Author's note: Hi! I hope that everybody is enjoying their spring. At last, another chapter done! Thank you to all of you who have emailed me! Special thanks to the author of Simple Twist of Fate. If any of you haven't read that, then you're in for a treat! And to Nike, hope you're enjoying wherever you are!
Disclaimer: This is a fictional story. I do not know the BSB nor do I claim to know their orientation. This contains content of an adult nature so all under 18 are advised not to continue reading!
Brian stepped into his father's room nervously. He did not know what the man had planned for him that afternoon, but he could sense the restlessness behind the meeting. Quite a few weeks had passed since Nickolas' injury. Although the memories had faded, the tension had not. The past two weeks, he had only became more addicted to Nickolas' presence. During the day, he would basically devote all his free time to the blond boy. And though he and his brothers tried to minimize the amount of time they had given Nickolas, his father still caught word of it.
And that was why he was here! Brian knew it. He could read his father's disapproval as if it were written on the man's forehead. He could sense the distaste, the measured jealousy in the man's eyes. But he had not done anything wrong! He had not touched Nickolas in any way that his father would find fault. He had not openly seduced the young boy. He would not admit to any wrongdoing. He was just making up for the horrors that his father had 'bestowed' on the boy three weeks ago.
Brian could see his father's cold stare, boring into his chest like a poisoned dagger, but he stood his ground. In that sense, he was like his father. He never turned his back even with the most difficult obstacles awaiting.
"Father? You asked for me?" Brian bluntly opened the conversation, making his father squint in amusement.
"I asked you to come because we have a few problems that we need to sort out." His father was calm, controlled.
Brian remained silent. Patience had never hurt him in any way.
His father smiled and continued. "I found out that Nickolas . . . well let's just say that the boy is really special to me. These past few weeks, he had been incredible. And I wanted to . . . well let's just say that he had not received anything since he came to our home. I would like to buy him something, a token of my love for him. Yet, I've thought about clothes. I couldn't help but feel that they are not special enough. I mean, he looks ravishing in any attire that I provide him with. I want to get him something more special. And that is one reason you're here."
Brian was speechless. He expected his father to scorn him, to criticize his open affection towards the boy, but nothing like this. "I . . . ah . . . I would not know of anything to give him."
"Nonsense!" his father refuted. "You have been with him these past three weeks. Surely you would know what kind of gift would suit him best."
Brian wanted to puke. His father was taking advantage of his special bonding with Nickolas. Oh, Brian knew all too well what would suit Nickolas' shy quiet temper. But he didn't know if he wanted to let his father exploit that. "Buy him some gold chain. Surely all boys love that," Brian remarked carelessly.
His father picked up the hostile vibes without effort. "You do not wish to help me? You do not think that I'm worthy of your help, even when we are dealing with a plain servant here?"
Brian bit his tongue. His father was digging a hole in the ground for him.
His father continued evenly. "Do you have any other bright ideas, son? I was rather disappointed just now. Surely any idiot would think of jewelry. In all your dealings with the boy, you do not know what else would suit him?"
Brian thought hard. Obviously, his father was picking a roundabout way to torture and punish him. "Well . . . perhaps you could give him the opportunity to see his family. I'm pretty sure that he must miss them." Brian suddenly felt better about this idea. He was curious to meet Nick's family. Surely such a compassionate boy must yearn for his family!
Brian watched as his father's face changed from an expression of doubt to one of delight. "Yes. You are absolutely right. Nickolas needs to see his parents! Excellent, son. I completely forgot. He must miss his family like crazy. I knew I could count on you, Brian. You were always the most clever."
Brian didn't know whether that was an actual compliment, but then again, his father had always loved him the most. Perhaps the man wasn't being sarcastic. He smiled weakly at his father.
His father continued, beaming. "One of the other reasons I wanted to talk to you was . . . well my son, you are growing to be quite a handsome young man yourself. It's time that you've thought about your future career and your future family. I have been talking endlessly about your attributes to the Duke of Shershire and he and his daughter were absolutely in love with you! They wish to meet you late evening 'morrow."
Brian gasped. He had not expected this at all. He couldn't believe that his father would do this. Was it to take his attention off of Nickolas? "But Shershire is so far away, almost a fortnight worth of traveling!"
"Exactly!" The noble beamed with pride. "They had been on the road for nearly a fortnight now and they will arrive tomorrow. The servants have been delegated to decorate our castle to prepare a welcoming celebration!"
Brian was speechless.
"I thought I would make you stupidly happy!" The noble laughed.
"But father, why haven't you told me this sooner?" Brian countered.
"I wanted to surprise you, son. You might not be the eldest, but you are the most eligible of all. The duke is a man of great powers and to be wed to his daughter would help you along with your future!" the noble continued merrily.
"But . . . it is so short notice. I don't know if I could . . . " Brian continued, flustered.
