Note: Tête-à-tête, private conversation between two people.
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Chapter 64:
Tête-à-tête - 1st Anniversary Special
This anniversary special is something written by Hunny and I to celebrate our milestone of one year of online posting for Your Majesty, the King! Please enjoy this short story that is in no way relevant to the story, but provides a more intimate view into YMtK.
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A tall figure rested with his back tall and straight, his eyes focused intently on the painted canvas on the easel in front of him. The paintbrush on his hand, smeared with paint, sat between his fingers as the young man touched his chin in thought, appearing lost in a sea of various ideas. It was not until he tilted his head to the side that an idea came to him, and he lowered his paintbrush onto the canvas, smiling brightly as he did so.
The young man's navy blue hair sparkled under the natural sunlight of the tall, floor-to- ceiling windows. With the window pushed open, the sheer, white curtains were pushed forward, dancing in the wind as the figure of the young prince disappeared into a fuzzy shadow, hiding him from view of the soldier standing in the doorway, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wood of the door, appearing lazy.
The prince's bright blue eyes burned with a fire shown only when painting, and his gaze never left the canvas. A smile rested on his lips, and a slight flush warmed his cheeks as he placed down the paintbrush on the side table, grabbing the white rag to the side to wipe the splashes of paint off of his fingers. His eyes lifted back to the figure in the unfinished painting, and the smile on his lips grew embarrassingly, like a child writing about their crush in a secret letter.
"I've only been gone for a minute, but you're lost in your paintings again, Clarence." A hand rested on the prince's shoulder, the warmth trailing through the thin white blouse the prince wore with ease. "Another painting of me, I presume?" The low tone of the voice was mellow and charming, but gentle.
Turning his head, his cheeks flushing red, Clarence coughed awkwardly into his palm as he said with an annoyed pout, "I think I was able to capture your features accurately this time." The smile on Clarence's face softened as he stared at the pale, blonde figure staring at the painting. The figure in the painting was special to him, a person at his side, his protector, his companion, but it was only a cheap replica of the true person. That person stood next to him now, watching him paint with interest.
That person released a low chuckle from their throat, looking at the painting in amazement as they said quietly, "You keep painting me like that martyr, the Martyr Elf. While I'm no martyr, I'm flattered that you think I look as elegant and handsome as him." The young soldier standing behind Clarence was Silas, who leaned forward, resting his hands on each side of the prince's shoulders with a lazy air about him. "Each painting you paint is better than the last." Silas's flattery was short but honest. Clarence's paintings were oddly lifelike, and it took much talent and skill to be able to replicate what Clarence had painted. Seeing he was so passionate about painting, he tried to encourage the young man the best he could.
Clarence, feeling his ears flushed hot, stood up from the stool and faced Silas, now standing at least half a foot taller than the elf. He felt nervous, watching the development of his feelings grow to the point where even he could no longer control them. He was tempted to throw his feelings forward, to just grab the other man and wrap him in his arms, holding him close as he expressed what he truly felt.
There was no guarantee; however, that the young elven soldier would reciprocate his feelings.
Instead, Clarence steeled his nerves and said with a light smile, "Silas, there's something I've been meaning to show you. Will you follow me for a while?"
Silas nodded, "Of course. I am your bodyguard, after all."
The painting was still wet, and if he were to cover it now, it could risk smearing the colors, so the prince left the fabric cover on the stool he often sat on and led Silas out the door of the painting room. It was just transitioning into autumn, and the warm reds and yellows of the leaves were already spreading through the green trees with a noticeable difference. The smell of autumn rain brought a moist odor that permeated the drying air, bringing the smells of fruit and fresh soil in the air with it.
Wearing their suit coats, the pair was warm under the bright autumn sun. The shallow breeze blew at Silas's light hair with a gentle push, and he pushed his bangs back behind his ear with his fingers, while the rest of his hair sat on his shoulder in a small braid. His green eyes danced from one tree to another, taking in the natural view of the forest as it began to decay and slowly enter the winter season. Even the animals, aware of the temperature changes, began to hide in their burrows, preparing to hibernate the season away.
