A royal arrangement

Threats

Trigger warnings: Very heavily implied rape/non con, assault, and coercion.

Idk this chapter is kinda a mess I think, but please enjoy.
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Theo felt uneasy with Vadik's brother in the camp. He didn't say anything, of course, not wanting to get involved in his fiancé's business, but Asmund's presence sent a shiver down his spine, and he tried his hardest to keep away from the man, being sure to never be caught alone with him, as even the thought made him anxious.

It had been nearly two full days since the man's arrival, and the wedding was drawing ever closer, which meant so was Asmund's departure, and Theo was glad of that because he had already grown tired of the man's stares. Anytime they were close to each other, he could be sure to catch a glimpse of Asmund's scratching eyes. He hated it.

Outside, the sun was starting its descent and the sweltering heat was becoming bearable, so Theo saw fit to exit the confines of his and Vadik's tent, planning to head down to the river to bathe, because at this time it wasn't likely anyone else would be down there, and if there was, he could find some secluded section of the stream where he could hurry through his bath. As he hadn't gotten used to the tribe's ease with nakedness and communal bathing, he couldn't imagine washing around anyone.

A warm breeze blew over him, ruffling his hair and sending a drop of sweat sliding down his neck. He hadn't seen Vadik most of the day; his fiancé was busy with problems around the camp, but tonight they would lay in bed together, and Theo was surprised at how much he enjoyed the sensation of laying in bed with Vadik.

After the first night, when he felt awkward laying beside Vadik, he had grown used to the sensation; the warmth of Vadik's body was almost enough to keep him warm through the night.

He had learned to give away some of his trust, putting more faith in Vadik as time went on. He didn't trust him entirely; he wasn't sure if he ever would, but he was glad to have at least some weight off his shoulders and be able to relax even a little bit.

It was a pleasant walk to the river; the land around them was scenic and peaceful, filled with the sounds of nature, from the singing of birds to the warm wind blowing through the leaves in the high trees, and when he drew close to the river, he was greeted by the sound of babbling water, running merrily over rocks that had been smoothed down into a shine.

For a moment, he just stared into the water, which was crystal clear, allowing him to see down to the river bed where tiny fish were darting back and forth below the surface, sticking close to the banks of the water where the current wasn't strong enough to carry them away.

He crouched down beside the river and slowly dunked his hands into the water, which was kept surprisingly cool even in the heat of the day. A small fish swam into his cupped hands, and he smiled, slowly raising it up to look closer at the animal, which was swimming in tight circles in his palms, its scales shining in the light that filtered through the trees.

The sound of footfalls behind him made him jerk, and he hurried to place the fish back into its home before he stood up and whirled around, where he met the eyes of his fiance, who stood several feet away beside a tree, on the edge of where the ground turned from grass and leaves to the dirt and stones that made up the river bank.

"Apologies; I didn't mean to startle you," Vadik said, stepping closer and raising one hand in a placating gesture, as if Theo was somehow dangerous, waiting to strike out.

"You didn't scare me." That was a lie, but he said it anyway because he hated the thought of admitting he had been frightened; he hated knowing that even for a moment he had let his guard down enough that Vadik had managed to sneak up on him. He suspected that his fiancé had allowed himself to be heard as he drew closer, because after their time hunting together, Theo was sure that Vadik could have come up on him without making a sound.

Theo was just glad it hadn't been someone with unsavory intentions.

"Did you want to bathe? I can leave," Theo said, stepping forward and away from the rushing water behind him, stumbling slightly on the uneven ground around him. He really had wanted to soak in the river for a while, but he didn't think Vadik would have come down to the river just to chat, so Theo would leave him be and perhaps find time later to clean himself.

Vadik walked closer, stopping so close to Theo that their bodies nearly touched. The slope of the ground put him higher than Theo, which only added to the height difference between them. It wasn't like Vadik dwarfed Theo, but everything about him made him seem bigger because he held himself with such ease and confidence; his shoulders never rose with trepidation; he never sank into himself or made himself smaller, and Theo wondered how he managed that because Theo couldn't stand as proudly no matter how hard he tried.

"I did want to bathe, but that doesn't mean you have to leave," Vadik responded, tilting his head to the side to glance past Theo and out across the river, staring at the water with a contemplative expression on his face. "You can join me if you want; I'll even look away from you if you prefer," he offered, as if it were the easiest thing in the world and he wasn't proposing something that made every inch of Theo's pale skin burn with heat, a feeling he hoped he could blame on the warm air.

He didn't really feel comfortable with the idea of bathing with Vadik around, but he also didn't want to spend their whole marriage being afraid of Vadik seeing or touching him. It wasn't realistic to think that would work, and he had already been brave enough once to let his fiancé see him without his shirt; this felt almost like the most logical next step.


There was also the fact that Vadik had mentioned they would be expected to bathe together before their wedding ceremony, and Theo thought he would feel better about doing such a thing on his wedding day if he had already done it once before.

"Turn around," he said, reaching up to start undoing the buttons that kept his shirt closed, but he waited until Vadik had complied with his request before he actually removed the garment. He already felt unsure of his decision, but he refused to back out, so he checked again to make sure that Vadik's back was turned before he worked at the laces of his pants.

The air between them was silent, neither of them speaking, and Theo was glad of that for the time being because it gave him time to think as he held his pants and shirt in a bundle against his chest. He hesitated the longest over his undergarments, wondering if he should just get into the water while wearing them because he had already stripped himself of most of his modesty. Maybe he could save himself some embarrassment, but no, he had told himself he needed to stop being a coward, and he could back out of that now.

Carefully, he folded up his clothes and set them down on the rocky ground before he slid off the last article of clothing he wore. He felt strange standing there in nothing but his skin, so he turned and carefully stepped into the water of the river, glancing back as he moved to make sure that Vadik was still turned away, staring off into the trees almost dutifully.

The river grew stronger in the middle, but he still made for the center because it was deep enough to rise to his lower hips, offering some semblance of privacy as the water bubbled and splashed around him, hiding some of his body from view.