Cormag tugged on the tight material, snarling when it didn't loosen and yelping when it shifted back to its original position; stretched taut over his hips and legs while gleaming in a way most unfit for a soldier. Cormag pulled at the collar of his vest, which also, he noted angrily, clung to his chest and stomach and gleamed. How he'd managed to fit a long sleeved dress shirt beneath the vest and to tuck in the tails escaped him.
Duessel coughed loudly as the knight pulled on the hem of the vest, again.
"Come along, Cormag," He called. "Your clothing is fitting for such a grand event!" He then laughed at the outraged expression on the blonde man's face and discreetly leered at the form fitting clothing. That hundred gold to the maid had certainly been worth it.
"More fitting for a street corner," Cormag barked as Duessel herded him up the Frelian castle steps, towards the loud cacophony of voices. "They weren't like this when I bought them."
"Nonsense; they look wonderful. I'm sure others will think so as well," Duessel proclaimed, grinning as Cormag fought the prominent flush dominating his features, before thrusting him into the throng of ball-goers.
--
Seth swirled the liquid in his glass and observed the laughing war veterans. All of the guests had dressed in finery and elegance, making the crowded dance floor a glorious sight to behold. The Silver Knight nodded at a passing lady, one of the Rausten nobles, and retreated from the main throng.
He'd stayed near the entrance in the first hours of the party, patiently awaiting the arrival of a friend he hadn't seen in some time. Seth had eventually left the doorway, giving dances to simpering nobles or twirling old comrades around the room happily, Natasha was a very good dancer. The waiting knight laughed as Neimi forced Gilliam onto the floor and as Forde taught Kyle a few basic steps. The man's light hair fell in a curtain down his back, distracting Kyle and earning the man a sharp rebuke whenever he trod on the other's toes.
The waving hair reminded Seth of another's hair. The hair was a golden hue, not as light or thin as Forde's, but thick and darker. Like the first starting rays of a sunrise, bright and fleeting, before hurrying from sight as the brighter rays mount the horizon. Seth thought about how those rays resembled the man he sought, ever willing to help and bring order, yet quick to leave and uncomfortable when presented with gratitude. A sigh left the man's throat as he leant against a pillar.
"General?" A young knight questioned. "Are you alright?" Seth nodded and lifted his glass.
"Yes, I'm fine," Seth answered. "Just impatient." Franz chuckled and leant back on his heels to give his toes some rest.
"I doubt she's that bad of a dancer, Franz," Seth began, smiling as Franz sputtered and straightened. "See; here she comes, buck up."
"Right, sir!" Amelia grabbed Franz's hand, giggling and swishing her dress around her ankles. "I'm sure he'll be here soon, sir," Franz called as the girl led him away, discreetly grabbing two glasses off a distracted waiter. Seth smiled and straightened from the pillar.
Passing along the outskirts of the grouping, Seth noticed a flare of jade and made his way towards the hero. Without the violet head guard the green strands fell in a wave across the man's forehead, throwing shadows over his scar and giving him an air of relaxation. He stood alone, leaning contently against a wall and smiling in his care free way. At sighting Seth he grinned and called to him, raising his glass. Seth's queen and lady Frelia waved at him as they both grabbed a glass from a passing servant, their features a vibrant rose shade as they lifted the glass to their equally pink lips.
"Maladies, I hope you are enjoying yourselves?" He called, stopping to greet them before continuing on towards Gerik. Both giggled and shook their intertwined arms.
"Why, the grand Silver Knight! You certainly do look dashing!" Tana remarked cheerily, taking in his fitting black attire, bubbling with mirth.
"Oh Seth," Eirika began excitedly. "This is such a splendid affair! Did you see Innes? My, and I thought he looked fine in war clothing!" The ladies cackled and once again rose their glasses. Seth smiled and bid the queens a good evening, chuckling inwardly at their less than sober sate, and resumed his way towards Gerik. The man wasn't in the same spot, having moved farther along the wall towards the entrance. His maroon clothing swished back and forth as he strode along, Seth noticed, carrying two glasses. The knight altered his course and followed the man before noticing Garcia.
"Sir Garcia," Seth cried happily, "How are you?" The warrior turned from his conversation with Dozla and placed a hand on the knight's soldier.