Clarence walked slowly, attempting to follow pace with Silas, whose eyes moved left and right, his mouth parted in awe as he appreciated the beautiful scenery of the back garden of the palace. The fountain behind the palace was full of clear, clean water and dotted with dead leaves that had fallen inside it, floating on the surface of the water. Passing by it, Silas picked up one delicately by the stem, swirling the leaf back and forth in his hand as he waved it at the prince, a smile growing on his face.
"Silas, do you remember when we first met? At the palace." Clarence asked as he stopped and turned towards Silas. Silas perked up at the question, the leaf he was holding dangling in between his fingers. As he pondered the question, his eyebrows sloped in confusion.
"Yes, of course. You had come to see the new recruits for the capital guard, and I was among the large group of new recruits. I still remember how you grabbed the king's coat and screamed about the "Martyr Elf" in the crowd while he was giving a speech."
"Yeah," Clarence laughed lightly, absentmindedly kicking a nearby stone, "And I remember how my mother's face dropped as I did it. She tried to hurry me back into the palace, but I refused to leave the "Martyr Elf." I was so scared you would end up like the main character did in that story. I felt it was my duty to save you."
Silas laughed and shook his head at the thought, "I do remember that well. That was quite an introduction to being a capital solider. How does that tale end anyway?"
Clarence paused for a minute, as if lost in thought, before pushing another nearby stone with his foot, "I don't remember." His voice was low, and his eyes lowered, but Silas did not notice this change in his expression.
"I see." Silas said with a smile, dropping the wet leaf to the ground as he asked, looking towards the prince, "Why did you ask anyway?"
"The weather made me think of the day we first met." Clarence reminisced, continuing his walk forward with light steps. Silas quickly joined him, standing slightly behind him as they continued to walk aimlessly through the fall foliage, "It has something to do with what I am going to show you too." The smile on his face grew as he motioned for Silas to follow him with a wave of his hand.
"I'll go anywhere you are, Prince Clarence." Silas said with a slight nod of his head, "It's the least I can do as your only bodyguard." His words were unwavering.
"Why would I need many mediocre guards when one excellent guard is more than enough?" Clarence asked, turning his head towards Silas with a warm smile on his face. He lowered his body to pick up a stone on the dirt path. Under the light of the sun, the smooth surface of the stone twinkled lightly in the sunlight, gleaming like a fine gemstone. He brushed the tip of his thumb against the surface, as if testing its quality.
Silas laughed, thinking of the many mistakes he had made to get this far, and how difficult it had been for him to reach this level of accomplishment. Inside, he felt as if he were another soldier, and that there were many soldiers at or above his level in the palace. His anxiety ate at his mind, haunting him with the thought of not being good enough, but the fact that the crown prince personally chose him out of the large crowd that fateful day many years ago dismissed those thoughts.
"You are worthy of being here, Silas." When Silas had voiced his insecurities in the past with the prince, Clarence grew unhappy. He felt Silas had already demonstrated his strength to others, so why did he not see the strength he already processed himself? The prince's ardent, genuine praise was enough to pick up Silas's spirits then, and now, it was something he still thought back on fondly when he found himself lost in his thoughts.
"Silas?" Clarence called out, standing up and throwing the stone up and down in his hand. Silas shot upright too, snapping out of his thoughts.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. I am not acting as a bodyguard should." Silas said with a quick bow of his head. This action was abruptly dismissed by Clarence, who caught the small stone in his hand and began walking again, ignoring Silas's expression of regret.
"I told you to call me Clarence." Clarence sighed, returning to his repeated action of throwing the stone in the hand into the air, then letting it drop into his palm as he walked forward.
"I understand, Your-" Silas sighed and closed his eyes, "Clarence. I will do so when we are alone."
"Please do." Clarence said with a roguish smile, which received a tired look from Silas, "Don't be like that. We're almost there."
"Where are we going, exactly?" Silas asked, glancing around at the changing surroundings. The groomed, elegant courtyard of the palace was now gone, instead replaced with the foliage of the woods surrounding them. A small, dirt path led them forward, as the branches from overhanging trees and overgrown bushes brushed both of them as they walked. Clarence continued to throw his stone up and down, up and down, acting as if he were on an everyday stroll in the palace. As tree limbs caressed Silas's unwilling face, Silas pushed them away, always keeping his eye on the elusive prince.
