever Hyacinth wanted him.
Almost four years it had been going on, this strange thing they had. The very first time Rain had been mortified, certain that Hyacinth had somehow noticed his watching, but the Guardian had only appeared to want to talk, asking all sorts of questions about Rain's life in the palace. At first it had only been talking, Hyacinth showing up whenever he was in the area and holding (often one-sided) conversations while Rain worked. Two and a half years ago the 'helping' thing had begun, and no amount of protests had ever worked. Hyacinth was very good at getting his way.
And today, getting his way meant hauling Rain off to a small cafe on the outskirts of the city. It wasn't one he'd ever been to before, but that wasn't surprising. There were a lot of places Rain had never been. He just didn't have the time to go anywhere.
"Whatever you like," Hyacinth announced, sitting Rain down in a little wrought-iron chair and taking the seat opposite him. "My treat."
Rain stared at him for a moment, wondering as always what went on in that head of his, then finally smiled faintly and looked up at where the little cafe had their menu hung. It all sounded delicious; he had no idea what to get. He finally settled on cheese eggs, a sweet roll, and rose tea. All hot. Hot! Just the steam from the tea alone made him want to melt in pleasure. There had only been a handful of times that Hyacinth had dragged him somewhere for food, but every single one was ingrained in his memory. He got almost as much pleasure out of the warm meal as he did from Hyacinth's gorgeous, distracting presence.
"I have never seen someone get such enjoyment out of a pastry before," Hyacinth commented in amusement as he watched Rain bite into his roll. "You look almost like you're in the throes of pleasure."
A hot blush spread across Rain's cheeks and he swiftly hid it behind his teacup, drawing a laugh from Hyacinth. It was bad to think about pleasure when he was sitting not three feet from his long-time obsession. At least the bulk of the table would hide his reaction until it went away.
"I just don-" Rain cut himself off abruptly. He'd gotten hot meals when he was just a servant and nothing more. It was only after he'd had to be two persons that things had changed. "It's good," he managed lamely.
Hyacinth grinned. "So I should just bring you pastries and maybe you won't try to take my head off?" he asked. "Good to know."
"As long as they're still hot," Rain muttered, biting into the flakey pastry. It was still delicious.
"Hot pastries. Got it." Hyacinth finished off his meal with far less care for the food than on watching Rain, which made Rain want to squirm. Hyacinth was far too nice to be doing it all as a game, but there was just no way that one of the eight most important faeries in the land would be interested in a lowly servant. Even if that servant did work in the royal palace. It made no sense.
Not that Hyacinth ever made sense. Of all seven Color Guardians, only Apricot came anywhere close to being as openly cheerful and easygoing as Hyacinth, and she drove Rain crazy with her mothering ways. Logically Hyacinth should drive him crazy as well, and he did, just not in the same way. Hyacinth simply drove him crazy with suppressed lust and vividly impure thoughts.
Like now, for instance, where he was licking his spoon clean with almost a single-minded air. Rain managed to quash a whimper, but only barely, and he was completely unable to take his eyes off that pink tongue as it diligently cleaned honeyed yogurt off the silver spoon. His pants were far too tight.
"You are the most dedicated fairy in all of Tia-na-Niara," Hyacinth announced when the spoon was finally clean. "I somehow doubt there will ever come a day when you don't object strenuously to being dragged away from your duties, am I right?"
Rain forced a smile, wishing he could tell the handsome fairy that when the day came that Queen Amaryllis returned to take up her crown and throne again, Hyacinth would be free to steal him away all he wanted. If he wanted. If he still saw something worthwhile in a mere servant boy whose sole point of interest was that he'd been hand picked by the Queen to be her one and only palace servant.
"I have a lot to do," he demurred instead, looking down at his tea. "There's only one of me, and the whole palace to keep up. It's a full-time job."
"Hmm..." Hyacinth's voice was as beautiful as the rest of him, in Rain's admittedly biased opinion. "I wonder why the Queen doesn't use magic to keep things up. It wouldn't take much..."
Rain jerked his head up, eyes going wide. "Oh, no, she couldn't," he protested. "A little bit of magic for such a selfish purpose is that much less she has available for the people who truly need it. I don't mind the cleaning at all, I really don't! Better that I do it and she saves her strength to help the people who really need the Queen's power."
When he'd finished with his outburst, Hyacinth merely sat there and contemplated him for a long moment. Rain wanted to crawl under the table and hide to get away from that gaze, absolutely certain that he'd just given himself away. Surely a mere, ordinary servant wouldn't presume to know the Queen's thoughts. Hyacinth would find out, and then he'd be in trouble, or worse, everyone would find out, and people would panic, and-
"You really are the most fascinating fairy," Hyacinth said slowly, a slight smile tugging up the corners of his mouth as he regarded Rain. "You really believe what you said... you have faith in so many things. How can such a small fairy have such powerful ideals all bottled up inside him? Don't they overwhelm you?"
Rain flushed and looked down at his lap. Oh yes, his beliefs gave him nothing but trouble, that was for sure, but he couldn't really help it. Asking him not to care would be like asking him not to breathe. It just wasn't possible. Though no one had ever put it into words before. No one had ever noticed, really. Until Hyacinth.
"Sometimes," Rain admitted softly, still not looking up. "But I manage. I wouldn't change me even if I could."
Hyacinth laughed. "I wouldn't change you either," he said cheerfully. "Even if you do throw scrub brushes at my head."
Rain flushed hotter. "That was an accident!" he protested, making Hyacinth grin broader.
"Of course it was. And so was the bucket, and the wash water, and-"
"You deserved that one," Rain muttered.
Laughing again, Hyacinth shook his head in amusement, agreeing cheerfully, "Probably."
