(There will be a few character deaths later on. However, this is not a tragedy. I don't write tragedies.)
In His Eyes
Was it love at first sight?
When asked that in the years after, Alfred always grinned and lied.
The truth was people liked not knowing. They liked being in the dark. They wanted the hero of a fairy tale. So he let them believe he didn't regret his first look into those haunting green eyes. That he was happy temptation had turned his gaze to Arthur.
Few knew the real story of Alfred and Arthur.
That story began on a hot, muggy day...
The glare of the afternoon sun had beaten down the column of soldiers. Both Alfred's grey horse, Liberty, and Matthew's white horse, Maple, walked with a slowed gait, dragging each hoof forward.
The air was so heavy Alfred felt like he breathed water.
"We must rest soon. Maple can't take much more," Matthew said softly, patting at his throat with a handkerchief so soaked with sweat it looked of little use. "Kiku is mad to keep this pace!"
Alfred nodded in agreement.
Sweat was dripping from the ends of his straw-blond hair and he was sure his cowlick was drooping. The undershirt of his leather armor was stuck to his torso. More than a few times he glanced with longing at the thick shade of oaks and elms lining the side of the road beyond Matthew.
A sudden pull drew his gaze to the river. He tried to ignore it. For some reason he had felt a growing apprehension about the river. As well as an increasing thirst. His waterskin was empty, but if he asked to drink from Matthew's he'd get a lecture about pacing himself better.
As the road curved around a bend, the grassy bank narrowed to only a couple feet, enough so Alfred could have seen his reflection if he leaned out of his saddle.
Then it happened.
It felt like an unseen hand pushed one side of his face and compelled him to face the river. His gaze traveled down into the river's dark depths, past its murky blue surface, past the carp and minnows teeming among stalks of kelp, and finally to its silty bottom.
The twitter of birds, the chatter and booted footfalls of soldiers, and the steady clomp of horse' hooves faded to a whisper, drowned out by the mellow rush of the river.
Alfred squeezed on the reins, wanting to warn his brother. Not a peep would escape his throat. Although Matthew was in arm's reach, Alfred could not signal him of the terror Alfred was seeing.
A shape rose from the river bed, gliding apace to Liberty. Mud and silt sloughed off the specter until a lean man was revealed. He was naked, eyes shut and arms cross over his pale chest like he had been lain for burial. The plants and fish never touched him, as if they inherently knew to bend around him.
The Kingdom awaits you, poppet, said an accented voice in Alfred's head.
His heart sped up. What was this evil?
"Al?" called a distant voice. It was Matthew's, yet it sounded miles away.
It's never hot in my kingdom, the creature said.
Alfred struggled, trying to wrench his eyes away. His gazed remained glued to the creature.
The phantom laughed - a sound like tinkling chimes - and opened its eyes. They shined as emeralds and gripped Alfred.
Come down for a swim, love.
No, Alfred wanted to shout.
Sweat streamed down his face. He baked alive. His hand flew up and tugged at his collar. He needed to strip; he needed it off.
Stop! It's not real, he told himself, forcing himself to calmness.
And you'll never thirst, that voice said.
Had Alfred been thirsty before? He had never known real thirst until now. It felt as though he had swallowed sand. His lips cracked, broke, and bled from the dryness. His tongue scraped around his parched mouth. it was painful to swallow and all he wanted was a drink of the river's briny-flavor. One drop.
He was hardly aware of attempting to climb out of his saddle to jump in until a hand yanked him back.
"Al? What're you doing?" Matthew said, holding onto Alfred's collar. "Were you going for a swim?"
The other sounds of the world snapped back so fast it made Alfred dizzy. He blinked in shock.
"Mattie?" he said in confusion. His brother's pale violet eyes studied him in concern. That rounded face was painted with worry. "I'm fine." Alfred's said in a harsher voice than meant to.
What had happened? Had the heat made him hallucinate?
Although he was afraid to, he needed to know. Fearfully, he glanced back and slumped in relief to see nothing in the water. No ghost. No naked man floating like a corpse. It had been nothing.
"I'm going to insist to Kiku that we rest," Matthew said as Alfred turned back to him.
"I'm fine."
"You're pale as a ghost," Matthew said. Alfred frowned at his brother using that word. "You might have heat exhaustion."
Maybe that's it, Alfred thought.
He had just convinced himself of that when a cold voice whispered in his head, one that chilled his heart, and said, We'll be forever, love.
"Never," he breathe.
And for the first time since he had come to these lands across the Great Sea, Alfred missed home and he thought of father.
tbc...