Part VI.
Percival sighed with relief as Rody appeared on the far side of the stage. "Oh, thank goddess. I was afraid you wouldn't show."
"I keep my promises," Rody said stonily.
Percival was amazed. He'd never heard this sort of cold tone come from his boy, ever. He'd never seen such an icy gaze. This was a side of Rody he'd never wanted to see, but it was his own fault for ruining everything. Well, maybe it was Borus's fault.
Yes, Borus did this to us, my love. Don't hate me. Please...I can't bear it...
"Do you want to come stand next to me?"
"No."
"Rody, I won't hurt you."
"You already have."
Percival swallowed hard. Rody wasn't going to make this easy on him. "Rody, what you heard--what you think you heard me say...it's not what it seemed."
"How can it not have been?" the magician cried out in pain. "You...you want Borus. I can understand that, I guess..."
"No, Rody, no!" Percival couldn't help but laugh. "That's the last thing in the world I want!"
"But that's what you said."
Percival sighed. "I--I know, Rody. I'm sorry."
"How could you do that? How could you lie to me every night--how could you tell me it was okay that I wouldn't sleep with you, that it was okay to want to wait until I felt comfortable--until I was ready? And then to tell Borus you were going to--going to dump me for him because I'm 'of no use' to you? How could you say that? Why did you lie to me? Is sex all you wanted?"
"No! Rody, I never wanted--"
"Don't--!" Rody screamed, his hands over his ears as he sobbed. "Please don't lie to me! I heard you--I heard you say what you wanted to do with Borus, because I wouldn't! I don't want to hear any more lies from you; it's the one thing I can't bear. If you had only told me the truth, I would have done anything for you, Percival! I would have let you take me, just so we could be together! I would have done it, as long as you loved me! Oh, Percival! I can't bear to live without you!" Rody fell to his hands and knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Tears gathered in a puddle on the ground under his bent head.
Percival tried to move forward, but Rody put a wall of magic between them so he couldn't reach him. "Rody... Please don't shut me out. I love you--"
"Don't lie to me!" Rody shrieked, and a bolt of jagged lightening suddenly zapped the floor next to Percival's feet. It wasn't a powerful spell, however. It didn't damage the stage or hurt the knight.
"He's not lying to you," came another voice.
"Who's there?" Rody cried out, jumping to his feet, his eyes red and cheeks soaking wet.
"It's Sir Borus," the knight announced, finally making his appearance. "Rody, I can vouch for him. I was angry that Percival turned me down for you; that's why I hit him in the courtyard. I told the class I was confused about the demonstration," he explained, turning to Percival's surprised face. "I said that I'd thought you wanted three examples instead of just the two, and didn't realize you weren't expecting that third blow. I'm sorry, Percival."
Percival scratched the back of his head. "I've recovered--from that, at least." He glared at his old friend, but he didn't look as angry as before. He knew there were more explanations and apologies on the way.
"And I'm sorry, Rody. I was jealous of you. When I went to see Percival that morning, he told me how much he loved you, and how he only wanted to be with you. But his mouth runs away with him sometimes and he overdoes it, as I'm sure you've noticed. What you heard was his sarcastic solution to my problem." Borus took a deep breath before continuing. "Believe me, Rody--Percival never had any intentions of leaving you, certainly not for me, and he loves you. He doesn't care about..." Borus didn't meet the boy's gaze; it was awkward enough to say, without staring, too. "It matters not to Sir Percival whether you will...sleep with him or not. It's true--he only wants your heart. And your love."
The three were quiet for some time.
"Well," Rody said, finally breaking the silence. He cleared his throat. "Thank you, Sir Borus, for clearing this matter up. And--as for you," he gazed fondly at Percival, "I owe you an apology, big time."
Percival shook his head. "No. Don't ever apologize to me. I'm the one who is sorry, Rody. I shouldn't have spoken that way, even in jest. It is true, I only want your heart and your love, and your forgiveness. I'm too outspoken, and, as Borus says, I sometimes say the wrong things. I'm not a perfect man, Rody, but I do love you, and all I ask for is that you accept me for what I am. I'm going to make a lot of mistakes, but I will never leave you for another, and I will never cease loving you."
Now tears sprang to Rody's eyes anew; but these were tears of happiness, of love and forgiveness. As the couple embraced like the first time, lost in a tender kiss, Borus slipped out of the room, feeling a bit lonely, but much happier now that his foolish error was finally put to rights.
