The next week brought them to a castle near the border of Vernal and Solstice. Ivan was denied by them as well and now they were walking near the border on their way to the next castle. While they walked Ivan kept glancing at the Solstice side like he was looking or keeping watch for something.
Matthew wanted to ask what was bothering him but he didn't want to get into another fight with the man. There was something more concerning that was on his mind though said nothing of it, he would talk to him when they set up camp. As for Kumajiro, he was getting quite annoyed with all the travel and wanted something else to do. He was tempted to even get Ivan pissed at him for amusement.
After a few more hours, they set up camp, still near the border as they were following it to the next place.
"Alright, Ivan. We need to talk." Matthew said as he finished getting the saddle off Kumajiro.
Ivan looked up from where he was setting up camp. "About?"
"What you are saying to these Kings for starters."
Ivan arched an eyebrow. "What about it?"
"Well I want to help you find a wife so I need to know where you sit on your starting approach." He smiled.
Ivan sighed and continued setting up camp. "I am not saying much. The King must consent to the marriage. I simply ask if he consents to it and I am denied. I offer a bribe and ask again, he denies again, and I continue to the next castle." He sat down when he was done setting up.
"Wait, you ask about the marriage up front?"
"Of course, that is my purpose for being there and I am not usually welcome in other castles as my presence makes most of the people there uneasy."
Matthew chuckled a little. "Well if that approach isn't working, would you be up to try a new one?"
"Such as?" Ivan arched an eyebrow.
"A brief courting perhaps?" Matthew said all too happily as he came up to the tall man.
Ivan just stared at him for a long moment. "...I do not believe that would work."
"Oh come now, you must know that if you show more of an interest in a King's daughter than just marriage he may take your offer into more consideration. The Kings of Vernal are much more gentle than those of the Solstice and Autumnal. Being so large of a kingdom I doubt that they would care very much for wealth." As he spoke as he got stones set up to make a pit.
"Let me rephrase that." Ivan says with a sigh, standing up and helping him out. "I do not believe it would work because I was never taught how to do such a thing. Nor did I find it particularly important to learn."
Matthew looked up with some surprise but also didn't find it unbelievable. "I'll teach you what I know and we'll go from there." He said as if he didn't hear Ivan say he didn't want to learn to woo and went to get some kindling. Ivan rolled his eyes a bit but did not say anything to what Matthew had said, just letting the boy gather wood.
)*(
About an hour or so later they were sitting around the fire and Ivan was humoring Matthew by letting him teach him about courting.
"Lets start off with complements, the simplest thing one can say."
"Fine." Ivan says with a nod.
Matthew shuffled a little closer to Ivan before continuing. "I'll list off some things that you can practice commenting on and then I want to hear you say some that comes to mind alright?"
Ivan gave another nod.
"Let's start with eyes, hair, clothing, smiles. What comes to mind that you could say about those? Feel free to use me or Kumajiro for practice." Matthew smiled, but Kumajiro huffed and shook his head before going back to grazing.
Ivan chuckled in slight amusement. "I do not think I will use Kumajiro as practice. He does not seem to approve of the idea."
"Kumajiro's just shy." He giggled. "Now, come on, try it."
"Yes, yes." Ivan says thinking for a moment. "Your eyes are a very pretty color."
"Hm, a good start. Now try it with stronger words."
"…Your eyes are a beautiful shade of purple." He says, trying again. "Better?"
"Yes, that was very sweet. Now try something else instead of eyes." Matthew chirped happily, he was enjoying himself quite a bit.
"Alright." Ivan says, pausing to think for a few moments. "You are a very kind person."
Matthew gave Ivan's shoulder a light pat. "You're not as bad at this as you think Ivan. Now that we know that you can come up with nice things to say, we should practice how to say them."
"Is that not what we just did?"
Matthew chuckled lightly. "Depending on the sound of your voice it can be kind or rude or in some cases, intimate. Even the way you look at someone can affect the outcome but we shall get to that in another lesson." Matthew straightened himself out, almost in the very way that an actor would to signal the start of a performance.
"You are a very kind person." Matthew spoke in a soft, admirable tone and then said it once more, but with a dry and almost sarcastic tone. After that, Matthew was back to his normal smiling self. "Did you hear the difference?"
"Ah, I see." Ivan says nodding. "Yes, I did."
"Well go on, I want to hear you say it sweetly too."
"You are a very kind person." Ivan says cheerily, a smile on his face.
"Wonderfully done." Matthew clapped his hands together like a child. What had made him so happy was the others smile. He had only seen it a few times and they were small and frail. Though Matthew believed he had yet to see a true smile from the prince. "Oh, I think you should smile more often too. You have quite the charming smile, the princesses would swoon for sure."
