Chapter 10: Icy Gaze And Burning Glare.

Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Icy Gaze And Burning Glare.

"What the hell’s going on out here?"

It was the voice that made him pause, that deep, thick purr that sent prickles across his skin. As soon as he was on his feet, he spun around, eyes somehow missing the guards in his peripheral and instead zeroing in on the man stalking out from a nearby room with nothing but a white sheet draped haphazardly around his waist.

Lazy blue eyes suddenly narrowed darkly, meeting his heated gaze with confidence. Khobi’s brow furrowed into a scowl, his lip curling distastefully at the image the Prince of Crade was presenting. One tanned hand was at his crotch, the only thing pinning the sheet in place, and his entire rippling, dark body was glistening with sweat.

"Oh, it’s just you..." The contempt in the comment felt like a slap to the face, and coupled with the condescendingly quirked eyebrow, it made Khobi’s pride rear indignantly.

"Why you –" he began to growl, before squawking as he was abruptly seized under his arms by both Bongo and Albi, who had taken full advantage of his moment of distraction. He could’ve sworn he heard the prince scoff at him, picking at an ear disinterestedly and looking down his nose at the redhead. Those eyes, they looked content for the meantime, but Khobi could still feel the predator lurking behind that haze, the one that wore that dangerous look that made him feel uncomfortably hunted.

"Prince Loac," Bongo greeted formally, squeezing Khobi’s bicep hard since it seemed that he was on the verge of starting some kind of confrontation, "...We apologise for..." He paused, taking in the prince’s state of undress, before settling on, "Interrupting."

"Hah?" Loac yawned lazily, cricking his neck and waving away the apology, "it’s not like it was that amazing anyways..." Where Khobi’s face glowered at his tone of indifference, Bongo maintained a practiced neutral expression, and merely nodded to excuse them.

" –Don’t," Bongo advised Khobi in a tone that somehow made him feel like a chastised child. Apparently he’d seen a dark glimmer of resentment building in the redhead’s crimson gaze and decided to minimise the chances of violence. "You’re coming back with us, now." And the redhead knew he had no choice in the matter, the captain’s grip was like some kind of shackle, and he knew that no amount of struggling or trying to shake him off would do him any good. Resigned to that much at least, Khobi had no choice but to allow himself to be tugged away, back down the very corridor he had entered through right back to where he’d started.

He could feel eyes on him again, but these eyes were different from the ones he had felt when he could’ve sworn he was alone. These ones...he could feel them burning through his clothes, raking up and down his body, and when he glanced back over his shoulder, he caught blue, glinting eyes fixed on his ass.

Khobi’s eyes narrowed in displeasure, glimpsing the other man’s lips pursed almost in contemplation, and he shuddered again as he felt the ghost of a tanned finger brushing against his chin. Almost as though sensing he’d been caught staring, Loac dark gaze rose to meet his, cool, detached and exuding that kind of intense aura that had the redhead’s fighting spirit rearing its head.

From the corner of his eye, Bongo saw the exchange, felt in the slightest bit grateful that he wasn’t standing between them, lest he be burned. But as well as that, he also felt, not for the first time, and not for the last, that he really didn’t understand the mind of his king.

***

"Khobi, it’s been three days," Montrel groaned, head resting against the wall in the hopes that the cool stones would do something to relieve his pounding headache, "Can you stop with the banging?"

For a merciful few moments, the rhythmic pounding on the thick wooden door ceased, as if the redhead inside the room was contemplating this.

"...Are you going to let me out?" he inquired flatly, and the blonde could only let out a weak, muffled whine.

"...You know I can’t do that –" he began to sigh, but the banging started up again even before he’d finished his refusal. He let out a dry sob of despair, glancing across the doorway to where even the ever-collected Jaga was looking as though he was on the verge of breaking point. He let out a low breath, trying to block out the loud, heavy banging, punctuated every so often with an aggressive roar. And then of course, there was the second stone bench that several of them had had to lift on top of the first to try and reduce the strain on the protesting bolts. And though it did the job, with every few blows against the door, there was an unpleasant scratching noise as the benches grated against each other.

"Gods, when’s Hasbar meant to show up?" Montrel grumbled, "I can’t wait to get some actual sleep..."

" –Aren’t your quarters still in this wing of the castle?" Jaga inquired with a raised eyebrow, "Can’t you still hear him from there?"

"Yeah, so, like I could get any sleep there," the blonde muttered, shaking his head in resignation, "I’m taking a nap in the infirmary, I don’t know how any of the noblemen manage to sleep around here."