The faint sound of chimes sounded in the distance and Rain shot up, swiveling his head to stare in the direction of the palace. "Oh! The time... I need to go..." Those were the supper chimes, which meant he'd stayed out with Hyacinth longer than he'd meant to, and he still had so very much left to do, and then he had to make breakfast for tomorrow, and-
"I'll fly you home," Hyacinth said, standing as well and holding his hand out to Rain, who stared at it uncomprehendingly for a moment before slowly accepting.
Hyacinth's hand was warm, and Rain was reminded sharply of the feeling of being held in warm arms, safe and secure, and he knew he had to be crimson-faced. Hyacinth didn't comment on it, however, simply spread his wings and took off, leaving Rain no choice but to follow. Letting go certainly wasn't an option. He didn't ever want to let go.
The day was fading into twilight when they set down on the veranda above the wide crystal steps of the courtyard. Hyacinth still didn't release his hand and Rain found that, despite his need to get back to work, he didn't really want to let go either. These rare times were the dreams that kept him whole, gave him the strength to do what he had to every day. Surely he could begrudge himself just a little bit longer to pretend.
"There you go, safe and sound," Hyacinth announced, though his customary smile slipped a bit as he looked down at Rain. "I'm sorry I made you late. If you want I can apologize to Queen Amaryllis and explain..."
Quickly Rain shook his head. "No! No, that's okay. I can catch up. You don't need to bother the Queen..." Especially as the 'Queen' would need longer than it took for Hyacinth to reach her chambers to get ready. "I... it was nice. Thank you."
"Hmm, if you're sure..." Hyacinth said doubtfully, though the smile was back. Rain had always loved that smile. He knew the man worked hard, he'd seen it himself many times, and still Hyacinth looked as though he hadn't a care in the world. No matter how bad things ever got, he always had an unshakable belief that everything would turn out fine. It was part of why Rain loved him.
"I'm sure," Rain replied firmly, struggling to resist the desire to snuggle up closer, to breathe in that heady scent, to bask in the warmth that was as much a part of Hyacinth as his smile. It was hard. And he was hard. Again.
When he managed to actually meet Hyacinth's eyes again the Guardian fairy was regarding him with a strange expression. Thoughtful, perhaps. Searching. Something oddly serious for the easy-going man. Rain tilted his head up, parting his lips to ask what was wrong, but he didn't manage to get even a single word out before Hyacinth's head descended and then there was something soft and warm pressing against his mouth and he realized in a moment of pure shock that Hyacinth was kissing him.
Hyacinth was kissing him and he wanted to melt, to fly, to latch on and never let go. So much so that his hands clung of their own accord to Hyacinth's tunic, perhaps taking pity on his legs which didn't seem to quite want to hold his weight anymore. There were arms sliding around his waist, surrounding him with warmth everywhere, then Hyacinth parted his lips and, oh, he tasted even better than he smelled.
Rain was dimly aware that he'd all but plastered himself to Hyacinth but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was flying with his feet still on the ground, wild and dizzy and wonderful in a way that was almost like the rush he got from using the Queen's magic, only better.
The thought brought him up short like icewater. If he gave into this, if he let it go any further, there would be no way to hide his dual roles from Hyacinth. If his secret got out, then everything he'd worked so hard to prevent for so many years would be ruined. The people would panic and Hyacinth would... what would Hyacinth do, if he knew what Rain did in the daylight hours? He didn't want to know.
For so long he'd put the good of the people above his own wishes and desires. He'd thought that taking one tiny wish, one little dream for himself wouldn't be so bad. An impossible dream, in which he could love from afar without ever coming too close. Only he had. And no matter how badly it hurt, how much his heart wanted to break, he couldn't have this one selfish wish he'd wished for himself.
Pulling away was the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life. He took several steps back, hoping that distance and the deepening twilight would hide the hot tears that pricked the corners of his eyes. Exhaling slowly, he kept his gaze downcast to hide his misery. "I... I'm sorry..." he whispered.
There was an agonizing moment of silence, then a soft sigh from Hyacinth. "No, I'm sorry," he said, an air of defeat in his lilting voice. "I thought you might... I guess I was wrong. I apologize, Rain." He bowed stiffly, formally, and the pieces of Rain's heart stabbed his chest like the sharpest daggers as he watched the man close in on himself. There was disappointment in his eyes, but worse than that, a deep hurt. One that Rain had caused.
He couldn't let it stay this way. For Hyacinth's sake, if not his own. It would tear him apart if he was the one to break that beautiful smile.
"No, Hyacinth, it's not... you're not..." He swallowed, trying to remember how to speak, frustrated that the words just wouldn't come out right. "I would, if I could," he managed finally, softly, gazing miserably into Hyacinth's dark eyes and feeling the first of the tears spill hotly down his cheeks. "But I can't, and I can't even tell you why. I'm so sorry, Hyacinth..." The last came out as barely a whisper in the darkness as his voice deserted him entirely.
Before he could remind himself that it was a bad idea, he flung his arms around Hyacinth's neck, kissing the man softly, tasting the salt from his tears overlaying the flavour of Hyacinth himself as he backed quickly away again and turned, running as fast as his blurred vision would allow.
Only the familiarity of having done so for so many years allowed him to find his way back to the Queen's suite without mishap. He yanked open the door harder than he intended, flinging himself inside and closing the door behind him before sinking to the floor and finally giving in to the sobs that had been threatening to consume him since the moment he'd realized he couldn't have the one thing he'd truly ever wanted.
For the first time in ten years, he found himself bitterly wishing that he'd never begun this masquerade. That he'd let everything fall apart when the people realized their protector and Queen was gone. At least then he'd be free to give his love without having to worry about what the consequences would be.
Eventually he managed to crawl across the floor and pull himself into bed where he silently cried himself to sleep.
Onward to Part Two!