Ivan blinked, his smiling dropping in surprise at the remark. He tilted his head with a curious look. "Really?"
"Truly, I would not lie to you."
"Ah… interesting." He says blinking in surprise, looking as though he had never considered that he could be anything close to charming.
The guardian sat in silence wondering if Ivan did not like having his smile being called charming. Perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned it?
"Really my young ice prince, you are always so bad at taking compliments." A voice spoke up from across the border as a man with long blond hair clothed in dark blue stepped out from behind a tree.
Ivan's head whipped around quickly to glare at the man across the border. "Leave Francis!" Ivan growls out. "I have no patience for your antics today."
"How rude." The man replied, walking over and to the edge of the border. "Is that really how you greet a friend?"
"You are no friend of mine."
Kumajiro screeched and turned to charge down man in blue. Francis jumped at the screech, his head turning quickly to look at the beast in surprise. Ivan had gotten up and moved to the side, clearly not wanting to be in the path of the hippogriff when it charged.
"No Kuma!" Matthew shouted in surprise and quickly jumped up to grab the hippogriff around the neck. It was obvious that Matthew held nothing in comparison with strength but the beast quickly stopped moving. Either out of fear of hurting his partner or just choosing to listen. Even so, he hissed at the intruder and paced side to side, ready to pounce if needed.
After a few moments Francis' posture relaxed again and he took a few steps across the border. "Interesting…" He says with a smile, slowly walking over to the young woman and the…. hippogriff.
Francis stopped in front of the two of them and tilted his head, a curious smile on his face as he looked Ivan's companions up and down slowly.
Kumajiro disliked this man for his further actions and lunged forward. Matthew did his best to hold him but it did little of anything, he was already feeling weak due to the suppression of his wings for such a long time.
Giving only a warning, Kumajiro hit the man with the blunt of his head. The minor attack, had he been human it would have equaled to a heavy punch, sent the opponent backwards. Francis landed on his rear. "My god." He groans, lifting a hand up at rub at his forehead.
"Kumajiro!" Matthew shouted at him angrily, smacking his hide with an open hand. The bird didn't bother with the others prodding, instead hissing a final warning to Francis. Next time he wouldn't be hit, he'd be maimed.
"I am s-so sorry! He has horrible manners when it comes to strangers..." Matthew wished to check for an injury but feared what would happen if he let his partner go.
Ivan snorted, a slightly amused look on his face. "I told you to leave did I not?" He mocks with a smirk.
Francis shoots Ivan a glare and stands up. "You could have warned me it's territorial." He grumbles, rubbing his forehead.
"Letting you find out on your own was much more amusing."
Francis scoffed softly and turned his attention back to Ivan's companions. He looked at the hippogriff and cautiously took a few steps foreword. Kuma was not very tolerant with his approach and scratched the ground roughly with his talons, all the while continuing his threatening hiss.
"Forgive me for intruding upon your space. I do not mean either of you any harm. I simply wished to observe the two of you close up." Francis says, very politely with a smooth smile, ignoring how his head was throbbing and a bruise was forming as he spoke.
Matthew slowly withdrew one hand, praying his partner was too preoccupied at the moment to notice. With a gentle motion bobbed his hand up and down, as well as mouthing the words 'Bow down'. His expression was sympathetic and he truly did not want Kuma to cause any more trouble.
Francis' arched an eyebrow at the girl's words but did as she said, cautiously kneeling down though he kept his eyes on the two in front of him.
Ivan watched in amusement from a safe distance away.
Matthew smiled, while Kuma stopped his threats. Nothing else changed for a few minutes, but then he snorted with a slight shake of his feathered head and slowly returned the bow. Kuma's head went no further than his shoulders, however it was customary for strangers and apologies.
With that, Matthew let go and the hippogriff took a few steps back, calm now, but still unsettled. "I'm sorry about all that, but he doesn't always take words for the truth.. Are you alright?" He asked as he walked towards the other man.
"It is all right, I forgot my manners. I have not seen any sort of hippogriff in some time." Francis says, slowly standing up again and smiling reassuringly at the girl. "I have a bit of a headache but it is all right."
"Ah, well Ivan was no better. My partner tried to run him though when Ivan stumbled onto his nest." He stifled a laugh as he remembered the look on Ivan's face when telling him that the beast that sought him dead was coming with them.
There was a grumble from Ivan at Matthew's stifled laughter followed by an unamused look.
Francis chuckled. "Ah, where are my manners." He says taking Matthew's hand and kissing the back of it like one would with a lady's hand. "I am Francis Bonnefoy. It is a pleasure to meet you Miss." There was a snort from Ivan but Francis did not look away from the girl's beautiful face. "What is your name, my lady?"
