Chapter 50: Welcome
It was a bit of a downer. Izaya's condition that is.
Letting his back sink into the smooth surface of his makeshift bed inside the carriage, he sighed at the way it made his body feel relaxed and exhausted at the same time.
Was it stupid to say he thought he had recovered more than that?
Blissfully silly and optimistic he had burned quickly through his freshly obtained reserves. He should have stayed. Rested more. At least logically.
But somehow Izaya couldn't help but feel that the smile decorating his expression was worth the exhaustion it had brought.
Karazam.
A knight that was no real knight yet, but an indispensable part of the group. He liked him. If he kept learning from Shinra then he would become an even more valuable asset to the group. His attitude vastly lacked confidence, but his actions proved precision and dedication. He wasn't the type to fight, which was odd considering he had joined the very knights that were rumored to fight the most dangerous campaigns. But at the end of the day he was like a link, providing a constant pull to keep everything together. The day before too. At the fireplace. Knowing now that he and Crispin were siblings somehow only added to their charme. They were opposites in many ways, but it was exactly that difference in skills that made them strong.
One could do what the other couldn't.
It was a sibling bond not much unlike the one Izaya's sisters had. The resemblance caused his heart to clench.
Turning onto his side Izaya sighed softly.
The dizziness from earlier had disappeared and his head slowly started to clear again. Apart from the cotton filling his head he actually felt fine.
The blanket was fluffy and the setting sun doused the carriage in warm and cozy light. The perfect conditions to drift into another nap.
And this time, it was actually pleasant. Not stuffed. Not too hot, not too cold.
The fabric of Izaya's blanket hugged him like a fine silken dress and the peaceful silence soothed him with nothing but the music of insects announcing the fall of dawn.
He didn't know how long he had drifted off, but quickly realized that by the time Izaya's eyes fluttered open again, night had fallen.
The orange red of dawn was replaced by cool blue and white as the crescent of the moon was on the way to its original position.
The light of a fire kissed the golden ornaments on the carriage's walls as the door to the carraige opened.
Shizuo stepped inside. A large bundle of leather rested under his arm. Immediately noticing that Izaya was in fact awake forced a relieved smile onto Shizuo's lips.
"Sorry it took so long, it took ages to get past the line."
Ah. The border.
Taking a second to readjust Izaya tried to remember their reason for stopping. The knights were trying to get entry to the kingdom.
A soft smile of amusement tugged at Izaya's brow as he lifted it.
"The king has to stay in line?"
Izaya was aware that every single person had to be checked for weapons or anything of danger before entering the peaceful land. It was a good precaution to fend off trouble, but imagining Shizuo standing proud in his armor for hours straight with a frown on his face was quite the funny idea.
"I'm not going to force my way forward and have some pregnant women trying to enter the city wait even longer," the king announced with a quick shrug and Izaya smiled.
Shizuo really was too good for this world.
"A king just like how he is supposed to be," Izaya whispered and pushed the blanket off his frame. Without any warning or call for help he slipped out of bed- apparently worrying the hell out of Shizuo as he immediately stood by, offering both his arms as quick support and abandoning the leather bundle without any care.
Thudding to the ground with quite some force Izaya smiled before directing his gaze towards Shizuo.
"I can get up by myself."
Eyes full of faith and unreasonable confidence met Shizuo's and for a second the blond felt nothing but delight.
Izaya was standing- on his own. His face still looked pale but nothing like the past few days. The tremors shaking his body appeared to be gone and apart from the arguably weak grasp he held onto the carriage's ornaments with, he seemed steady.
He was getting better. He actually was.
Distracted by his overflowing joy he missed the quizzical expression on Izaya's part. Looking down at his body and back at the bed Izaya noticed quite the important asset was missing.
"What about-" he started, but didn't get to finish his words as Shizuo picked up on his worry.
Reaching for the heavy leather bag the king quickly tore at the cords keeping it sealed. A heavy piece of fabric was pulled forth shining in vibrant colors of gold and crimson velvet.
Izaya had been wondering what it was that Shizuo had been carrying around.
It was a cloak. Embroidery of delicate kind snaked its way up the frame and created a beautiful pattern depicting a rising sun.