"Here! Through this bush!" Clarence said, snatching his stone up mid-air and diving into a large, dense bush in front of him.
"Clarence!" Silas shouted, running and diving into the bush after him. As Silas held out his hand, trying to find the prince through the incredibly thick foliage, he felt a hand reach out and grab tightly onto his, their fingers interlocking like a completed puzzle.
"Don't worry, I've got you." Clarence said, pulling Silas gently towards him. Silas used his other free hand to keep him stable as he made his way out of the dense bush. Silas's head popped out first, and he was greeted by a smiling Clarence. As Silas climbed out of the bush, grimacing at Clarence's brilliant smile, they released their grip on each other's hands. Silas used his now-free hand to help himself up, and as he rose, he and Clarence stood face to face.
"Can you please not do that, Clarence?" Silas grumbled as he looked up at the tall young man.
"Do what?" Clarence asked with a devilish grin, his hand raising to Silas's head to pluck a leaf off his hair. Silas watched Clarence pluck the leaf, then sighed heavily,
"Running away from me, diving into a random bush," Silas pulled another leaf out of his hair, "Not letting me do my job."
"Why shouldn't I? You'll protect me anyway." Clarence asked, turning away from Silas and taking in the sight all around them, "More importantly, we're here."
Silas ruffled his hair, shaking loose any leaves that clung to his hair still, and looked up, taking in the environment around him with a gasp. The lake was large and clear, sparkling on the surface from the light of the dimming fall sun. The waves were still in the stagnant water, and the sounds of crickets and toads filled the air, bringing to life the green foliage and beautiful wildflowers blooming on the edges of the clearing, creating a breathtaking picture Silas could only gaze at in awe.
"How did you find a place like this?" Silas asked, marveling at the beauty around him as he stepped forward, his head moving back and forth as he gazed around them.
"I might have gone exploring when you went to go visit your family." Clarence said with a grin he attempted to hide by picking up another stone on the ground, covering his face from Silas's view.
"Really, Clarence?" That was all Silas could muster in response, which caused Clarence's grin to grow even more. The prince had finally worn Silas down enough. Standing up, Clarence threw a stone to Silas, who immediately caught it with a snap of his wrist. Bemused, Silas opened his hand to stare at the smooth, small stone resting in the center of his palm.
"What-" But before Silas could finish his question, Clarence moved to the edge of the lake next to Silas, where he then pulled his arm back and threw the stone in his hand onto the surface of the water. Both watched as the stone skipped on top of the water, once, twice, then into the deep pond it sank, letting out an audible plunk as it sank deeper and deeper into the clear blue water.
"How was that? Are you impressed?" Clarence asked with a large, goofy grin, his arms open wide, as if displaying his achievement.
"Not really." Silas said, staring at the stone, then the pond with a testy gaze. He pulled his arm back like he had seen Clarence do, then threw the stone into the pond. It sank immediately, to Silas's dismay and Clarence's absolute amusement, "Alright, so it's a little harder than it looks." Silas noted with a sigh, picking up a stone near his feet and trying again. The stone sank immediately again, causing frustration to bubble in the bottom of Silas's chest. This time, Clarence could not control his laughter, and he burst out laughing, wiping a tear that came to his eye as he tried to stop laughing, to no avail.
"Alright, stop laughing and show me how to do it. I'm going to master this, so I can show Cirdan and Aurelia."
Once Clarence took a minute to stop laughing, taking deep breaths and wiping the tears that came to the corners of his eyes from his intense laughter, he grabbed another smooth, flat stone. He then stood next to Silas and walked him through how to throw the stone step by step, but every time they tried, Silas's stone would sink immediately.
"I wonder what you're doing wrong." Clarence said aloud, staring at Silas's hand as he grabbed yet another stone to practice with. As Silas was about to release the rock, the prince grabbed Silas's wrist and stopped him with a serious face, saying with a nod, "That's the problem! Here, let me show you how to hold it."
Clarence's fingers rested on Silas's hand for a moment as he adjusted his grip on the stone, making sure the flat side of the rock was between his thumb and middle finger by guiding Silas's fingers with his own, wrapping his hand around the other man's as if it were natural. Neither of them noticed as Clarence instructed Silas to tilt the stone up in his hand, like a disk.