The youth's face flushed almost instantly and pulled his hand back, rubbing it timidly. Though the great discomfort on his face was not from what one might think. The action had startled him greatly and was taking the last of his strength to keep his wings hidden. It was getting more than tiring, it was getting painful. "I-it is nice to meet you as well, Sir Bonnefoy. B-but I must inform you t-that I am not female. I-I am male and my name is Matthew."
Francis blinked in surprise for a moment before smiling. "My apologies. It is a pleasure to meet you Matthew."
He nodded. "I-it's alright, Ivan did the same thing when we first met oddly enough."
Francis smiles. "You are just so beautiful little one." He replies smoothly. "Like an angel."
"O-oh, why t-thank-" Matthew didn't have time to finish before Ivan interjected.
"Francis no flirting." Ivan says sternly from where he sat. "And no seducing, groping, or any other action of sexual nature with him either. I want none of your antics here."
Matthew was starting to feel faint from all the embarrassment he was going through. Though Kumajiro's gaze fell on Ivan for a good moment, puzzled by his off and on claim on his partner. Afterwards, his eyes fell back onto Matthew, knowing of the boy's increasing pain.
Francis turned and pouted at Ivan. "Such a spoil sport my young prince. Surely just a lit-"
"No Francis." Ivan says shaking his head. "Do you really want to risk making him angry at you?" He asks, nodding towards Kumajiro. "I will not help you if he decides to hurt you."
Francis glanced at the hippogriff for a long moment, weighing his options before giving a huff of disappointment. "Oh all right." He says with a sigh. "I apologize for my flirtatious nature Matthew." Francis says, turning back to the boy. "I can not help myself. I am an incubus, it is in my nature."
"I-incubus?" Matthew tilled his head slightly. He had heard a little about them but still wasn't sure on what an incubus was.
"Sex demon. Drains the energy of those they fuck to feed themselves. Toss some holy water or silver at him and he will go away." Ivan advises offhandedly from where he sat.
"Male sex demon thank you Ivan." Francis corrects with a slight frown towards Ivan. "But he is more or less correct." He says turning back to Matthew. "My kind feed off of energy during intercourse yes. It is our only food supply."
"O-oh.." Matthew squeaked and took some staggering steps back. "I-I'm afraid I-I can't feed you my energy."
Francis chuckles. "Do not worry Matthew. I have no intention on attempting to feed from you." He says with a reassuring smile. "I generally prefer women for the most part. Not to mention I do not wish to upset your partner again."
He felt relieved to hear this from the other. He was almost gritting his teeth now though, this was the longest he'd been without freedom for his wings. It was nauseating. "H-he's just trying to look out for me. That's all.."
"Of course." Francis nods. "Are you all right my dear? You look most uncomfortable."
"I-It's nothing really, I-I... just have a w-weak body." He forced out a smile but soon crumpled to the ground, much like before with Ivan. His hand over his mouth to muffle out the pained whimper.
Ivan's head snapped up at the sound of the body hitting the ground but like before he wasn't sure what to do. He stayed put, considering last time Kumajiro nearly gutted him for getting near to where Matthew was after this sort of thing.
Francis' eyes widened in alarm and he dropped down into a crouch by the boy. "M-my dear, what is wrong?" Francis asks in shock, his hands hovering over the boy, unsure if touching him would do more harm than good.
Kumajiro hissed and charged towards Francis, antlers ready to shred.
Francis jumped back away from Matthew and held his hands up, staying in a crouch but back near Ivan now instead of by the boy. "I have not touched him! I will not touch him if you do not wish me to, I am only concerned for him!" Francis says, still in a crouch but poised to run if he needed to.
The hippogriff stopped over Matthew, glaring at the two before ducking his head and looking Matthew over. Checking for wounds but finding none. The little guardian was not paying any attention to Kuma, his focus was elsewhere. So with that, Kuma knelt down and with one of his bird-like legs he grabbed hold of Matthew as gently as he could. Lifting him up against his feathery chest, it was an awkward but firm hold as Kumajiro stood up.
"I-I'm fine, Kuma.. I can walk a-and I just need some rest..." Matthew weakly mumbled, though still grasped hold of the creature to help carry him. Kuma gave a soft grunt in response, out of disbelief and understanding.
The two men just watched in silence, both figuring that the hippogriff probably knew how to take better care of Matthew than either of them could.
Hobbling over to where Matthew had set their gear. Kumajiro was still cradling Matthew against himself as he skillfully opened one of the bags with his beak and tugged out the boy's large blanket. He then found a soft patch of tall grass to lay in. He was careful about it too, not wanting to drop or sit on the boy. His back though, was set facing the other two members of the group. He set Matthew to lay against his plush body, softly nestled just under his wing as he pulled the blanket over them both.
