Moonmount Castle - LGBT, manXman

24

Coda

The next month past quickly, in a blur of early mornings, hard work, and laughter and jokes with the other stable boys.

I slipped quietly into my room and closed the door after a longer than usual day of work, thankful to finally be able to come up to bed. I turned to collapse on my bed, and found I couldn't. A large wrapped package was sat on my bed, with a small tag reading just my name. Nothing else.

Cassius, predictably, was awake. "Who's that from?" He asked.

"I don't know. I don't even know what it is." I went over and unwrapped the packaging, and opened the parcel.

"What is it?" Cassius asked, hearing my stunned gasp.

"It's a saddle. And bridle, for Devi. And a saddle comforter." I pulled the tack from the box, inhaling the polished smell of new leather. In the bottom of the box was a tin of tack polish; it was the same high-quality polish used to clean the Master's tack. The saddle and bridle each had shiny new nameplates screwed into the leather.

"Who on earth could have sent you all that? It must have cost... New saddles aren't cheap, and that polish is worth three of the servant polish tins."

"I know," I mumbled quietly. "I think I know who sent it though."

"Who?"

"Just an old friend," I said, after a pause. "I'm going to see if it fits Devi." I repacked the tack and hurried from the room.

I hung the tack on a spare peg, and rushed back up to the castle. Checking each corridor was clear before I entered, I made my way up to Dare's room. I knocked quietly, and slipped inside.

He was sleeping in his large bed, his dark hair flopping into his eyes, looking peaceful for the first time in days. Rumours around the castle said Dare and his father had been arguing recently, about the almost continual visits of Princess Isolde. Dare was starting to show the strain of his relationship with his father; his eyes were dark with sleepless nights, and his temper was close to the surface. The servants trod carefully these days.

I crossed over to the bed and climbed up next to him, smiling to myself. I reached up and brushed his hair away from his eyes, before I leant down and kissed him gently. He woke with a start beneath me, and I felt his lips twist into a smile. I drew back slowly, loath to break the kiss. His green eyes were open now and twinkling happily.

"Nice way to wake up," he murmured. "But I'd prefer it if you woke me in the morning, not the middle of the night."

"Someone would notice something then, I think."

He grinned and kissed me gently. "What're you doing here?"

I rolled off him and lay down beside him. "Thank you for the saddle. And the bridle, and polish. It must've cost-"

He put a finger to my lips. "That doesn't matter to me," he said firmly.

"It does to me. I can't ever pay you back for that, or for getting me Devi in the first place."

He ran a finger slowly down the side of my face. "I don't want you to pay me back," he said quietly. "But..." He paused, a wicked grin creeping over his face. "If you insist on some sort of repayment, I'm sure we could think of something..." He grinned over at me.

I rolled my eyes. "You have a filthy mind, you know that."

"I know." He rolled on top of me and kissed me.

"I didn't actually come here for this," I murmured, as his lips made their way down my throat. "I just came to say thanks." I pushed his shoulders, trying to get him off me.

"Well, now that you're here, it would be silly of us to waste this opportunity, wouldn't it?"

I gave up trying to get him off me and sank into his gentle touches.