"I realized I left in a bit of a rush," Shizuo explained quickly. A faint hint of regret swayed in his words and Izaya chuckled.
"You mean the fact that you packed nothing but a nightgown for me?"
Izaya had thought so before. Not so much at the fireplace because his mind had been occupied otherwise, but when stepping out of the carriage and talking to Karazam Izaya had realized he was lacking decent clothes to hide his true self.
Sickly as he was, the blanket had not raised any suspicion, but the better he got the more it would.
"You knew?"
"The carriage was empty apart from me and I doubt Karazam's bags are stuffed with expensive clothes."
Lifting the cloak Shizuo pulled the fabric aside, revealing more clothes. Dresses from what Izaya could tell. Luxurious and befitting of a queen.
"I bought some on the way in. There was a merchant right at the entrance."
Slight humor called to Izaya's expression as he raised his brow.
"How much money did you spend?" A stall selling clothes right at the entrance sounded like a sure fire way to attract nobility early on and get them to spend the money they prepared before they advanced.
Or in other words, taking advantage of early purchase impulses and necessities.
Shizuo seemed to only realize now that he had run right into that merchant's trap. "Does it matter?" he groaned.
"You got ripped off didn't you?"
"Do you like it or not?" It was a funny question and conversation overall.
Almost as if they actually were a married couple discussing how to use their budget for a trip.
Like? Izaya couldn't help but feel a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"As the queen, of course, darling," he said, "As myself, yes. Now I don't have to worry about my cover being blown."
Perplexion rose to Shizuo's face and he shook his head softly.
Right.
Izaya was a man- who would ask a man if he liked a dress?
Chasing away the fact that he had yet again somehow forgotten that Izaya was a guy he brought the cloak forth.
Heavy as it was, it wasn't only practical but also common courtesy to help his wife put it on.
Cords were sneaked around Izaya's neck and the blond stepped just a little bit closer in order to tie them up.
It should have felt awkward, having Shizuo this close to him with his arms basically around his body, but somehow Izaya could find nothing wrong with it.
Shizuo was warm against the cool breeze of the night. The cloak too. Soaked up his body heat from being carried around.
It was a cozy sensation.
The hands too.
A feeling awfully close to sadness coursed through Izaya's mind the second Shizuo finished adjusting the cloak and he quickly chased it away.
"Shall we?" Shizuo asked after casting a few approving glances and offered his arm.
Izaya nodded and took it gladly.
Light of various torches filled the setting night with brightness.
Their knights stood nearby in a neat row and the fire reflected in their steeled armor.
Bright green grass touched Izaya's ankles as he stepped down onto what appeared to be the entrance of a mansion.
A fontaine along with a large staircase featuring a couple maids and butlers laid in front.
Slowly Shizuo moved towards them and Izaya followed.
At first he thought he would only need the support in order to step down from the carriage, but his body was still awfully weak.
Moving his arm slightly Shizuo motioned to withdraw, in order to give Izaya the freedom he sought. Instead he found his queen grasping his arm a bit tighter.
"Would you mind?" Izaya whispered and Shizuo's stance tensed to one that would easily fight off waves in the midst of a dark rampaging sea.
The muscles in his arm tensed and he quickly negated the question.
"Of course not."
If Izaya needed support then he would be giving it until the day he died.
Letting go of the carriage, Izaya nodded before moving a step ahead.
It was okay. He felt okay. A bit weak in his steps, slower than any snail ever seen, but good.
The urge to represent a decent queen flared up once more, but by now he was wiser than to reject help when he needed it.
After all, kissing the ground head first would prove even more of a blamage than appearing a bit meak would.
"My queen," a man suddenly announced, coming forth from the array of servants. Izaya easily recognized the guy as one of the culprits that tried to cheat Shizuo out of his land. Lord Hebaron. "I believe the last time we met you were still a bride to be," he announced sweetly as if never having meant any harm.
Izaya wasn't quite sure why they were here, but considering Shizuo knew about what this guy had tried to do, their visit was apparently more of a necessity instead of an option.
"It's my pleasure," he greeted politely.