The other two watched this for a while before both just figured it was better to leave them be for now. Kumajiro and Matthew remained curled up together the whole night. Aside from the occasional shuffling and light fluttering of wings the two were completely silent. After an hour of Francis quietly pestering Ivan to answer his questions, Ivan went to sleep.
)*(
Before the rise of the sun, Kumajiro got out of the blanket, covering Matthew back up before looking over the rest of the camp. He was uncertain about leaving his partner asleep with these two but remembered the odd territory Ivan had claimed over Matthew, the stubbornness he showed over the boy's defenses.
Francis was up all night keeping watch. It wasn't that he wanted to but since the prince was being a spoil sport and the nearest town was a day away, Francis wouldn't be feeding until the next night. Not that he minded too much; he was far too curious as to why Ivan had companions with him to just leave them in the middle of the night.
Kuma gave a strong, but small flap of his broad wings. He didn't take off, instead he trotted away to hunt some breakfast. He would be listening for his partner's call.
Francis had been resting his eyes when he heard the hippogriff wake up. Not wanting another unpleasant encounter with it, he waited until he could hear that it had gone away before he opened his eyes.
It wasn't until he was absolutely positive that the hippogriff wouldn't be returning for a little while that he got up and walked over to Matthew. He laid down on his stomach in the grass across from Matthew, he would be face to face with him if Matthew rolled onto his stomach and lifted his head. Though there was about a foot or so between their faces.
He watched Matthew sleep for a few moments before reaching out and gently prodding his cheek, trying to wake the boy without startling him. "Matthew." He whispers. "Matthew."
Matthew flinched and startled awake, his eyes rushing around to look for any immediate danger, though his eyes were still heavy from sleep and blurred his vision. This lasted for merely a moment before he bolted upright, his blanket fluttering like a cape as if a strong wind had whizzed by. His head remained the only thing protruding out from his covers. "G-great east winds! Sir Bonnefoy, y-you scared the wits out of me..." His voice was barely above a whisper.
Francis had started in surprise at the boy's response but smiled apologetically and sat up as well. "My apologies, I wished to speak with you before Ivan woke up and now seemed like the ideal time to do so while your overprotective friend is off getting breakfast I assume." His voice was also quiet.
"Hm? What do you wish to ask of me?" Matthew looked quite confused, a little upset that his sleep was disturbed but he didn't mind that much in the end. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his hand still under the blanket.
"Why in the world are you travelling with Ivan of all people?" Francis asks with a puzzled look. "And why has he let you come along at all?"
"Oh, that's simple." He said with a smile. "I'm helping him find a wife."
"You're helping him find a…" Francis blinked and turned his head to look back at Ivan for a moment in confusion before looking back at Matthew. He looked even more confused now. "Why?"
"He's having a hard time, having already tried all the kingdoms in Solstice and Autumnal, he's only got Vernal left. After hearing his approach on the matter, I wanted to give him a hand." Matthew spoke in a cheerful manner. "I know the people of Vernal better than Ivan so with coming along I'll be helping him on how to go about a proposal for his future bride."
Francis arched an eyebrow in confusion. "How did you even meet him in the first place?"
"We didn't exactly meet. He was wounded and passed out on my doorstep in the middle of the night." Matthew yawned and stretched his arms. "I- had worked late that night and when I came home he was sitting there unconscious.."
"And…?" Francis asks curiously, waiting for him to continue.
"I brought him in, cleaned him up and put him to bed." He answered like it was the most obvious thing to do under the circumstances. Then he shrugged. "Though... he believes that I was not the one who brought him in and lifted him onto bed."
Francis' eyes widened in surprise. "You brought him in and got him onto the bed?"
Matthew nodded. "But. If you don't believe me either, that's fine. Most people can't believe that I work a small piece of land on my own with Kumajiro."
"It is not that I don't believe you can carry him, if you're something other than just a human it's plausible you could do it." Francis says arching an eyebrow. "The fact that you willingly brought a large wounded stranger into your home is just a bit surprising. That's not exactly the safest choice one could make you know."
"I bring wounded strangers into my home all the time, why would Ivan be any different just because he's bigger than me? And I locked myself in the attic anyways for safe measures."
Francis gave a short soft laugh. "I assume that was after you found weapons in his bag?"
"Er.. No. His boot and another in his coat. But normally when someone passes out from a fight, they wake up as if the fight never stopped." Matthew had learned that the hard way from both his brother and another man he had looked after. He was hit pretty hard when the two awoke.
"Ah, I see. That makes more sense." Francis says with a nod. "But why help him after that? You did not have to offer to help him find a wife."
"He was having trouble and seemed upset about it all." He said softly with a frown. "I just want to help him, everyone deserves happiness."
"That is very kind of you Matthew." Francis says after a moment. "…What will you do if he fails anyway?"
"Fails anyway? What makes you think he'll fail?" He asks, crossing his arms with an unimpressed look across his face.