Percival sighed with relief as Rody appeared on the far side of the stage. "Oh, thank goddess. I was afraid you wouldn't show."
"I keep my promises," Rody said stonily.
Percival was amazed. He'd never heard this sort of cold tone come from his boy, ever. He'd never seen such an icy gaze. This was a side of Rody he'd never wanted to see, but it was his own fault for ruining everything. Well, maybe it was Borus's fault.
Yes, Borus did this to us, my love. Don't hate me. Please...I can't bear it...
"Do you want to come stand next to me?"
"No."
"Rody, I won't hurt you."
"You already have."
Percival swallowed hard. Rody wasn't going to make this easy on him. "Rody, what you heard--what you think you heard me say...it's not what it seemed."
"How can it not have been?" the magician cried out in pain. "You...you want Borus. I can understand that, I guess..."
"No, Rody, no!" Percival couldn't help but laugh. "That's the last thing in the world I want!"
"But that's what you said."
Percival sighed. "I--I know, Rody. I'm sorry."
"How could you do that? How could you lie to me every night--how could you tell me it was okay that I wouldn't sleep with you, that it was okay to want to wait until I felt comfortable--until I was ready? And then to tell Borus you were going to--going to dump me for him because I'm 'of no use' to you? How could you say that? Why did you lie to me? Is sex all you wanted?"
"No! Rody, I never wanted--"
"Don't--!" Rody screamed, his hands over his ears as he sobbed. "Please don't lie to me! I heard you--I heard you say what you wanted to do with Borus, because I wouldn't! I don't want to hear any more lies from you; it's the one thing I can't bear. If you had only told me the truth, I would have done anything for you, Percival! I would have let you take me, just so we could be together! I would have done it, as long as you loved me! Oh, Percival! I can't bear to live without you!" Rody fell to his hands and knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Tears gathered in a puddle on the ground under his bent head.
Percival tried to move forward, but Rody put a wall of magic between them so he couldn't reach him. "Rody... Please don't shut me out. I love you--"
"Don't lie to me!" Rody shrieked, and a bolt of jagged lightening suddenly zapped the floor next to Percival's feet. It wasn't a powerful spell, however. It didn't damage the stage or hurt the knight.
"He's not lying to you," came another voice.
"Who's there?" Rody cried out, jumping to his feet, his eyes red and cheeks soaking wet.
"It's Sir Borus," the knight announced, finally making his appearance. "Rody, I can vouch for him. I was angry that Percival turned me down for you; that's why I hit him in the courtyard. I told the class I was confused about the demonstration," he explained, turning to Percival's surprised face. "I said that I'd thought you wanted three examples instead of just the two, and didn't realize you weren't expecting that third blow. I'm sorry, Percival."
Percival scratched the back of his head. "I've recovered--from that, at least." He glared at his old friend, but he didn't look as angry as before. He knew there were more explanations and apologies on the way.
"And I'm sorry, Rody. I was jealous of you. When I went to see Percival that morning, he told me how much he loved you, and how he only wanted to be with you. But his mouth runs away with him sometimes and he overdoes it, as I'm sure you've noticed. What you heard was his sarcastic solution to my problem." Borus took a deep breath before continuing. "Believe me, Rody--Percival never had any intentions of leaving you, certainly not for me, and he loves you. He doesn't care about..." Borus didn't meet the boy's gaze; it was awkward enough to say, without staring, too. "It matters not to Sir Percival whether you will...sleep with him or not. It's true--he only wants your heart. And your love."
The three were quiet for some time.
"Well," Rody said, finally breaking the silence. He cleared his throat. "Thank you, Sir Borus, for clearing this matter up. And--as for you," he gazed fondly at Percival, "I owe you an apology, big time."
Percival shook his head. "No. Don't ever apologize to me. I'm the one who is sorry, Rody. I shouldn't have spoken that way, even in jest. It is true, I only want your heart and your love, and your forgiveness. I'm too outspoken, and, as Borus says, I sometimes say the wrong things. I'm not a perfect man, Rody, but I do love you, and all I ask for is that you accept me for what I am. I'm going to make a lot of mistakes, but I will never leave you for another, and I will never cease loving you."
Now tears sprang to Rody's eyes anew; but these were tears of happiness, of love and forgiveness. As the couple embraced like the first time, lost in a tender kiss, Borus slipped out of the room, feeling a bit lonely, but much happier now that his foolish error was finally put to rights.