Chapter 6

I just really need to not update every single day but?

"Sir?"

Lukas rubbed his eyes, groaned quietly, and looked over at the maid, who was staring down at him with a smile. "Good morning, sir," she said, waiting patiently for him to get up.

Although he didn't want to, he got up and walked over to her. He clutched a blanket around his shoulders and quietly sighed. He wasn't sure what she wanted, but he wasn't eager.

"Why are you here so early?"

"It is my orders to make sure you have a bath first thing in the morning," she replied as she began leading him downstairs. He followed, stretching his arms high above his head as he let out a yawn. He hadn't even concerned himself with baths or washing since he'd arrived.

Lukas was led into a good sized room with a marble washtub, which was very different from anything he was used to.

"There is soap in the wooden box on this table, sir, and a washcloth as well. Do you mind if I open the curtains to let the light in?"

Lukas nodded and looked into the tub, now realizing that it was already full of water. He looked over at the maid, who was already leaving. Once she was gone, he began to undress. He was sure the maid had locked his door, but he kept checking it nervously until he lowered himself into the warm water.

It felt amazing, too. Lukas let out a content sigh and leaned back. He felt tired still and almost fell asleep, but he was afraid the maid would come back and he would be asleep, and then she would come in without permission and see him naked. He splashed water in his face, attempting to wake more.

He scooted closer to the wooden box on the edge of the tub and opened it, pulling out a bar of soap. It smelled a little like mint. Sort of like Matthias, but different.

Lukas grabbed a rag and rubbed the bar over it. He put it to his nose and breathed in the scent again, intrigued.

It made him feel calm. A little sleepy again. But mostly calm. He washed his body off, then his hair, then his face. Before he could get too tired again, he rinsed off and got out, grabbing the nearest towel.

"May I come in, sir?"

Lukas quickly covered himself and said, "I suppose."

The maid came in with a pile of clothes. She set them on the table, bowed a little, and left.

Lukas eyed the clothes curiously. He dropped his towel and picked up a pair of pants. They were short, unlike the ones he normally wore. He held them to his body, and they went down to just below his knees. He raised an eyebrow at that. They seemed much nicer than he was used to.

Lukas slid on the underwear he was given and looked over at the dusty mirror in the room. They almost went down to his knees and were so much whiter than anything he wore. All of his clothes were a bit yellowed from being so old, but not these.

Next he slid on the socks, which were long, going just above his knees. He figured that was so none of his skin showed. He slid the pants on, buttoned them, then put on the white shirt he was given. The final thing was some sort of vest. It had a swirling red pattern and was very soft. He put it on, then looked in the mirror.

He felt so different. These clothes made him stand taller and hold his head higher. He was pleased with what he saw. He started to button the vest, but his fingers fumbled. The holes were a little small and the buttons were polished and smooth, which was a real pain.

"Lukas?"

He spun around and looked at the door, hands still fumbling with the buttons. "Come in."

This time, it wasn't the maid. It was Matthias. He snorted when he saw that Lukas was struggling with the buttons.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"It's a simple task," he replied, gritting his teeth as he tried to shove another button through the hole. It slipped again and he sighed.

"It is. Would you like help?"

Lukas reluctantly nodded and the other man walked over. He buttoned the vest with ease, smoothing the front when he was finished. "It wasn't as hard as you made it look," he said, a smile forming.

"It wasn't as easy as you made it look," he said sharply, looking up at Matthias.

He hadn't realized they were so close until now and he immediately took a step back, becoming suddenly aware that his damp hair was a mess. He raked his fingers through it and cleared his throat. "What was it you wanted, Matthias?"

"I wanted to let you know that the maids have been feeding your rabbit, so you have no need to."

Lukas crossed his arms. "And that is all, then?"

"I wanted to be sure that the maid had given you the correct clothing. I suppose she didn't tell you that you have a comb upstairs in your room."

Lukas ran his fingers through his hair again, huffing quietly. "If you'll excuse me, then."

With that, he walked past Matthias and went up to his bedroom.

Alexander pushed away his tea and crossed his arms. "I don't want to drink any tea. I want to know how we're going to get Lukas away from the castle," he snapped.

"Alexander, we must be patient. We have to have a plan to get him back. They won't let him walk out of that castle, I am sure of it."

The boy sighed and stopped pacing, finally taking a seat next to his grandfather. "What if they are hurting him? Plotting something sinister?"

The old man patted his back, trying to provide some comfort. "Lukas is a smart boy. He will find a way out if he needs to. We just have to stay hopeful for now. Surely we will be able to get him back in one month's time. Until then, you must be patient."

Lukas didn't eat dinner with Matthias that night. He went down to the dining hall and ate alone.

He didn't enjoy such a good meal alone. He felt slightly guilty. Although he figured one of the maids had brought Matthias his food wherever he was. He was most likely upstairs working on something, although Lukas was still curious.

When he finished his meal, he stood and walked up to Matthias' study. The door was shut and he hesitated before knocking.

"Who is it?"

"Lukas."

Matthias stood, unlocked the door, and opened it, then sat back down at his desk. Lukas followed and stood in front of him, not knowing what to say initially.

"Did you eat dinner alone?"

He didn't look up. He was writing something. "I did."

Lukas stepped a little closer and Matthias squinted, pulling whatever he was writing out of Lukas' sight. The smaller man gave a little smile and just shrugged before saying, "Useless."