"I said if he fails little one." Francis corrects with a thoughtful look. "I have known him for longer than you have Matthew. Make no mistake, I do think he has potential to succeed. However he has some… issues he must deal with and things he must get over before he can succeed in my opinion." He was quiet for a moment. "I'm afraid I can't say what they are though, he'd castrate me if I did."
"I understand and will not press the matter but I believe he will find a wife. Ivan just needs to take some lessons on relaxing and wooing. The people of Vernal are not so much concerned with wealth and power as much as the other two kingdoms where it's harder to survive and make a living."
"I travel a lot, you're half right about the kingdoms. The people of Autumnal do not have it as bad as you would think. They are worse off than Vernal yes, but still not too bad. Solstice on the other hand… " Francis trailed off for a moment in thought before shuddering a little and looking back up at Matthew's face. "Anyway, I have one more question for you just because I'm curious."
"Yes? What might that be?" Though Matthew getting more curious about Ivan's home.
"What are you exactly?" Francis asks, tilting his head curiously. "I don't believe you're strictly human but I'm not quite sure what you are either."
"I'm human. Small and lean, but human." His eyes cast down from the incubus.
"I don't believe you. You're not human, or at least... not entirely human. There's something else there but I don't know what it is." He paused a moment, eyeing the boy curiously. "Come on, what is it? I won't tell Ivan if you're worried I will. This is purely to satisfy my own curiosity."
He was quiet for a while, weighing his options. He finally sighed. "I-...I-If I tell you, you will never ask again?"
Francis nods. "Yes."
"A-and not speak of it to anyone?"
"Yes, as I said before, this is solely for the sake of my curiosity. I will tell no one."
"A-alright... I'll trust you. I'm... a forest nymph." Matthew lied. It was the closest thing he could compare himself to. Nymphs were like fairies but more human looking and about the same height. They were creatures of magic so did not have much for body mass. They also often had wings and being of the forest, they had natural powers of healing. It also meant he had strong connection to animals. It was the safest thing he could do, rather than have anyone else know what he truly was.
"Hmm, not entirely sure I believe that but I won't question on that matter any further." His eyes flickered down to the blanket covering Matthew before looking back up at his face and arching an eyebrow. "Wings?" He guesses.
"Er.. no. I don't have any..." He pauses in thought for a moment before continuing. "I.. lost them when I was little."
Francis just stared at him with a look that said he didn't believe that at all.
Matthew sighed. "H-here.. I'll show you my scars." His wings had been pulled inside him for a little while now so he slowly shuffled out of the blanket. He was already shy on the matter of his body being shown to anyone, but this was just nerve racking. Matthew pulled his shirt up to his pectorals and turned so his back facing the demon. The scar-looking tissue ran up from his mid back and one would assume, to his shoulders. He was shaking a little out of fear, he had never shown anyone this much skin, let alone a very private part of a guardian's body.
Francis tilted his head and inspected it, reaching a hand out to touch but catching himself halfway. "Ah.. may I?" It wasn't a question really, just a way of warning the boy before touching the skin around the scars with the pad of his index finger. He traced around one of the scars slowly before running his hand down the actual scar. Francis did all this with feather light touches, not wanting to cause Matthew any pain on accident.
Matthew, even if he had wanted, didn't so much as get a word out to answer Francis' question. At first his breath got caught in his throat, but it quickly came forth as the boy let out a sharp squeal. Much like that of a rabbit that had been caught in a hawk's talons. He snapped away from the incubus' touch and whipped the blanket around himself, as though it were a shield. His eyes were wide with fright, face flushed and heart racing. All that from a simple touch, what the hell just happened? He had never felt anything like that in his life. Did the other do something to him?
Francis had fallen back in surprise at the squeal. As Matthew looked at him with wide frightened eyes, Francis' own eyes were just as wide in shock. His action should not have gained the response it did. "A-ah…" Francis says after a moment, shaking his head and ignoring the flush on Matthew's face. "I apologize, I had no idea—it… it would appear that that particular area is rather… sensitive to the touch. I did nothing but touch the area, the reaction was entirely your own. And from the look on your face, you did not know that that area is as sensitive as it is, yes?"
Matthew was trembling a bit and all he did to respond was shrug. He was scared that if he opened his mouth that something unwanted might come out again.
"Take a deep breath little one." Francis advises after a moment, hoping to calm the boy before his overprotective partner returned. "Then let the breath out."
Matthew took a deep breath and breathed out slowly. He did this a few times before speaking, still a little frightened. "J-just what was t-that..?"
"That I believe, may be your ah… erogenous zone. An oversensitive spot on your body that ah… arouses you easily when someone touches it." He says slowly. "It makes you feel good but I assume it is a bit surprising finding one you did not know you had…?"