"Poorly," Jaga informed him gruffly, "The Captain and even His Majesty have been dealing with a lot of complaints..." There was a particularly loud crash from inside and both guards winced in resignation.

Jaga clapping a hand to his forehead with a long-suffering sigh, "Please don’t throw your furniture around..."At points during the last few days, Khobi had begun to wonder if just a little bit of Briyagi had rubbed off on him, seeing as he found a small shred of joy in the knowledge that he was thoroughly pissing off his guards, and also a fair portion of the castle population.

Being unceremoniously flung back into his room had made for a frustrating experience, heightened by the sound of something even heavier being shoved against his door, and the memory of probing blue eyes.

A good few kicks against the door hadn’t even made the thing rattle this time around. Nevertheless, it proved an excellent outlet for his aggression,something to kick and throw his weight against in protest of being locked up.

It wasn’t exactly his idea of exercise either, but it was better than nothing; and he couldn’t just sit there and let them think they’d won, after all.

The side effect of driving his guards completely up the wall with the relatively continuous thuds was an unforeseen bonus." –Wouldn’t it just be easier to chase him until he wears himself out?" .

Montrel mused as an alternative to having to sit in front of this godforsaken door and deal with the pounding of his head. "Or knock him out again, that seemed to work really well the first time?" " –He can hear you," Jaga pointed out, "...And don’t worry, it’s about time for him to start getting tired again, and he’s probably hungry, too.", "...I don’t know how he can be, he eats enough to feed half the guard...""...Hasn’t the Captain recently reminded you to watch your words a little more carefully?".

Apparently he had, because Montrel glanced away guiltily and clamped his mouth shut. Jaga could resist a small, wry smile.

"I’m going to find a servant to get some food sent up...""You don’t find servants," Montrel snorted, folding his arms disgruntledly, "They just kinda...pop up." Jaga had to chuckle –he did have a point."I’ll be back in a minute," he informed him, "I’ll tell them to send up something for you as well?""Something alcoholic would be really great."

Montrel didn’t know why his comrade seemed to find that funny, shaking his head in amusement as he tramped off down the corridor in search of a servant. No doubt there would be at least one lingering just around the corner.

The blonde watched him go, and as soon as he was out of sight, turned towards the door."Hey –hey...quit banging for a second," he growled in a low voice, "I’m serious!" he added, a moment later, when it seemed that Khobi didn’t seem like he was going to do as he asked, "How do you feel about cutting a deal?"There was a moment of blissful silence."...You wanted to knock me out," Khobi reminded him darkly.

"Yeah well, I’m going crazy here, and you’d knock me out if you had the chance," he muttered, and there was a mutinous grumble of affirmation from the other side of the door, "So, you want out? I can let you out."More silence, before Khobi suspiciously inquired, "What’s the catch?"" –If we catch you again, you quit trying to break the fuc...bloody door down," Montrel offered.

"mfph" Khobi scoffed, "...You’d just trip me as soon as you opened the fucking door. No deal." Montrel audibly groaned –he had in fact considered that cheap kind of trick, despite his complete confidence that he and his guards would be able to apprehend Khobi again before he even managed to get anywhere close to an exit. Too bad the prisoner had seen through that."Ugh," he sighed, relieved at least that it seemed as though Khobi was willing to entertain the notion of striking a bargain, should they get any more infuriated by the commotion he was causing.

The chase through the castle the other day had caused riot enough –nobles squawking about not feeling safe, and having their peace disrupted and the general mess the foreign prince had caused...but now he was just straight up causing constant noise. Screams of war, grating of sword against sword, and all manner of the loud, continuous noises that could be heard at the training grounds or in the city, those were things he could deal with. This thudding pounding, he could not.

" –How about a head-start?" he offered, after a moment of consideration. That seemed reasonable."...Tch," came that prideful scoff, "I don’t need that to outrun you; just don’t fucking trip me...""...I guess that’s –""This is not a negotiation, Montrel" Jaga’s deep voice interrupted suddenly, and Montrel yanked his face away from the door to glare across the stone benches at his comrade, who had been unusually stealthy in returning to his post.

The tall brunette merely raised an eyebrow at him, neither scathing, nor amused, it seemed, and Montrel couldn’t help but let out a resigned sigh at having been thwarted."Did you hear that, Khobi?" Jaga inquired, to make it very clear that he wasn’t getting out that easily. Instead of replying, there was just that aggravating, heavy thud of a fist meeting wood, and Montrel glared over at his comrade accusingly.

"You’re cracking a little too easily, don’t you think?" he added rather pointedly, ignoring the blond’s look."You will too, I guarantee it."