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Matt shifted on his feet, too anxious to sit but too self-conscious to pace. Over a year after vanishing on what should’ve been a routine scouting mission into the icy wastelands beyond the kingdom’s northern borders, Takashi had finally reappeared. Different, yes, but Matt had recognized him all the same, trailing after the neighbouring elven kingdom’s Princess like a shadow. The elven kingdom was, for the most part, south of them. Why would Takashi have gone there instead of coming back home? Matt didn’t think of his boyfriend as a coward, but the only other option was to accuse the elves of taking a servant of the crown prisoner and that was, well, a bad idea even by Matt’s standards.
The door opened, and Matt startled slightly as the princess’s advisor poked his head out. “They’ll see you now.” he said with a grin, opening the door and stepping aside, gesturing Matt into the room. Matt took a deep breath, tried to still the nervous twitching of his fingers, and stepped inside. “Let yourself out when you’re done.” the ginger haired elf said with a cheerful grin, and the click of the door shutting behind him made his stomach churn. He could feel magic in this room, moreso than in the rest of the castle. Most prominent of course was the elven stuff, which felt like syrupy sunlight and growing things, but there was an undercurrent of something darker, something that left a taste like rot and ash and lightning on his tongue.
“It’s not every day that a human requests an audience with me.” the Princess said, not looking up from where she was writing something in Elven. “What reason have you for seeking my presence, rather than that of the Kings?” she looked up, her sharp eyes meeting his and holding his gaze. They were bright and piercing in a way that reminded Matt of the Fair Folk his mother dealt with occasionally, and he tried not to squirm under her scrutiny.
“I have a question about a man I saw with you tonight.” he said, pressing his hands to his legs to hide their trembling.
“Oh, my consort?” her lips quirked in a smile. “He is handsome, is he not?”
Matt nearly choked. Consort? Oh, something was definitely up. Takashi was his boyfriend, had been since they were both apprentices being made to help muck the stables. The last letter he’d gotten had been scattered with little hearts and included a few rough sketches and descriptions of places which had made Takashi think of him. Takashi loved his job, Takashi loved him. There had to be some kind of magic at play here, but he couldn’t sense the sickly-sweet of love or lust spells so it had to be something more subtle.
“Yes.” Matt responded stiffly, once he’d regained his composure. “He also bears a strong resemblance to one of our guards who went missing in the northern wastes.” he tried not to glare, glaring at a Princess was a terrible idea, but he wasn’t sure how successful he was.
The Princess tilted her head, and Matt felt like one of the pinned insects in his father’s laboratory. “I am certain my father advised your King to cease those expeditions.” she said, her voice cold. “How many have ventured past your northern borders in the past two years?”
“Only three, sent by the crown.” Matt said. “A knight, his squire, and a mage.”
“And their names?” the Princess asked, breaking eye contact with Matt to set her quill in its inkwell.
“Takashi Shirogane, Lance Acosta, and Bartholomew DuLac.” Matt answered promptly. “Of the three, only the squire returned.”
The Princess stood and turned to one of the doors, which opened with a wave of her hand as she walked towards it. “Follow me.” she commanded, and Matt nearly tripped over his own feet doing so.
The room was her bedroom, but her bed was not empty. On it sat something unlike any being Matt had heard or seen or read of, legs crossed and head bowed as if meditating. Its back was to the door, thickly corded muscle decorated with scars from lashings and all manner of weapons. Its right arm was a prosthetic, and one which all but oozed dark magic, nearly strong enough to make Matt gag. Its other arm had a hand tipped with claws, and he would’ve bet everything he owned that its legs weren’t quite human.
The Princess said something in Elven, and the being on the bed replied in notably slower, choppier Elven. She moved forward, sitting on the edge of the bed, and said something else. The being’s head came up, and Matt couldn’t help but draw a quick breath. He’d know that tattoo anywhere, the crisp bands of colour at the base of the neck and over the pulse on each wrist. It was a mark of property recognized in all the neighbouring lands. Both people on the bed turned at his quiet gasp, and Matt felt like he’d been punched in the stomach.
“Taka.” he breathed, knees feeling weak. He’d suspected it enough to request a private audience with the Princess, but still he hadn’t dared to hope his beloved might actually have returned. Takashi’s eyes widened, then his face split with a grin and suddenly Matt was being lifted up off the floor.
“Matt!” Takashi laughed, his prosthetic arm almost uncomfortably warm where it pressed against the back of Matt’s tunic. “I remember you.” he beamed as they pulled apart. “Allura, I remember! That's my name! My name is Takashi!”
“That’s wonderful, Shi- Takashi.” she grinned, suddenly seeming much softer and more friendly than she had just moments ago.
“When Lance came back alone, everyone thought the worst.” Matt said quickly, gripping Takashi’s forearms. “What happened to you? Where’s Bart?”
“I don’t know.” Takashi shook his head. “I woke up in Allura’s castle without any memories, and she took me as a consort to protect me from the court while we tried to figure it out.”
“Just for protection?” Matt asked, looking over at Allura for confirmation. She shrugged.
“He’s quite lovely, especially when he’s training. It’s hardly my fault I enjoy having him around.”
Okay, Matt couldn’t argue with her there without being a giant hypocrite. He looked back to Takashi, and kissed the tip of his nose. “Don’t even think about vanishing like that again, you idiot. Had me worried sick.”
“I won’t.” Takashi smiled back, pulling Matt into another tight hug. “I promise.”