"I-I did not know s-such a thing existed." His face re-flushed to a deep color and pulled the blanket around himself tighter. "A-and I only i-in the recent years reached m-maturity for.. uh.. m-mating… T-this is all fairly new to me..."
"Ah, it is a pity neither Ivan nor your protector will let me have any fun with you." Francis says, chuckling at the boy's complete innocence. "It would not be new to you after a night with me, I assure y- ouch!" Francis flinched, a hand reaching up to rub the back of his head as he turned to glare at Ivan.
Ivan yawned and sat up from where he had been lying on his side. "I said I wanted none of your antics Francis. Now knock it off or next time it will be a dagger and not a rock I throw at your head."
"Fine." Francis grumbles, scowling and rubbing the back of his head. "How long have you been awake?"
"I woke up in time to hear you flirt."
"G-good morning Ivan." Matthew stood up still wrapped up in the blanket, still feeling awkward. "I-I'll get started on breakfast."
"Yes, morning." Ivan greets, standing up and stretching before looking over at Francis. "You will not be travelling with us, understood?"
Francis scowled, still rubbing the back of his head. "Yes. I will depart after my head stops throbbing."
"Oh, what's wrong with having him come along?"
"My food source mainly." Francis says with a sigh. "I said I feed on sex and I meant it. I do not eat actual food Matthew. I would starve if I were to come along"
"Yes and I also find him annoying."
Matthew frowned, Francis was strange but not bad. He was easier to talk to than Ivan. "All right... Will we see you again?"
Francis shrugged. "It is possible."
"I think it would be nice to run into you again. A-and I think Ivan can learn to flirt from you too. You're better at it than I ever will be." He blushed, but kept smiling.
"No." Ivan says with a mildly annoyed look, lips pursed and brow furrowed.
Francis just sighed wistfully. "I have offered and been denied many times. He does not want me to teach him."
"What do you mean 'no'? You're learning from me anyways, Francis is clearly better at it." Matthew scowled a little at the Prince.
"No, means no. Yes, means yes." Ivan frowned at Matthew. "And Francis' teachings involve more than just flirting. They involve seducing as well as a variety of sexual things." He explains. "I have no desire in learning such things with him. Also it would be foolish to let him do anything of the sort with me as I am indeed human."
Matthew's face was once again a deep red. "You are going to have to mate with your wife to have offspring Ivan. L-learning to seduce might help you get a wife."
"You do realize that if he were to teach me, I would end up practicing on you right? I have no desire to practice on Francis." Ivan says slowly, arching an eyebrow at the boy. "Though practicing on you could potentially be dangerous as well. I am not sure how kindly Kumajiro would react to such a thing. He is very protective of you."
Matthew was bewildered by Ivan's response. He swallowed before getting the courage to speak. "W-would that bother you...?"
"Would what bother me? Practicing seducing someone on you or potentially being attacked by your overprotective partner?" Ivan asks arching an eyebrow.
"The first one. And Kuma isn't a problem if you explain what's going on."
"…No." He says after pondering it for a few moments. "I suppose it would not bother me. It is a better alternative than Francis anyway."
"Then I am fine with it." He smiled, though was still shy about the whole ordeal but was still determined to help Ivan anyway he could so he could find love.
"Alright now that that is decided, I must be off to get rest and then feed tonight." Francis says, speaking up finally. "Where are you headed now? I shall meet up with you at a later day."
Ivan nodded in the direction they were going. "That way, we're going to each of the castles. We were at Kirkland's about a week ago."
"Oh?" Francis asks, perking up curiously. "And how is Arthur doing? Has he gotten rid of those horrendous things on his face yet?"
"We won't reach the next castle for three days Ivan. The kingdoms are far apart in Vernal, two to three days at the least and up to a week away sometimes." Matthew spoke as he started the fire back up, his blanket already set aside.
"I know, I was just hoping to send Francis over to harass Kirkland as thanks for his kind words the other day." Ivan said cheerily, his smile just a bit malicious. "And no Francis, those hideous things are still there."
Francis arched an eyebrow. "Ah, such a pity. Well I do enjoy getting him worked up so that sounds rather appealing… Were you two tossing insults again?"
The youngest of the trio nodded, he had only caught the end, but they certainly weren't having an afternoon tea chat. It was at this time that Kumajiro came trotting up into camp with two dead rabbits between his jaws.
"You two always fight." Francis chuckles. "Well, I'll be off then. It was a pleasure to meet you Matthew. I shall see you both again in a few weeks most likely." He says giving a bow before departing.
Ivan nods and watches as Francis leaves for a moment before looking over at Kumajiro and giving him a nod of greeting.
"Good bye, Sir Bonnefoy." Kuma returns the nod before dropping the hares in front of Matthew, who thanked him before the hippogriff picked one back up and walked over to his temporary nest.