Kitty also had waayyy too much fun playing with the dollmaker. *grin* Who are these people? Read on, my friends, read on... ^.~
---
A Fairy Tale
Soft, musical chimes went off somewhere near Rain's head and he grumbled as he yanked his pillow up over his head to block out the sound. He didn't want to get up; he wanted to stay in the warm, soft, too-comfortable bed and actually get more than a few hours sleep. It wouldn't happen, but it was nice to think about.
With a reluctant groan he shoved back the covers and slid out of bed, stopping to carefully tidy the sheets and bedspread until everything lay perfectly. That accomplished, he paced barefoot and nude into the bathing room, taking a quick shower and drying off with an offensively pink towel. That too was replaced exactly where he'd gotten it from, leaving no sign that it had even been used.
Next was hair. It mostly behaved itself, but it still needed to be brushed out and threaded with flowers, beads, and multi-colored ribbons after being teased into gently flowing waves. After that came makeup, subtle but necessary, and finally he could pace, still nude, into the closet.
Dozens of shimmering, sparkling, glittery confections of silk, taffeta, and gauze greeted him in a myriad of shining colors. Ignoring the elaborate gowns for the moment he fished a relatively plain corset from a hook and exhaled slowly before yanking it on and doing up the laces as tight as he could manage on his own. When it was done he felt he could barely breathe, but his waist was small enough to fit into the assembly of dresses hanging like a brilliant rainbow before him. He selected one at random, squirming into it and adding a few matching accessories before fetching a pair of slippers done to resemble vines climbing up his legs.
Finally, he returned to the bathing room and regarded his reflection in the wide mirror. White-blond hair with the faintest iridescent sheen, pouty lips, delicate features, silvery eyes and sparkling wings to match. He frowned, turning and striding back out into the bedroom, going immediately to a small table upon which sat two items.
One was a delicate crystal diadem set with jewels every color of the rainbow. The other was a matching scepter, glittering jewels wound around it, all of them put to shame by the shining, color-shifting gem at its heart.
He picked them both up, returning with them to the bathroom where he carefully set the tiara atop his head. Drawing in a slow breath, he raised the scepter and regarded his reflection. Both objects began to faintly glow in response to his request, their colors spreading slowly across him, drawing out the colors in his hair and turning his silver wings and eyes to a bright, sparkling rainbow instead.
Smiling sadly, Rain stepped back and inspected himself to make certain everything was as it should be. Even to his own carefully scrutinizing gaze, there was nothing about him to suggest that he was anyone other than who he appeared to be.
"Good morning, Queen Amaryllis," Rain greeted the mirror softly. He drew in as deep of a breath as his tightly corseted waist would allow, then turned and swept out past the bedroom and into the sitting room. Waiting for him on a small opalescent table was a handful of fruits, biscuits, and cold tea. Exactly where he'd left it the night before.
For a moment he wondered what it would be like to actually have a warm breakfast, but the thought was an idle one. He didn't have time to prepare warm meals. Hadn't for the last ten years.
Rain grimaced as he washed down one of the biscuits with a gulp of tea. There was no use fretting about what he didn't have. He'd made his choice and that was all there was to it. Tia-na-Niara, the Faerie Lands, needed him. Her people needed him. That was all that mattered.
Overhead, more chimes sounded. To his jaundiced ear, they sounded insistent, scolding. Once, he'd found them pleasant. A long, long time ago.
Taking one last sip of tea, he stood and crossed the sitting room, scepter in hand. From this moment until sunset, Rain did not exist. There was only Faerie Queen Amaryllis.
With one more deep (or as deep as the corset would allow) breath, he pushed open the doors and stepped out into the hallway. It was as lovely as everything else in the royal palace, beautiful and breathtaking. Crystal and gemstones everywhere, accented with shining silver and white gold. A sparkling jewel that served as both beacon and symbol for everyone in Tia-na-Niara.
He stopped, casting a critical eye over the faintly shimmering floor and making a note to come back later that evening once he'd changed back to Rain. There were dull spots that needed polishing and his practiced eye could see some dust gathering in the corners. Entirely unacceptable, if he'd been doing his job properly. But of course he hadn't. There wasn't enough time to clean properly and pretend to be the Faerie Queen. It was all he could manage just to keep the public areas of the royal palace looking spotless.
There were many days he sorely wished he could bring in someone else to help, but then he would have to deal with the questions of why Rain couldn't handle the task alone. Or worse, where he disappeared to during the daytime. Questions he couldn't answer, for the sake of the people. They would panic, to know that their beloved Queen was missing - had been missing, for ten long years.
But no one had to know that anything was wrong. Not as long as Rain continued his masquerade until Queen Amaryllis finally returned from wherever it was she'd gone. And she would return. She had to. He was sure of it.
It was all he had left to hold onto. One tiny belief that meant everything.
He owed everything to Amaryllis. She'd taken him in, given him a place and a purpose. In return, he would do everything in his power to keep her land and her people safe until she returned to resume her crown. It was the least he could do, for Amaryllis, and for Tia-na-Niara.
Shoulders set, head held high, he swept out of the private halls of the palace and out into the Audience Hall. As always, he wasn't certain whether to be impressed or horrified by the throne, with all of its sparkling rainbows of gemstones twining all around it. It fit with the theme, a visible representation of the Faerie Queen's power, but it was still a bit... much.
Not his call to make, however.
Settling himself carefully, taking careful, shallow breaths to make sure he could still breathe properly while sitting, Rain raised the crystal scepter and pointed it toward the shimmery double-doors at the far end of the room. A moment later they swung open, to admit those inhabitants of the Faerie Lands seeking an audience with the Queen.