From what Izaya had seen on the map, Lord Hebaron's land served as a link between the two kingdoms. Half here, half there he was the perfect route for merchants wishing to sell their goods and pass the border without running into trouble on the road.
It was also the reason why security had advanced to the level that was expected of a castle holding an heir.
Neutral but also prone to attack his land was positioned in a way that called for lowlaid actions and careful words.
It explained the lord's calm character at least. And the way he tried to sneakily attain more land.
Izaya wouldn't be surprised if his own secret little dream were to attain enough land on his own to rise to a king-like position by himself. All without the need to fight of course. He seemed like they kind of man that had never even picked up a sword before.
"My king," he bowed curtly, just as expected. "I have prepared a room for you and your wife."
A moment of untold silence followed as the knights reached for the reigns of their horses.
"And my knights?" Shizuo's question was no question, it was an order.
Izaya knew his way around etiquette as much as nobility needed it, so he was very well aware that Shizuo was asking something incredulous.
Knights and servants didn't differ in the way they were accustomed.
Shizuo's question had called for an upgrade of that situation.
"... your highness?" Lord Hebaron repeated, obviously hoping he could decline the offer by pretending to not understand.
Izaya smiled to himself.
Shizuo wasn't the kind of man who would falter at a mere repetition.
"I'm sure you don't expect them to sleep outside," the king replied instead, sealing the coffin to the request that Lord Hebaron was unwilling to fulfill.
It was funny to see the hesitation on Lord Hebaron's expression. The request was not common at all, but Shizuo made it sound as if it were.
The maids and butlers standing by sent awkward glances to each other. Of course well hidden from their ruler.
Swallowing the bile that was the unspoken rule that Lord Hebaron had to obey any of the king's wishes he quickly cast a forced smile.
"... of course not, your highness. It's seven of them, right? I have tended to it of course."
Of course.
Izaya quickly bit his lower lip in order to cut back an amused smile. He loved it. Shizuo was a knight, a man of pride, or rather protection, and a few stupid courtesies were not going to change that.
Quickly nodding to each other in confirmation that they had understood the unspoken order the servants turned back to the mansion.
They had obviously not prepared anything at all to accustom to seven knights.
Leading the way Lord Hebaron signed for the entrance to his mansion and moved on.
It was only after a few steps of distance had built up between the three that Izaya leant closer to Shizuo with a quiet whisper on his lips.
"It's not common for knights to sleep at a noble's place, you know that right?"
A glance was cast, a shrug given and the king replied with the only answer Izaya deemed valid of his character.
"I do, but who is he to doubt me?"
It was fantastic. Izaya had been worried that Shizuo was going to continue being the king that would let himself be swayed by the words of nobility, but it seemed he learned.
And he learned quick.
"Besides," Shizuo continued, glancing over his shoulders to the knights in question. "My knights rode like the devil to get here as fast as we did. They deserve way more than just a warm meal and bed."
Right.
The slightest tinge of guilt befell Izaya. Of course that wasn't Shizuo's intention, but there was no meaning hiding the truth. Shizuo's knights had given their best to adavnce as quickly as possible, to make sure that their queen survived.
Izaya hadn't even talked that much with them. He had to be a stranger at the end of the day compared to the time that Shizuo had spent with them.
And yet-
Recalling the conversation with Karazam and the way Craigh and the others tried to cheer him up at the fireplace he couldn't help but also feel the radiating heat of welcoming warmth in his chest.
So many people were giving their all for him. And not because they were forced to, but because of their own free will.
It caused a sensation he wasn't quite familiar with and he turned his head to look at Shizuo's knights.
Karazam was trying to carry the heavy bags that had been tied to his horse, and Craigh quickly took them from him. Crispin seemed to be exceptionally pleased by their new accomodation and Chester's glance shortly met Izaya's and he quickly bowed with a beaming smile.
These knights really-
"I agree." They only deserved the best.
to be continued~
We finally arrived~! now it's time to show off some of Izaya's good sides hahahah
There is no SD and Gth update this week but I will make sure to make next Saturday worth the wait xDDD Especially in SD hahaha
Also, I will probably start the new story "Angel shot" on the coming Saturday~! C: C: C: C:
With that being said I hope you enjoyed this update and see you in the next update xD