"If it isn't the Silver Knight! I would be a right ungrateful man to not enjoy myself at such a party!" The two bearded men brought their mugs together and laughed joyously. "And you, General, have you gotten yourself a bonny lass yet?" Seth laughed and shook his head.
"No, sir, not yet. I'm not sure if ever, really. A pleasure seeing you as well, Sir Dozla. Enjoy the party." The man roared a greeting, plucking uncertainly at the button down shirt his queen had forced over his broad chest. Seth found the jade flare and walked towards the now stationary man. Gerik was leaning against the wall, one arm supported against the structure, while the other held a mug. He appeared to be speaking to someone further along the wall, standing beneath a flickering torch. Seth began to turn, bowing to a Frelian nobleman, before catching a glimpse of bright hair.
The torch lit upon the slim pant legs and traveled past the man's hips, throwing the cobalt leather into sharp relief. The light illuminated a silver buckle before lighting along the slim matching vest and shone on cropped blonde strands. Gerik shifted, with his back now pressed to the wall alongside his companion, and threw an arm over the other's shoulders.
Seth forgot that he held a glass and nearly dropped it as Cormag, as the man clearly was, shifted uncomfortably and brought the second mug Gerik had brought to his lips. Gerik laughed as Marisa was pulled onto the dance floor and shifted closer, bringing Cormag pressed against his side, and observed how the fire light lit upon the shimmering leather. Gerik's hand disappeared from the tense shoulders and Seth noticed how he turned his head to speak softly into the other man's ear. A group of Pegasus knights paraded in front of Seth, capable of both devastation on the battlefield and elegance in court, blocking his view of the men. When the ladies were past, the ever-graceful Syrene greeting him, Gerik was leaning alone against the wall with a second mug in his hand, with an annoyed, if unsurprised, expression on his face. Seth, letting a held breath out, set his empty glass on a passing tray and walked towards Gerik as the other looked up and gestured to his second mug.
--
Cormag rubbed his hands together and observed the various doorways, Duessel was standing near the main exit and talking with an assortment of knights, he noted with frustration. He'd never conversed past technical maneuvers with the Desert Tiger, but they'd never gotten along badly. They'd never gotten along particularly well either, Cormag thought angrily, certainly not that well.
Blasted leather.
While muttering to himself, Cormag avoided old comrades and nobles that had journeyed from the six nations to Frelia's grandest castle for a ball, to 'better grow support and understanding betwixt Magvel's grand nations' Duessel had explained. A great many people had come to the event, quite a few of the foreign nobles had noticed Cormag and risen their glasses to him, an odd sparkle in their eyes. Cormag always nodded politely at them, and scurried way whenever one made attempts to join him in his guardianship of the wall.
Now, since Gerik had found his hiding spot, most people had ignored him under the glaring torch light, he needed to find another area to be ignored in. While walking along the wall towards the door to the gardens, Cormag skirted around a pillar and ran into an orange-haired holy man.
"Steady there, Artur." Cormag placed a hand on the slight bishop's shoulder and steadied him. Artur greeted him happily, face slightly flushed as his eyes swept down Cormag's pants and up. Cormag decided, with great annoyance, that the flush came from drinking, and replied when asked about Genarog. "The beast is around here somewhere, probably scaring the horses."
"He's such a kind creature. I'll have to go see him soon," Artur comment. "You look, erm…you look very fine this evening, Cormag." The bishop rubbed his reddening neck and laughed awkwardly as Cormag averted his gaze and plucked at his sleeve distractedly.
"Yeah," Cormag began quietly. "You too, sure. Is that Joshua?" Artur spun around; squeaking as the swordsman made to toss his last coins into the gathering pile on the bar, tossing an apologetic farewell over his shoulder as he rushed away. Cormag frowned and turned towards the garden doors, intent on sneaking out somehow.
He was nearly to the threshold when a slight pair of arms wrapped around his waist.
"Cormag! Cormag, Cormag, how do you do?" The blonde knight dislodged himself and turned to see Tana and Natasha smiling sweetly. Tana bubbled with laughter, Natasha's face was its natural pretty shade, Cormag noted with relief. "See, Natasha? I told you he was a sight to see!" Natasha giggled, and Cormag tried to fight the redness spreading across his face. Both ladies giggled again, and were then asked for a dance, giving Cormag a chance to again attempt to slip through the garden doors.