As the first of the supplicants approached him, a young man who'd been cursed in a rather spectacular fashion, he surreptitiously felt to make sure Amaryllis's crown was still in place. It and the scepter he held so tightly it turned his knuckles white were the only reasons he could pull off this deception at all. Within them flowed the power of the Faerie Queen. By their power he could protect and aid the people of Tia-na-Niara.
Concentrating hard, he let his eyes fall closed to better feel the power flowing all around him. Wild, mostly untamed. A riot of color and feeling and magic that defied description, it was completely unlike his own insignificant water magic. He sometimes wondered if his parents' magic had felt anything like this. They'd been weather faeries, he remembered that much. Wild and free. He wondered if they'd ever been disappointed in their son's minimal skill with magic.
Something he would fret about in his own time. For now, he had a duty to perform. He shaped and guided the Queen's power until it knew what it was supposed to do, wrapping around the cursed fairy and drawing away the dark magic, feeding it back in to itself and cleansing it until it was only a harmless wisp of power. The young man shuddered in relief, turning tear-bright eyes up to Rain, professing his thanks almost in desperation.
This was the part he'd never get used to. He was only doing what was right; there was no need for thanks, for gifts, for anything. It embarrassed him horribly when they pledged their undying gratitude or offered him things he had no need for. Though if any of them thought to offer such a base thing as hot, buttered bread he very well might cave.
"No thanks are needed," Rain managed to get in around the man's speech. "If you truly wish to repay me, then do a good deed to another who needs it. That is all I ask."
It was the same request he made every time, and the same awed, worshipful look he got in return. Really, what was so strange about wanting everyone to help one another? Better that than another pointless necklace or elegant rug that he'd just have to keep clean.
The rest of the morning went much the same, difficult problems that the Color Guard hadn't been able to handle and so the fairy in question had made the journey to the palace to reach the one person with the strength to help them. The day had shifted on, the angle of sunlight shining down indicating that it was now early afternoon, when suddenly the doors were thrown open and a tall, impressive figure strode swiftly in.
Rain managed to keep from reacting, though only barely, and he subtly shifted the folds of his elaborate gown to hide the inevitable reaction. It would be the height of foolishness if his elaborate masquerade was undone simply because he couldn't keep from acquiring a hard-on every time Hyacinth was in the room.
One of the seven Color Guard, the Guardian of Blue, Hyacinth was one of the strongest faeries in the kingdom aside from the Faerie Queen. He was tall, breathtakingly handsome, with vivid blue hair done up in a series of braids that never seemed to be quite the same style each time Rain saw him. His eyes were a darker blue, like the sapphires embedded in the Queen's throne, and his snug tunic and breeches did absolutely nothing to hide the perfectly sculpted body beneath. He was completely and utterly gorgeous.
And totally out of Rain's league.
Petitioners scrambled out of his way as Hyacinth strode up to the base of the dais and knelt, making the fabric of his tunic stretch across the broad planes of his back. Rain silently chided himself for admiring the sleek figure, reminding himself that Queen Amaryllis would not be staring at Hyacinth's sculpted thighs and toned arms and wondering what they'd look like without clothing in the way.
"My Queen."
Rain yanked his attention away from Hyacinth's lips and managed a slight nod. "Hyacinth."
Belatedly he noticed how tense the man looked, how utterly unlike his usual easy cheer. Something was very wrong, then, to cause this kind of reaction in the easygoing Guardian.
"What's wrong?"
Hyacinth drew in a slow breath. "Kobolds, my Queen. In the Spring Meadows."
There was a collective gasp from the listening faeries, and Rain could feel the blood drain from his face. Kobolds were dangerous indeed, especially when they attacked in numbers. "How many?" he heard himself ask.
"I would hazard nearly a hundred, my Queen," Hyacinth replied. "Worse, they have a poison wyrm with them."
The resulting din was nearly deafening. Rain winced and stood, cutting off the chatter as all eyes turned toward him, everyone holding their breaths as they waited to see what he'd do. Or more accurately, what the Faerie Queen would do.
Rain stepped off the dais, gesturing for Hyacinth to rise. The man obeyed, putting him over half a head taller than Rain in a way that should have made him feel small and insignificant and yet all it did was make him want to lean in against that broad chest and see if Hyacinth smelled and tasted as good as he looked. It was a measure of how badly infatuated Rain was that he could still be thinking such things after being given such terrible news.
"Very well," he said softly, carefully looking away from Hyacinth to avoid further distraction. "I'm afraid I will have to cancel audiences for the rest of the day to deal with this difficulty." He smiled, touched and grateful when there were immediate reassurances from the waiting petitioners that they wouldn't mind waiting another day at all. There was something very significant that had drawn each and every one of them here, to the palace, something that only the Queen could fix, and still they would step aside for the sake of others.
He was vaguely aware of Hyacinth falling into place a half step behind him as they made their way out of the Audience Hall, through the Foyer to the Courtyard where Rain spread his wings and lifted off into the sky. It felt good to fly. He didn't get all that much opportunity, as crises that took him away from the palace were (fortunately) rare. But he was still a fairy, and the sky and the wind still called to him, laughing, teasing, asking why he didn't come to play more often as they wrapped around him, flowing past his wings and through his hair.
Hyacinth was still behind him, just far enough back that Rain couldn't quite see him. Which was probably all for the better, but it wasn't a short flight to the Spring Meadows and he didn't get to see Hyacinth all that often as the man was normally occupied tending his section of the Faerie Lands and, really, he'd take any excuse he could get to spend time in the man's presence. The only trick was, what sort of conversation would Queen Amaryllis have in a situation like this?
With every passing day Rain was finding it harder and harder to remember exactly how she'd behaved. He was terrified that one day he'd slip up and do something entirely out of character (worse than getting the inevitable erection in Hyacinth's presence - thank goodness for flowing, layered dresses) and reveal himself. So far, no one seemed to have noticed, but...