"Excuse me?"

He hadn't actually meant to say that out loud to Matthias and he stepped back again. He could feel eyes boring into him. Perhaps he shouldn't have even come up to the study. He turned to go, but felt a hand on his shoulder before he could move.

"Sit down."

Lukas did as he was told, though he really didn't want to. Matthias didn't seem to be in a good mood. His face was too stern. He set his pen down and leaned back. "Useless?"

"Yes."

"Why useless?"

"I didn't mean to insult your writings," he said, face growing pale. Matthias seemed to be getting worked up about this and he looked at the door. "I just meant—"

"Speak up."

"I just meant it is useless to hide it from me."

"You still want to know all of my business, do you?"

"That isn't what I meant."

Matthias closed the book, got up, and put it on a shelf. "Save your excuses."

"But I—"

"But what?!"

Lukas hesitated. He nearly flinched at his harsh tone and stood up, looking at the floor. "It is useless because I can't really read."

Matthias didn't feel guilty a lot, but his face fell when he heard that. He should have known. But the way Lukas talked seemed so educated and he just assumed that he knew how to read.

"How do you follow signs? Look at notes?"

"I suppose I can pick some words out when I try. And the signs have arrows. There are many symbols. I can tell when something is written in another language, too."

"So you aren't able to write?"

Lukas shook his head, his cheeks burning from shame. He was supposed to learn to read, but his grandfather had disowned his parents when he was younger, and they weren't admitted back into the family until he was fourteen. His grandfather was the only one who could have given him enough money to obtain an education.

Once his grandfather took them in, the door of opportunity seemed to be closed for him, and he never bothered with reading or writing.

"Everyone deserves to know how to read and write."

Lukas shrugged slightly and said, "It's too late."

Before he knew it, Matthias had grabbed his hand and led him over to the other side of the desk. "It isn't. I will teach you how." He picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and put it in Lukas' hand. "Write your name."

Lukas just stared at him and stuttered faintly, his eyes widening as he looked down at a blank journal Matthias had opened for him. "But I cannot write," he whispered.

"Write it. Now."

"But—"

Matthias took Lukas' hand, put it on the paper, and began moving it. "L-U-K-A-S. Lukas. See the first letter? What sound does it make?"

"It makes a 'la' sound," he replied. His hand was shaking and the other man noticed. He tried to hold it still as he continued to write.

"What words begin with 'L'?"

Lukas began to say he didn't know, but Matthias stopped him, shot him a look, and the look alone made him glance back down at the paper.

"Lie. Starts with L." He wrote an L. "L-ie. There is an 'I'. I know 'I'." He scribbled an 'I' and flashed a little nervous smile. "L-I. Lie."

"There is a silent letter. L-I-E. Lie." Matthias took his hand and forced him to write the final letter.

Lukas just stared at the word. The 'I' seemed to mock him and he felt angry. "Why?" He questioned. He dipped the pen in ink again and wrote out the word again. "Lie."

"We can try another. What begins with L?"

"Love. L-" Lukas paused and thought, but he couldn't think of the right letter. "Love. Love," he kept repeating it, but it didn't help.

"Love. L-O-V-E. It has the silent 'e'."

"Why?"

At that, Matthias just let out a light laugh. "I could never tell you. But through repetition, you will remember."

Lukas faintly smiled, feeling a little more confident. He looked down at Matthias' hand on top of his own and suddenly became more aware of how it felt. It was warm and a little rough, but comforting. He could smell him, too. He smelled like mint and pine trees and something else that made him more relaxed. Before he could dwell more on him, he removed his hand and stood.

"It is late. You should be going to bed now."

Lukas stood as well, making his way to the door.

"Lukas?"

"Yes?"

There was a pause and Lukas wasn't sure if Matthias was going to speak, but finally he said, "Sleep well," and Lukas began slowly walking to his room again.

Lukas looked around. The fire had been reduced to smoke and the stairs beckoned him. He walked up and pushed past a heavy door. Once he was inside, his body sunk to the floor.

He felt so light and happy. He opened his eyes wider and noticed a figure standing in front of a row of stained-glass windows. He just smiled more and laid down on the rug, stretching his hands up towards the ceiling. He muttered something soft, letting out a giggle.

"Lukas," a voice said. He suddenly saw Matthias standing above him. He was smiling gently. He looked almost as happy as he felt. He extended a hand towards the taller man. He took it and started pressing kisses to it. On his palm, on his knuckles, on his fingers.

Lukas whispered something to him. Matthias stopped kissing his hand and moved on top of him. Lukas wrapped both arms around his neck, holding onto him. He could feel the other pressing warm kisses all over his neck and he let out another giggle.

Not only could he feel the kisses, but he could feel the weight of his body. He pushed up against it with his own, longing to be closer.

"Lukas."

He suddenly spread his legs as his eyes found their way back to the colorful windows. "Matthias," he whispered. Before anything else could happen, his eyes fluttered shut.

When Lukas woke up, his face twisted into one of worry and slight disgust. Mostly with himself. He sat up, suddenly noticing that his inner thighs were slick. His eyes widened and he pulled the blanket down, immediately spotting a stain.

The worst thing that could happen was the maids finding out about this and telling Matthias. He pulled the pants off and shoved them under the bed, then grabbed a new pair and put them on.

He crawled back into bed, hoping he wouldn't have another dream like that about Matthias again.