"Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate."
- Alan D. Wolfelt
"Well, well, well, what have we here?"
Krelsa looked around anxiously. He did not want to look at the castle lord at all costs. Although he knew he was not allowed to leave the room and would be in trouble if caught, however, he was not ready for when this would actually happen. Krelsa was afraid of the consequences he was now likely to face.
"Uhm... hey, you here." Krelsa still dared not look the castle lord in the eye.
"Yeah, me here. I have a question for you. What part of stay in your room until dinner did you not understand?" He asked slightly irritated.
"Until dinner?" replied Krelsa uncertainly.
The gentleman now very annoyed by Krelsa's constant attempts to avoid his gaze grabs Krelsa's chin tightly and turns it toward him. In shock, Krelsa looks up and gives the gentleman a confused look.
"Looks like you've been a naughty boy. I think I'm going to have to punish you, maybe then you'll become more well behaved and listen to orders a little better." he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Krelsa also saw some lust, but thought he was imagining it.
Krelsa regretted his choices and actions and although he was not looking forward to this so called 'punishment' he knew deep down that it was going to be justified. While he was thinking, the landlord had placed his hand back next to Krelsa's head and had moved closer even without Krelsa's knowledge.
"Since this is your first time in the castle and probably your first time to take orders you won't have to suffer any punishment, but next time you won't get off so well."
Wait what? Krelsa had never been so confused by anyone's words.
Castle Lord's POV
As much as I would like to punish Krelsa, I know he is far from ready for what I have in mind. Hence the warning.
"Come on, it's time for dinner. Now to go get your brother."
"Okay. When are we actually going to be allowed to know your name?" Asked Krelsa innocently, too innocently.
Although I doubt I should really tell him I know it will have to come at some point. Still I just kept on walking and said nothing.
"Aldea" I said after a while of silence.
"What?" I heard Krelsa say confused and puzzled.
"My name, my name is Arjen Aldea." Although Krelsa had stopped walking with a dumbfounded look on his face, I kept walking. I only looked back for a moment.
"Are you coming? I'm hungry."
Suddenly Krelsa came running. So fast in fact that when he tried to stop he almost collided with me. I got out of the way just in time. Now the problem was not that he was going to bump into me but that he was going to fall. How that happened I don't know myself. How someone can be so clumsy I unfortunately don't know either.
Out of reflex I grabbed him around the waist and pulled him against me. Only because of this were we against each other, slightly bent over and nose to nose.
Because of the amount of space and breath on my face, I couldn't do much but look at his lips and imagine all the things they could do. If I didn't know better, I would almost say that Krelsa is also staring at my lips, and is that lust I notice in his eyes?
"You're blushing." Said Krelsa suddenly. Of course this didn't make it any better, in fact I began to blush even harder.
"You did get a rosy tan otherwise, too, you know." Krelsa, too, began to blush harder.
We stayed like that, tension very thick, until Krelsa's belly suddenly started making noises.
"Maybe we should go get Jojse so we can go eat." As I said this, Krelsa tried to wriggle away.
I made sure he was steady and released him. As we continued there was an almost suffocating silence.
Although their room was only a few doors away, it seemed like an eternity. When we finally got to the door, Krelsa entered the room without knocking. I began to grin from the sight we faced: Josje sleeping in a star position and Fernando, seemingly shell-shocked for his life, clutched in his arms.
I stepped toward the bed and grabbed Fernando from Josje's arms. Suddenly, Josje grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him. What am I, his teddy bear?
"Josje wake up." Is the only thing I can come up with. When I get no response I decide to go for the only other option.
"JOSJE!" I shout in his ear.
He wakes up startled, but doesn't let go of me. On the contrary he squeezes my arm even harder.
"Let me go. Now."
After Josje finally realizes the way we are lying, he immediately lets go of me. He even gets a little pink.
"Come on, I'm hungry" Krelsa suddenly says behind me.
Without saying anything I get up and walk out of the room, heading for the dining room. By the footsteps behind me I know they are following me. Softly behind me I hear their conversation.
" You want to know something? I finally found out his name." Krelsa says softly.
" Really?" says Josje surprised and suspicious.
"Yes really." comes Krelsa's reply.
" So tell me then" says Jojsje impatiently.
For a moment there is a silence before I hear Krelsa's voice again, even softer than before.
"Arjen Aldea."
"Arjen Aldea? I think it suits him." Is Josje's anwtoord.
"He does indeed look like that." As Krelsa says this I turn around.
"Now that everyone knows what I'm called, you can step a little faster. After all, I am extremely hungry." I turn around again and step with firm footsteps to the end of the corridor where there are large closed doors. When I reach the doors I swing them open.
"Welcome to the dining room."