"When did you first notice the kobolds?" Rain asked.
Hyacinth's voice carried forward just ahead of the man himself as he came up to fly evenly with Rain. "Late yesterday, but I was in the middle of another problem that I couldn't leave. By the time I managed to confront them they'd spread throughout the meadow too far for my power to have much effect. When the wyrm began spitting poison at me, I decided to seek aid."
Not an unwise decision. Poison in any form was dangerous to faeries, and that carried by poison wyrms was amongst the most potent. Just thinking about it made Rain want to shiver, though he knew he was safe enough. The Queen's crown would protect him.
It was late afternoon before they reached the Spring Meadows, the sun beginning to paint the sky a brilliant orange and vermilion. The once-bright riot of green grass and multi-hued flowers was dark, faded, dying. Death hung so heavily in the air that Rain could feel it even with the protective power of the Faerie Queen's crown. Beside him, Hyacinth gagged and flitted back, away from the meadows to a place less saturated with the stench. Rain flew on alone, slowly circling the destroyed area to get a good feel for what he would have to do.
The damage was extensive. From his vantage point high overhead he could see the dark figures moving about, spreading the sickness, their grating chatter only a faint din given the distance. Once, he would have fled in terror from what he saw now just as any other fairy would, but that was before he'd had to take up the role of the Faerie Queen. A lot of things in Rain's life had changed that day.
Power sparked up his arm from the scepter as matching power flowed down from the crown. He gathered it, focused it, detailing out in his mind exactly what would have to happen. It would need to be quick, to prevent the dark magic from having any time to re-infiltrate the tainted areas. First, to return the kobolds and their pet to the shadow lands from whence they'd come. So many, and over such a distance. It took his breath out of him to do it, but it worked.
He took a moment to steady himself once they were gone, wishing the damnable corset would let him breathe. Hovering, he drew in slow, even breaths until he didn't feel quite so dizzy, then let the power build again. Life magic, this time, to restore what had been destroyed. He let it spread slowly from a central point, working outward to where the edges had only just begun to brown, gradually turning it green again. As he watched, tiny points of color began springing up as flowers poked their heads out of the new greenery.
It was enough. It would heal. His role was finished, and he could return home to the palace. But his wings felt like lead and the horizon seemed to spin and swirl around him. He felt completely drained, though it was the Queen's crown and scepter that had done all the work. He'd only directed and shaped the power - though that also took magic. Apparently the shaping had used up what little magic he possessed. It had happened before.
Though not usually so far from home and his bed. His head swayed and he sank in the air, dimly aware of the ground getting closer, then abruptly his slow fall was stopped by something very sturdy encircling his waist.
Rain blinked, looking down at the blue-clad arm holding him steady, then turned to look over his shoulder at Hyacinth. Oh. Hyacinth had caught him. He was pressed up close against that chest he was so fond of drooling over. And didn't it just figure that he was far too tired to do anything about it.
"Hyacinth..."
Hyacinth frowned in concern, his grip strengthening just the slightest amount. "My Queen... are you all right?"
Oh, that's right. He was still Amaryllis. He couldn't drool over Hyacinth no matter how close the man was and how good he smelled and that was a scent Rain doubted he'd ever be able to get out of his head. Or body. He had a hard-on again. Hopefully the skirt of his dress was still concealing it properly. He couldn't see around Hyacinth's arm to check.
"Fine, I think. Just a little tired. I'll be fine..." Would it be entirely out of character to bat Hyacinth away? Probably, but if he stayed this close he was absolutely certain he was going to do something he'd regret, like lean a little closer to that warm, muscular chest and try to taste that arching neck that rose up from the collar of Hyacinth's clothes.
"You don't look very good," Hyacinth observed doubtfully. "I can take you to my manor and let you regain your strength before heading back to the palace in the morning..."
Rain started silently. Morning? Spend the night in Hyacinth's house? Where Hyacinth changed clothes and bathed and slept? Bad idea. Very bad idea. Besides that, he refused to sleep in the dratted corset.
"No, thank you, but I need to get back in case I am needed," Rain managed to protest, drawing on energy reserves he was fairly certain he didn't have and pushing away from the all too warm and comfortable embrace. Hyacinth let him go, though he still looked worried as Rain turned to face him fully. "I thank you for your concern, Hyacinth. It is appreciated. But I will be fine."
Hyacinth's sapphire eyes narrowed slightly, then he nodded. "I will escort you home."
Oh Light, that wasn't much better. But it was a lot harder to refuse, especially as Rain really wasn't all that certain of his own ability to fly straight. He nodded finally, turning toward home, well aware that he was flying far more slowly than he was capable of. Or perhaps he was flying exactly as fast as he was currently capable of.
It really was too bad that he was too exhausted to really appreciate the trip back with Hyacinth hovering so very near, just close enough that if Rain stretched out an arm he could probably touch. On second thought, maybe it was good, given that his self control seemed to have gotten washed away with his energy. Dealing with Hyacinth took every ounce of willpower he possessed on a good day. On a day like today?
It was with a sense of abject relief that the royal palace finally came into view, though it also meant Hyacinth would leave him now, and he was having considerable difficulty remembering why that was a good thing.
They landed just inside the grand Foyer doors, and Rain was quite pleased to note that he didn't stumble (much) as his slippers touched the floor. He turned and smiled at Hyacinth as the blue-haired fairy landed, striving for 'polite and grateful' rather than 'I want to strip you naked and lick every inch of your body'.
"I trust you are reassured that I have made it home intact?" he asked, wondering even as he said the words whether he should have taken the opportunity to 'accidentally' fall a few times on the way home and make Hyacinth catch him.