Matthew picked up the rabbit and looked over at Ivan. "Do you like rabbit?" He asked.
Ivan looked over at Matthew. "It is all right." He says, coming to crouch down by the fire. "There are things I prefer over it given the option but food is food."
"Alright." Matthew fetched his knife from one of his bags and sat down near the fire. "Kuma? You want this one cooked or raw?"
The hippogriff looked up at Matthew with a tilt to his head as he thought about it. Then gave a muffled caw as he tried not to drop the hare that was stuffed into his mouth.
Matthew crinkled his nose. "Ew, swallow before speaking please. Just because we're not at home, doesn't mean we've left our manners there."
Ivan chuckled a bit at their exchange and sat down properly instead of just crouching. If the bird could pout he would have, but he swallowed the small animal before answering the blond.
"Cooked it is." Matthew smiled and started to gut the rabbit's belly swiftly. Ivan sat in thought for a few minutes, gazing into the fire silently.
"So, shall we continue with where we left off yesterday?" He threw the heavier organs on the hot rocks and speared or wrapped the others on a stick. The stick was then wedged into the earth before Matthew started on skinning.
It took Ivan a minute or so before he blinked and looked up. "Hm?"
"The compliment practice, remember?"
"Oh, yes." Ivan says with a nod. "Where did we leave off?"
"With personality." He smiled happily.
"Ah, yes. You said I should smile more and then Francis appeared." He says with a nod.
"Oh right, that too. That didn't bother you did it?" He finished with the skinning and looked up in slight worry.
"Ah, no." Ivan says with a shake of his head. "It just …surprised me."
Matthew smiled, using his knife to cut up the meat before skewering it and having it rest over the fire. Though got the wits scared out of him when Kuma was suddenly behind him. "It's not ready yet, you greedy thing. It's only been there for a few minutes."
The bird didn't want to wait any longer and started to gobble down the partly cooked organs.
Ivan chuckled at Kuma's eagerness and how the hippogriff had startled Matthew.
"Don't encourage him Ivan!" Matthew swatted the beast's hide but Kuma shoved him back with his hoof and then ran off with the last of his meal with his head held high.
The young man scoffed and sat up. "Are you starting a fight mister!?"
Matthew's words only made Ivan chuckle more, the chuckle turning into a laugh when Kuma shoved Matthew back and ran off.
Kumajiro clicked his beak and tilted his head at Ivan. Matthew didn't really like being laughed at but it was the first time he had heard the man laugh and with what his partner said, he agreed.
After a moment Ivan realized he was being stared at and the laughter died down, though he still looked fairly amused. "What?" He asks, arching an eyebrow and looking back and forth between the two of them.
"Kuma said 'So you do know how to laugh.'" Matthew said with a smile as he checked their food.
Ivan gave a huff of amusement, smiling a bit as well. "Yes, of course I do."
"I never thought that you would ever feel comfortable enough around me to do so." He replied shyly. "I was worried that you would be all business."
"It is because you two are so amusing." Ivan says with a slight smile. "You act how I have seen some siblings interact with one another while I have been travelling."
"Well we did grow up together, though I am older. He's like the little brother of the family." Kuma snorted, in his own years he was older than Matthew. As much as the other wish to deny it.
Ivan huffed in amusement at Kuma's reaction to Matthew's words. "Ah, I see." He was quiet a moment before speaking again in a bit of a wistful tone. "It would be nice if my sisters and I had a relationship like that."
"Hm? You don't?" Matthew found it hard to believe.
"No. We used to be closer but never like that." Ivan says shaking his head. "I think it is because of the age gap between each of us that we grew apart."
"How big is the gap?"
"I am five years older than one of them and six years younger than the other."
Matthew blinked. "Incredible, why such the big gap between siblings?"
"I am not entirely sure." Ivan says with a slight shrug. "My older sister told me our mother had been severely ill for a time when she was younger and she had taken a long time to recover." He paused for a moment before continuing. "The age gap between my younger half-sister and myself was due to our father being too busy to find a new wife right away."
"Did your mother... leave?" He asked as he took their meat off the fire to inspect them.
"Marriage to a king or prince is not something one can just walk out of Matthew." Ivan says, arching an eyebrow and giving the boy an odd look.
He frowned sadly and slumped his shoulders. "I didn't just want to out front ask you something personal about your mother's well being."
"It would not have bothered me if you had." Ivan says with an indifferent expression. "She died shortly after I was born according to my older sister."
"Did you ever see a painting of her?"
"Yes, she looks similar to my older sister."
Matthew handed him his share of the cooked meat now cool enough to hold. "Do you ever wish you could have met her?"