The noble disregarded Brian's doubt. "Nonsense, son. We are living in dangerous times. I have heard about the rebels in the South that are preparing for their attack against our empire. In this day and age, we need to seal our bonds with anyone of power. We cannot live in our isolated little worlds. We must take action to secure our wealth and happiness. Do you want to see our life squandered while our entire country is at war?"
Brian held his tongue. His father did have a point there. He did not want to see his family blood-soaked from the ravages of war. It was true that their country was in a perilous time. The rebels were on the brink of declaring a war with the kingdom. Finally, Brian nodded in acquiescence. "I understand, father."
The noble smiled happily. "I've bought you the finest clothes our country has to offer. You shall dazzle the duke's daughter tomorrow, I assure you!"
Brian smiled, although his heart ached. Had Nickolas already known about this? What did Nickolas think of it all? Brian shrugged. Why was it that he was so concerned about Nickolas' thoughts anyways? "Anything else, father?"
The noble smiled genuinely. "No, no, son. I shall quickly send one of our horsemen to immediately gather Nickolas' family and surprise him! You go off and prepare to dazzle the young daughter of the duke tomorrow, okay? From what I have heard, she is a ravishing beauty herself."
Brian nodded and left his father's room, dejected. His first thought was to seek out Nickolas. And he knew just where to look.
Nickolas quickly smoothed the horse's mane affectionately. After that horseback ride with Brian weeks ago, he had developed a new fondness for these animals. He had asked that one of his duties be to take care of the castle's horses. And the master had granted him that wish. Nickolas smiled brightly as he twisted his fingers around the horse's mane. The horse reflexively nudged Nick's head gently.
Nick closed his eyes and enjoyed the peace and quiet. But the silence was soon broken by footsteps and Nickolas found himself backing up from the horse. He didn't even turn around in time when he felt a hand over his mouth, shushing him. Quickly, the hand dropped and Nickolas turned around only to stare in surprise at a handsome man in his thirties, probably.
The man looked at Nickolas and smiled. "Hello stranger."
Nickolas gazed at the man uncertainly. "Hello. Ummmm, did you need something?"
The man merely smiled. "Actually, yes. I was wondering which way to Dorshire from here."
Nickolas frowned. "It is about a days worth of travel north of this castle."
The man laughed. "Should I even trust your judgment, boy?"
Nickolas looked at the man indignantly. "The name is Nickolas!"
"Nickolas?" the man repeated Nick's name over and over until Nick felt really uncomfortable. "That is a very suitable name for you, boy."
Nickolas didn't know what that meant, but wished that the man would leave soon.
The man seemed to have caught Nick's fear and smiled. "And my name is Frank. Thank you, boy. You've been very helpful."
"Good-bye," Nick said hastily, not even trying to conceal his dislike for the man.
"All right, I get the picture." Frank quickly waved and disappeared out of the stalls. Nick sighed in relief and went back to cleaning up the horse.
Within minutes, he heard more footsteps and immediately stiffened.
"Hey, it's only me!" Brian quickly called out when he saw that Nickolas was about to jump him.
"Brian?" Nickolas asked, relieved.
"Yeah. You're a little jumpy today," Brian asked, concerned.
Nickolas sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
Brian smiled weakly, his eyes now sneaking glances at Nickolas. "Uh, have you heard the news?"
Nickolas looked at Brian with confusion. "What news?" he asked, although from the looks of Brian's worrisome face, it did not look like good news.
"My father has declared a feast for tomorrow," Brian began. He didn't know why he thought the news would be terrible to Nickolas. In fact, he dreaded that Nickolas would take the news of Brian and the duke's daughter with happiness.
Nickolas gazed at Brian intently. "Why?"
"My father wishes that I marry the duke's daughter," Brian said softly.
The news hit Nickolas like a ton of bricks. He took a deep breath before he could answer. He had enjoyed Brian's company so much in the past few weeks that his feelings for the master's son were growing too deep for him to handle. And now, the thought of Brian being by another's side gave him an overwhelming sense of loss. Still, he could understand very well the master's reasoning. He was not blind nor dumb. He knew that the kingdom was bracing itself for a rebellion. Nickolas swallowed hard. How could Brian, so noble and handsome, possibly be linked to a mere servant as he? He was entertainment, but nothing more. Nickolas finally smiled a bittersweet smile and looked at Brian. "You will sweep her off her feet," he said honestly. "I heard that she is a beauty herself."
Brian's heart sunk. Was it true that Nickolas did not have any feelings of jealousy whatsoever? How could the boy be so indifferent to this entire matter? Brian didn't care whether the duke's daughter would be swept off her feet. Apparently, Nick wasn't. Brian looked away from Nickolas. "I sure hope so. Father has high hopes of me. And I guess I want to make this work too." Before he could look at Nickolas eyes again, Brian turned around and walked away. He was not going to fall apart in front of Nickolas, not when the boy was so blind to his feelings.
Nickolas stared at Brian, his heart broken. "I'm sure you will win her heart. She would be a fool not to fall in love with you," Nickolas whispered softly, fighting back the tears.