Hyacinth smiled. "Yes, my Queen. I wish you the most pleasant of dreams, and hope that you are much refreshed on the morrow."
Rain didn't quite manage to stifle a grimace. It was already late, well into the hours when he would normally have been cleaning, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep for a week. Preferably with Hyacinth, but that was a very bad thought and he stifled it as quickly as it formed.
"Perhaps I will take the day off tomorrow to rest," he mused aloud, thinking how wonderful it would be to spend an entire day in bed. Not that he would, but it was still a nice thought.
"I think that would be a very good idea, my Queen," Hyacinth replied, a small smile touching his lips in a way that did entirely bad things to Rain's cock, regardless of how tired the rest of him was.
"Then I shall take tomorrow off," Rain decided. It would give him the opportunity to catch up on much of the cleaning that he'd fallen behind in, and if he worked hard enough he might actually have enough time to make himself a hot meal. The thought was almost enough to make him drool.
Hyacinth smiled again, and Rain was extremely glad for the dark as he doubted even his flowing dress could entirely hide his aroused state. "Then I bid you good eve, my Queen, and a restful day off." He bowed and turned, spreading his wings and lifting off into the sky. Rain watched for a moment, admiring the curves of the man's ass as he flew, then turned and walked, somewhat awkwardly, back through the silent hallways to the Queen's suite.
Once securely hidden away behind closed doors he stripped out of all the finery, hanging it up properly though he did give in to the impulse to kick the horrible corset across the room. Evil thing. Necessary, but evil.
For a moment he debated dressing again and at least getting a little work done tonight, then dismissed the idea as he slid into the soft, luxurious sheets of the Queen's bed. He had all day tomorrow to work. It would keep. And he really was very, very tired.
With a soft sigh, Rain snuggled up to a pillow and exhaled slowly, picturing in his mind a certain pair of blue eyes and a beautiful smile, remembering warm arms and a delightful scent. He had the feeling he was going to have extremely pleasant dreams that night.
On his hands and knees in the middle of the Foyer, Rain scrubbed fiercely at a particularly offensive spot. Given that practically everyone in the Faerie Lands flew wherever they went, it was amazing how much dirt their feet could track into the palace. It was definitely a good thing that he'd taken the day off from impersonating Queen Amaryllis, given the sorry state of the Foyer and Courtyard.
Not for the first time he wished his small gift of water magic wasn't quite so small. It would have been nice to have a little extra help with the cleaning. As it was, it would probably take him all day to finish. So much for the dream of a hot meal. He really ought to know better by now.
Redoubling his efforts, he finally got the dark spot to go away, leaving only shimmering crystal in its place. That was more like it. He sat up a bit, brushing back the few strands of hair that had escaped from his long braid as he contemplated his triumph.
"Admiring your handiwork?" a cheerful, musical voice asked, and Rain's head snapped up to stare. He hadn't heard anyone arrive... oh. Oh dear.
Hyacinth smiled that warm, dazzling smile of his as he sauntered across the Foyer in that easy, confident pace of his that always made Rain's brain promptly think of sex. Then again, everything involving Hyacinth made Rain think of sex.
"Um..." He looked up at the tall, handsome fairy, cursing the blush he could feel spreading across his face. It was so much easier to deal with his pathetic infatuation when he was pretending to be Amaryllis. For one thing, Amaryllis's dresses hid his crotch. His servants' clothing wasn't nearly so accommodating.
"I'd say it's clean," Hyacinth observed, crouching down in front of the spot Rain had been working on and casting a critical eye over it. Rain promptly stifled a moan, jerking his eyes away from the man's very prominently displayed crotch. Why, oh why, did Hyacinth have to crouch like that?
"Yes, it is. I just spent the last ten minutes making it that way," Rain retorted, resisting the urge to sigh as his mouth ran away without his brain's permission. Honestly, this never happened when he was Amaryllis.
Fortunately Hyacinth seemed amused rather than offended, and he looked around thoughtfully at the part of the floor Rain hadn't gotten to yet. Spotting another particularly bad spot, he snagged one of Rain's spare scrub brushes, dipped it in the bucket of soapy water, and began scrubbing.
Rain did his best not to stare at the man's ass. "Lord Hyacinth..."
"Just Hyacinth."
Rain sighed. "Hyacinth, you're not a servant. You shouldn't be scrubbing floors. It's beneath your station."
That blue head came up to blink at him. "We already had that argument. I won. It doesn't make sense to repeat the same argument every time I see you."
Resisting the urge to tell Hyacinth he'd only won because it was taking all of Rain's concentration to avoid jumping the man, Rain picked another dirty spot and began scrubbing out all his frustrations on the floor. Sneaking the occasional peek at how Hyacinth's muscles rippled ever so splendidly as the man cleaned, of course.
For all that he complained that Hyacinth shouldn't be doing such menial tasks, the man was certainly a hard worker. In far less time than Rain had originally allotted they were finished and the Foyer practically gleamed. Now all he had left to do was clean up the courtyard and the palace would actually look respectable again.
"So..." Hyacinth was eyeing him in a way that Rain had learned years ago boded no good. "The Foyer is sparkling clean, you're ahead of schedule because of my help, and you missed lunch an hour ago." He smiled in that manner of his that went straight to Rain's groin. "So, why don't I treat you to a meal, hmm?"
"I have work to do..." Rain protested feebly, fully aware that Hyacinth wouldn't let him get away with it and that he did 'owe' the man for the help. Even if that help hadn't been requested in the slightest.
"You're ahead of schedule and you can pick up where you left off when we get back," Hyacinth refuted cheerfully, snagging Rain's arm and tugging him away from his scrubbing brushes and weak protests. They both knew he'd eventually give in, and about a year ago Hyacinth had taken to forgoing the 'protest' stage entirely by simply dragging Rain along to wherever Hyacinth wanted him.