--
Seth turned from his conversation with Rennac and Tethys and watched as a blonde knight passed through a set of doors, presumably to the garden. Seth bid the two a fair evening and then retreated towards the same doors. He nodded at Duessel, who gave a significant glance towards the garden entrance and smiled, and proceeded to make his way across the floor, grabbing two mugs. Once through the doors and in the pleasurable coolness of night, Seth walked down a winding path, lined with great flowered bushes and spaced torches. A great stonewall surrounded the expansive garden and Seth, turning a corner, found Cormag contemplating the wall and its height.
"Hello, stranger." Cormag turned at the call, unconsciously pulling at the vest hem, and visibly brightened when identifying the caller as Seth.
"Seth! Sure, it's been some time," Cormag replied as he left the wall to come towards the Silver Knight and lay tanned hands on his black clad shoulder. Seth welcomed the pressure and smiled at the honest joy in Cormag's azure eyes. "I'm glad to see you." Seth said as he handed Cormag the second mug and gestured towards a bench further down.
Once settled Cormag brought the mug to his lips and drained a portion of it before dropping his head back and groaning. Seth set his mug aside and observed the sight before him. The cobalt leather shone faintly in the meager light, stretched tautly over the muscled thighs and lean hips. The buckle seemed a light gray; an inscription too dull to read in the waning light catching his eye. The vest, of the same cobalt material, caused streaks of light to dance up the formed stomach and past the chest, halting in the man's blonde strands.
"You've enjoyed yourself," Seth started. "Hopefully?" Cormag mumbled something and drained the mug before setting it on the ground, closing his eyes and stretching his legs.
"Somewhat, I guess." Cormag extended his arms, letting the vest pull up to reveal the white shirt tucked beneath. "Blast, there're too many people in there."
"I believe that the council of Carcino came, as well." Seth edged closer to the reclining knight and reached a hand forward, lightly tracing the dark scar as those azure eyes snapped open, brought into sharp relief by the colored leather.
"H-hey," Cormag began tensely, and then softened, frowning at his nervousness.
"Great," Seth commented softly.
"Eh?"
"Sorry, you look great," Seth repeated. "Truly." Cormag, remembering his attire, sat up and grabbed Seth hand, mumbling disbelief. "Come now, Cormag. I wouldn't lie to you." Seth replaced his hand and ran it along the nervous jaw and curved ear.
"Only now, cleaned up, maybe." Cormag muttered, standing and moving backwards when Seth stood to follow. It didn't occur to his senses to lash out and leave, as he had with Gerik. Most things didn't seem to occur to him around Seth; things like leaving or lashing, or breathing, occasionally.
"No," Seth continued, flattening a palm near Cormag's neck against the tree he'd backed the other against, and another near his waist. "Always; in battle, in town, whilst asleep…" Seth moved closer, leaning against the gleaming chest and placing a hand against the man's hip. "In fine clothes trying to avoid admirers… always." Cormag grasped at the hand that tightened around his belt, drawing his body against the other.
"You …don't seem drunk," Cormag tried, seeking explanation for the strange behavior, in no way adverse to it, if not wholly skeptical.
"I'm not." Seth leant against the trunk, bringing his face close to the other's. "You're shaking."
"As if." Seth heard the smirk in the now steady voice and welcomed the sudden pressure on his lips. "Would you mind over much," Seth questioned, circling the fit waist with his second arm and briefly reclaiming the grinning lips. "-were I to stay with you this evening?"
"Tonight, too, if you'd like." Cormag replied slowly, still pulling on the shirt material unconsciously, before Seth claimed the fretting hand and pressed further against the blonde knight's body.
--
Seth and Cormag reentered the ballroom a time later, the many guests continued to twirl and dance. Gerik nodded and raised his mug to Seth once more, eyes flickering momentarily to Cormag, who was pulling bits of tree bark from his sunny hair, and smirking before turning back to Saleh, who'd finally arrived with Ewan.
Cormag was convinced to mingle, standing near Seth and barely starting when the man's arm curled around his waist to still his fretting hands. Tana proclaimed the event a success as Ephraim and Innes fell to the floor with rosy cheeks; the drinking contest concluded in a draw.
--
A longer version of the one theme in my 'Thresholds: Seth, Cormag, and fifty interactions - Formal.'
Not sure which number.