Realizing where his hand was resting, the embarrassed prince removed his hands from Silas's and said, "You see, now you pull back your arm and flick your wrist when you swing it forward." He motioned, using his own rock to launch it across the water. This time, the rock he used made three skips, tapping against the water like a ballerina's grand jeté with swift, fluid movements.
Paying close attention to his rock in his hands, Silas let out a small breath and followed Clarence's instructions carefully, thinking in particular how the prince had guided his fingers to hold the stone. Wrapping the side of his hand around the stone, Silas rested his index finger on the side of the flat stone and held it like a platter. He steadied his stance and narrowed his eyes, looking at the water with a stiff expression as he pulled back his arm and waited.
He let out the breath he was holding and finally brought his arm back before he launched it forward like a knife, shooting the rock forward like a dart until it made contact with the water. Unlike his past unsuccessful attempts, this time the rock was able to skip the water once before it dropped into the water with a thudding sound.
"I did it! I really did it!" Silas jumped up and down like an excited child, smiling brightly. His green eyes crinkled as his cheeks lifted, brightening his wide smile. With the sunlight streaming down on him, a halo circled around Silas's head and body, making him bright against the background of dark foliage behind his figure.
Watching Silas act so excited, Clarence found himself lost in the moment. His eyes moved over Silas's smiling face, the brightness in his eyes, and the flush of excitement on his cheeks. As if they were frozen in time, he held that image in his mind. Once he blinked, Silas moved again, stepping towards the prince with a concerned expression as he spoke aloud, asking, "Clarence?"
Clenching his fists behind him, Clarence smiled and responded, "I'm happy you got it, Silas." He wanted to reach out his hand and pat the top of his knight's head, but he restrained himself, pressing his nails into his palm to keep his hand stationary. His gentle expression never changed, however. "Do you want to know another one?"
Hearing that, Silas nodded, squatting down at the edge of the water to look for another stone as Clarence stared at his distracted figure, lost in his thoughts once again. If only I could change our relationship, maybe then Silas would view me differently. He watched as Silas lifted a rock in his hand, laughing as he brought his arm back and launched the rock towards the water, skipping it once before it fell into the water with a plunk. If I were to do that, would Silas hate me, though? The fear of change held back the prince's confession, and he shook his head in frustration, keeping silent.
The pair spent the afternoon playing by the lake, ignoring the tall autumn sun as the light of day soon dimmed, bringing them out of their fun and back to the present. Looking at the hazy sky, Silas dusted off his uniform with the back of his hand and said, "Well then, Clarence, we should head back now. Your mother will be worried if you're not back in time for dinner."
As much as Clarence wanted to protest, Silas had already moved towards the edge of the bushes, where they entered from, and called for the prince. Seeing Silas waiting, he glanced back once more at the lake before he bent down and picked up a small, flat rock. The surface of the glossy black rock was smooth, and there was a special quality about it that made Clarence hold it in his palm, rubbing it with his fingers before he clutched the rock in his palm and moved to follow Silas with hurried footsteps.
"Let's go, Silas."
"Of course, Your Highness."
Clarence stepped through first, quickly followed by Silas, who glanced behind them one more time at the still lake before his figure disappeared into the leafy bush, hiding any and all traces of their encounter that day.
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This sweet extra was inspired by the original draft I started writing in the summer of 2019. As you can see, the draft has changed drastically from what it used to be. While I still have that old draft, I don't plan to release it. If I do, then you can read what could have been, or more so what I am not satisfied with. I like to think of the draft as a journey, and when Hunny suggested we change almost 200 pages of material, I was initially heartbroken. But, as I've found, it's really been for the better, and I enjoy every minute working on YMtK and what it's become with her writing talent. ♥
Thank you all for continuing the journey of Your Majesty, the King with us! Waiting for you all to see the story (and the relationships between characters) come to fruition is something Hunny and I are anxiously awaiting. It pains me that I can't spoil things, but the good news is all of it will come with time! Thank you all, again, for your continued support! I have a feeling YMtK will continue for another two years. In that time, maybe Hunny and I will be able to start working on our numerous other projects!
Much love, Cat and Hunny ♥
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