Almost four years it had been going on, this strange thing they had. The very first time Rain had been mortified, certain that Hyacinth had somehow noticed his watching, but the Guardian had only appeared to want to talk, asking all sorts of questions about Rain's life in the palace. At first it had only been talking, Hyacinth showing up whenever he was in the area and holding (often one-sided) conversations while Rain worked. Two and a half years ago the 'helping' thing had begun, and no amount of protests had ever worked. Hyacinth was very good at getting his way.
And today, getting his way meant hauling Rain off to a small cafe on the outskirts of the city. It wasn't one he'd ever been to before, but that wasn't surprising. There were a lot of places Rain had never been. He just didn't have the time to go anywhere.
"Whatever you like," Hyacinth announced, sitting Rain down in a little wrought-iron chair and taking the seat opposite him. "My treat."
Rain stared at him for a moment, wondering as always what went on in that head of his, then finally smiled faintly and looked up at where the little cafe had their menu hung. It all sounded delicious; he had no idea what to get. He finally settled on cheese eggs, a sweet roll, and rose tea. All hot. Hot! Just the steam from the tea alone made him want to melt in pleasure. There had only been a handful of times that Hyacinth had dragged him somewhere for food, but every single one was ingrained in his memory. He got almost as much pleasure out of the warm meal as he did from Hyacinth's gorgeous, distracting presence.
"I have never seen someone get such enjoyment out of a pastry before," Hyacinth commented in amusement as he watched Rain bite into his roll. "You look almost like you're in the throes of pleasure."
A hot blush spread across Rain's cheeks and he swiftly hid it behind his teacup, drawing a laugh from Hyacinth. It was bad to think about pleasure when he was sitting not three feet from his long-time obsession. At least the bulk of the table would hide his reaction until it went away.
"I just don-" Rain cut himself off abruptly. He'd gotten hot meals when he was just a servant and nothing more. It was only after he'd had to be two persons that things had changed. "It's good," he managed lamely.
Hyacinth grinned. "So I should just bring you pastries and maybe you won't try to take my head off?" he asked. "Good to know."
"As long as they're still hot," Rain muttered, biting into the flakey pastry. It was still delicious.
"Hot pastries. Got it." Hyacinth finished off his meal with far less care for the food than on watching Rain, which made Rain want to squirm. Hyacinth was far too nice to be doing it all as a game, but there was just no way that one of the eight most important faeries in the land would be interested in a lowly servant. Even if that servant did work in the royal palace. It made no sense.
Not that Hyacinth ever made sense. Of all seven Color Guardians, only Apricot came anywhere close to being as openly cheerful and easygoing as Hyacinth, and she drove Rain crazy with her mothering ways. Logically Hyacinth should drive him crazy as well, and he did, just not in the same way. Hyacinth simply drove him crazy with suppressed lust and vividly impure thoughts.
Like now, for instance, where he was licking his spoon clean with almost a single-minded air. Rain managed to quash a whimper, but only barely, and he was completely unable to take his eyes off that pink tongue as it diligently cleaned honeyed yogurt off the silver spoon. His pants were far too tight.
"You are the most dedicated fairy in all of Tia-na-Niara," Hyacinth announced when the spoon was finally clean. "I somehow doubt there will ever come a day when you don't object strenuously to being dragged away from your duties, am I right?"
Rain forced a smile, wishing he could tell the handsome fairy that when the day came that Queen Amaryllis returned to take up her crown and throne again, Hyacinth would be free to steal him away all he wanted. If he wanted. If he still saw something worthwhile in a mere servant boy whose sole point of interest was that he'd been hand picked by the Queen to be her one and only palace servant.
"I have a lot to do," he demurred instead, looking down at his tea. "There's only one of me, and the whole palace to keep up. It's a full-time job."
"Hmm..." Hyacinth's voice was as beautiful as the rest of him, in Rain's admittedly biased opinion. "I wonder why the Queen doesn't use magic to keep things up. It wouldn't take much..."
Rain jerked his head up, eyes going wide. "Oh, no, she couldn't," he protested. "A little bit of magic for such a selfish purpose is that much less she has available for the people who truly need it. I don't mind the cleaning at all, I really don't! Better that I do it and she saves her strength to help the people who really need the Queen's power."
When he'd finished with his outburst, Hyacinth merely sat there and contemplated him for a long moment. Rain wanted to crawl under the table and hide to get away from that gaze, absolutely certain that he'd just given himself away. Surely a mere, ordinary servant wouldn't presume to know the Queen's thoughts. Hyacinth would find out, and then he'd be in trouble, or worse, everyone would find out, and people would panic, and-
"You really are the most fascinating fairy," Hyacinth said slowly, a slight smile tugging up the corners of his mouth as he regarded Rain. "You really believe what you said... you have faith in so many things. How can such a small fairy have such powerful ideals all bottled up inside him? Don't they overwhelm you?"
Rain flushed and looked down at his lap. Oh yes, his beliefs gave him nothing but trouble, that was for sure, but he couldn't really help it. Asking him not to care would be like asking him not to breathe. It just wasn't possible. Though no one had ever put it into words before. No one had ever noticed, really. Until Hyacinth.
"Sometimes," Rain admitted softly, still not looking up. "But I manage. I wouldn't change me even if I could."
Hyacinth laughed. "I wouldn't change you either," he said cheerfully. "Even if you do throw scrub brushes at my head."
Rain flushed hotter. "That was an accident!" he protested, making Hyacinth grin broader.
"Of course it was. And so was the bucket, and the wash water, and-"
"You deserved that one," Rain muttered.
Laughing again, Hyacinth shook his head in amusement, agreeing cheerfully, "Probably."