Ivan shook his head. "No." He says, reaching out and taking the meat. "My elder sister took care of me. Once our half-sister had reached the age where she no longer needed to be breastfed, my older sister and I helped take care of her together."
The boy looked at him oddly. "You... and your sister? What about your stepmother?"
"She is the Queen, Matthew. She has to rule when the King is away. She has no time for taking care of children." Ivan says like it should be obvious. "My half-sister had a wet-nurse who cared for her until she no longer needed to be breastfed and then my sister and I took care of her after that."
"I cannot believe that. To a mother, her children should come first." Matthew munched on his rabbit bitterly. "And your father was never home?"
"Royalty does not work that way Matthew. A Queen's duty is to her King and her country first." Ivan says, starting to eat as well, watching the boy's reactions curiously until his father was mentioned. A scowl appeared on his face. "He was home often unless there were skirmishes or bandits or wars going on at the time."
He didn't make eye contact. "Hmph. A mother is a mother regardless, you are lucky to have such a wonderful sister."
"She is a Queen first, a wife second, and a mother third Matthew. That is just how royalty works in Solstice." Ivan says continuing to eat his food. "Yes, I am. She had to face consequences for my actions when I got into trouble in the years before our half-sister was born." He frowned at this.
"What kind of trouble?" He asked easing up slightly, but still looking angry.
"The kind a curious toddler who's recently mastered walking gets into when the people who are supposed to be watching them stops paying attention to them for a few minutes."
Matthew's face went blank but then he started giggling as he imagined a tiny Ivan wondering around. It was very cute.
A confused look appeared on Ivan's face. "What?"
"Oh nothing, just thinking how cute you must have been waddling around." He giggled some more.
Ivan gave Matthew an odd look, not entirely sure how he was supposed to respond to that. "… I would imagine very until I broke something or went somewhere I shouldn't have been and got my sister yelled at by our father for not watching me better." He finally says, still looking a bit confused as to why that had been Matthew's first thought.
"Ah! Babies and small children are always adorable!" The young man was just fawning over the thought. "I think having a big family would be wonderful."
Ivan just went back to eating and finished up his share of the rabbit while watching Matthew with an odd look.
"You know, back home. The children of the village would come and play in my fields while I worked. Sometimes I'd take them for a ride and we'd play games." He said all too cheerfully. "I don't know why but those children just adored me."
"You are naturally kind and caring Matthew." Ivan says offhandedly. "Of course children would adore you."
He laughed. "I'm also sure that Kumajiro has something to do with it. It's rare for someone to have one in the home."
"Ah, that may be part of it, yes." Ivan says blinking in surprise. "But you are also very nurturing and ah…. Maternal, I think is the correct term."
"Huh? Really, you think so?" Matthew looked a little shocked from the compliments.
Ivan nodded. "Yes."
"Thank you." He finished his rabbit and stood up, walking to his bag. "Want some fruit?"
"Ah, sure."
The other tossed the prince a pear. "Here, have you had one of these before?"
Ivan caught it and looked at it for a moment or two. "I think I may have in the past." He says sniffing it. It smelled good. "Is it sweet?"
"It can be, it depends on how ripe it is. Sometimes it can be a bit sour but they are very good." Matthew took a bite out of his own.
Ivan nodded and took a bite of his, chewing and swallowing before speaking. "Ah, it is sweet." He says, sounding a bit pleased.
He hums proudly, these had been grown on the land he looked after. "Mm, that good. Oh and when you're done with it, give the core to Kuma."
Ivan nodded, munching on the pear while thinking about the past week. When he was done he got up and offered the core to Kuma, holding it out to the hippogriff like he would offer food to anyone. While he didn't enjoy the idea of his fingers being so near Kuma's beak, he didn't think it would have been acceptable to lay it on the ground or toss it at him either.
The hippogriff came closer to Ivan and looked at the offering, then up at Ivan's face. He paused for a moment before slowly picking up the core and threw his head back as he swallowed it whole. Ivan pulled his hand back once Kumajiro had taken the pear core. Kumajiro gave a content sigh before walking over to Matthew to try and steal what was left of his.
"I beg your pardon, this is my pear and you didn't say thank you."
Kuma cawed, his eyes still on the half eaten pear. "Not me you dolt! Ivan!" Matthew smiled up at the big bird as he gave the same response to Ivan, only quicker than before.
He chuckled at Matthew and Kuma's interactions before giving a nod to Kuma's caw, just assuming the hippogriff was thanking him since that had been what Matthew had just told him to do. "You are welcome." He says, going over and starting to pack up a bit. Now that Francis was gone and they were fed they should get started on heading towards the next castle.
Hey guys~! RQ here, I'm just wondering what stories you would like to see posted. I think we're getting to a point where we could have another going.
So tell me which story would you like next? Have a look at our profile page I set up a poll :3
-RQ