That night, dinner proved to be torturous as Brian had to eat every spoonful of food and look at his father at the same time. He didn't want to see his father's face if he could help it. He didn't want to stare at that man and long for what that man had already owned. Why was it that his father was extremely lucky? What did his father possess that Nickolas would remain his so willingly? He had hoped that dinner would remain uneventful, but he was soon disappointed.
"My dear family, I have an announcement!" the noble started.
Brian's brothers enthusiastically smiled. "What is it, father?" the eldest asked.
"Yes! We love surprises. Do tell us that there is a celebration going on! I have seen our servants hard at work!" the youngest added.
The noble laughed. "We are celebrating the arrival of the duke of Shershire and his beautiful daughter, Katrina. They are to arrive by the morrow."
"Ecstatic!" another brother gawked. "Dear father, this indeed is happy news. What is the occasion?"
"We are to hopefully celebrate Brian's engagement as well, depending on how charming Brian is!" the noble replied happily.
All his brothers stared at him with excitement. "Yes, Brian. She will never resist your charms!" They all nodded in agreement.
"Now, children. I do want to emphasize that you are to help your brother out in all possible ways. We are going through difficult times here and we are indeed in need of political and financial support! We shall remain dignified and pleasant. Do not reveal any of our bad reputation and all shall go fine!" The noble looked sternly at his children, then at Brian. "Is that understood?"
All of Brian's brothers nodded. Even the Lady was extremely proud and ate dinner with a gleam. Only Brian seemed to have been lost in a world of his own, uncertain of what will happen. He thought of Nickolas and felt his heart sink again. Nickolas had broken his heart. But he also felt a hostility towards the boy. He will show Nickolas that he could be charming! He will win the duke's daughter's love and Nickolas will learn regret. He will make Nickolas jealous! But as he thought that, Brian sighed with sadness. How could he make Nickolas jealous when the boy didn't even notice him? No, the boy was completely involved with his father. Nickolas would never notice how debonair Brian would be in front of the duke's daughter! Brian wanted to shout to relieve all his stress. How could these emotions he had for Nick be so consuming, so destructive?
Dinner had ended quickly and Nickolas soon found himself in his master's chambers once again. He quickly changed into the silk robes his master had bought for him a few days ago and waited patiently on the bed. Before long, his master joined him in the room, his eyes sparkling at the sight of Nickolas.
"Ahhhh, Nickolas, my little love. I have news for you." The master smiled generously.
Nickolas gazed at his master intently. "If you are referring to the arrival of the duke and his daughter, then I have already known!"
The noble looked at Nickolas quizzically. Nickolas continued. "Such good news could not be kept a secret in this castle."
The noble laughed genuinely. "What do you think?"
Nickolas tried his best to smile. "It is a wonderful idea. Your son will be the center of all attention!"
The noble laughed with glee. "Yes, Brian will. But I have other reasons." Suddenly, the noble frowned and stared into Nick's eyes with a hint of anger. This startled Nickolas as he sunk deep down into the mattress.
"What reasons?" Nick asked, suddenly frightened by his master's stare.
The master leaned down so that his face was inches from Nickolas. "So that I could take the attention away from you. I have been insanely jealous these past few weeks. I want you to know that no one will share you with me. You will only receive my attention alone, and nobody else's. I've seen the way my sons look at you. But you are only to receive my affection."
Nickolas swallowed with difficulty. "Your sons do not harbor any romantic thoughts towards me, I assure you, master."
"Let's hope what you just said is true," the master said under clenched teeth. Nickolas felt his chest becoming heavier by the second. He did not know what to do. He simply laid there, gazing into his master's eyes. Slowly, he could see his master lower his gaze until his eyes rested on Nick's lips longingly.
The master suddenly smiled. "You bewitch me."
Then, Nickolas felt his master's mouth on his and he willingly obliged . . . anything to prove to his master that he was loyal, that there was nothing going on between him with any of the sons that the master had suspected. Before long, both drifted into a deep slumber and neither awakened before the crack of dawn.
Brian woke up drenched in sweat. It had been a restless night. He kept on wondering what was going on in his father's bedchambers between Nick and his father. Every time he closed his eyes, horrifying images arose, forcing him to wake up. He did not understand what was going on. How could Nickolas have such a powerful impact on him? So many women had fallen at his feet, and here was Nickolas resisting him!
Well, today, he would look his best and force Nickolas to drool over him! He would show just how insanely attractive he could be as well! He would have Nickolas on his knees, begging for his love. Brian knew he could do it, too. He felt a surge of confidence as he quickly opened the curtains to let the sunlight seep into his room. With new resolve, he quickly planned the day ahead of him.
There was no doubt. Today would be one hell of a feast! He could hear the servants bustling below. The sun was bright and the day was too beautiful. It would turn out to be the feast of a lifetime. Already, he could smell the delicious gourmet food. The castle smelled of lilies. He could even hear his mother's laugh from across the tower. His brothers were joking downstairs as well. Brian felt a wave of joy flow through his entire body. Today would be his day to shine.
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