The faint sound of chimes sounded in the distance and Rain shot up, swiveling his head to stare in the direction of the palace. "Oh! The time... I need to go..." Those were the supper chimes, which meant he'd stayed out with Hyacinth longer than he'd meant to, and he still had so very much left to do, and then he had to make breakfast for tomorrow, and-
"I'll fly you home," Hyacinth said, standing as well and holding his hand out to Rain, who stared at it uncomprehendingly for a moment before slowly accepting.
Hyacinth's hand was warm, and Rain was reminded sharply of the feeling of being held in warm arms, safe and secure, and he knew he had to be crimson-faced. Hyacinth didn't comment on it, however, simply spread his wings and took off, leaving Rain no choice but to follow. Letting go certainly wasn't an option. He didn't ever want to let go.
The day was fading into twilight when they set down on the veranda above the wide crystal steps of the courtyard. Hyacinth still didn't release his hand and Rain found that, despite his need to get back to work, he didn't really want to let go either. These rare times were the dreams that kept him whole, gave him the strength to do what he had to every day. Surely he could begrudge himself just a little bit longer to pretend.
"There you go, safe and sound," Hyacinth announced, though his customary smile slipped a bit as he looked down at Rain. "I'm sorry I made you late. If you want I can apologize to Queen Amaryllis and explain..."
Quickly Rain shook his head. "No! No, that's okay. I can catch up. You don't need to bother the Queen..." Especially as the 'Queen' would need longer than it took for Hyacinth to reach her chambers to get ready. "I... it was nice. Thank you."
"Hmm, if you're sure..." Hyacinth said doubtfully, though the smile was back. Rain had always loved that smile. He knew the man worked hard, he'd seen it himself many times, and still Hyacinth looked as though he hadn't a care in the world. No matter how bad things ever got, he always had an unshakable belief that everything would turn out fine. It was part of why Rain loved him.
"I'm sure," Rain replied firmly, struggling to resist the desire to snuggle up closer, to breathe in that heady scent, to bask in the warmth that was as much a part of Hyacinth as his smile. It was hard. And he was hard. Again.
When he managed to actually meet Hyacinth's eyes again the Guardian fairy was regarding him with a strange expression. Thoughtful, perhaps. Searching. Something oddly serious for the easy-going man. Rain tilted his head up, parting his lips to ask what was wrong, but he didn't manage to get even a single word out before Hyacinth's head descended and then there was something soft and warm pressing against his mouth and he realized in a moment of pure shock that Hyacinth was kissing him.
Hyacinth was kissing him and he wanted to melt, to fly, to latch on and never let go. So much so that his hands clung of their own accord to Hyacinth's tunic, perhaps taking pity on his legs which didn't seem to quite want to hold his weight anymore. There were arms sliding around his waist, surrounding him with warmth everywhere, then Hyacinth parted his lips and, oh, he tasted even better than he smelled.
Rain was dimly aware that he'd all but plastered himself to Hyacinth but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was flying with his feet still on the ground, wild and dizzy and wonderful in a way that was almost like the rush he got from using the Queen's magic, only better.
The thought brought him up short like icewater. If he gave into this, if he let it go any further, there would be no way to hide his dual roles from Hyacinth. If his secret got out, then everything he'd worked so hard to prevent for so many years would be ruined. The people would panic and Hyacinth would... what would Hyacinth do, if he knew what Rain did in the daylight hours? He didn't want to know.
For so long he'd put the good of the people above his own wishes and desires. He'd thought that taking one tiny wish, one little dream for himself wouldn't be so bad. An impossible dream, in which he could love from afar without ever coming too close. Only he had. And no matter how badly it hurt, how much his heart wanted to break, he couldn't have this one selfish wish he'd wished for himself.
Pulling away was the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life. He took several steps back, hoping that distance and the deepening twilight would hide the hot tears that pricked the corners of his eyes. Exhaling slowly, he kept his gaze downcast to hide his misery. "I... I'm sorry..." he whispered.
There was an agonizing moment of silence, then a soft sigh from Hyacinth. "No, I'm sorry," he said, an air of defeat in his lilting voice. "I thought you might... I guess I was wrong. I apologize, Rain." He bowed stiffly, formally, and the pieces of Rain's heart stabbed his chest like the sharpest daggers as he watched the man close in on himself. There was disappointment in his eyes, but worse than that, a deep hurt. One that Rain had caused.
He couldn't let it stay this way. For Hyacinth's sake, if not his own. It would tear him apart if he was the one to break that beautiful smile.
"No, Hyacinth, it's not... you're not..." He swallowed, trying to remember how to speak, frustrated that the words just wouldn't come out right. "I would, if I could," he managed finally, softly, gazing miserably into Hyacinth's dark eyes and feeling the first of the tears spill hotly down his cheeks. "But I can't, and I can't even tell you why. I'm so sorry, Hyacinth..." The last came out as barely a whisper in the darkness as his voice deserted him entirely.
Before he could remind himself that it was a bad idea, he flung his arms around Hyacinth's neck, kissing the man softly, tasting the salt from his tears overlaying the flavour of Hyacinth himself as he backed quickly away again and turned, running as fast as his blurred vision would allow.
Only the familiarity of having done so for so many years allowed him to find his way back to the Queen's suite without mishap. He yanked open the door harder than he intended, flinging himself inside and closing the door behind him before sinking to the floor and finally giving in to the sobs that had been threatening to consume him since the moment he'd realized he couldn't have the one thing he'd truly ever wanted.
For the first time in ten years, he found himself bitterly wishing that he'd never begun this masquerade. That he'd let everything fall apart when the people realized their protector and Queen was gone. At least then he'd be free to give his love without having to worry about what the consequences would be.
Eventually he managed to crawl across the floor and pull himself into bed where he silently cried himself to sleep.
Onward to Part Two!