Eternal Love (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 15

🌻

Gulf shook off AA's hand.

"I don't understand the question, so I can't answer it." He glared at the man with as much defiance as he could master. Holding onto his determination was the only thing he could do to avoid being consumed by his panic.

He had been so focused on escaping the palace and Mew that he had lost sight of anything else. In a foreign country, a single wrong decision can lead to unimaginable results, and he hadn't considered the negative consequences of his actions.

"Insolent foreigner!" Kadim yelled. "How dare you refuse Lord AA's hand! Why don't you test him yourself, sir? He might understand his position a bit better then."

Gulf couldn't believe what he was hearing. Paralyzed by shock, he found it impossible to react. He wanted to get out of here now. But he couldn't manage to examine the opportunities for escape through the anxiety he felt. If he acted rashly and inflamed the situation...

He had to calm down. If he was calm, he would be able to think of something. He desperately needed to believe that. It didn't matter how much he regretted his recklessness, he had no choice but to get through this himself.

"Good idea," AA agreed.

He reached out once again with the hand that Gulf had shaken off. Gulf had just told himself to stay calm, but he shoved AA away without thinking, AA staggered back and Kadim bristled with fury.

"Who do you think you are?" Kadim's face was scarlet as he seized Gulf's arms. "I guess you won't behave unless we hurt you."

Kadim twisted Gulf's arms behind him and he howled with pain. The man was surprisingly strong for such a small man, not daunted in the least by Gulf's resistance.

Gulf's joints were stretched to their limit, pain coursing through him as Kadim's fingers dug into his arms. He groaned

"Don't struggle, or I'll cut your arm off right here," Kadim shouted.

At that moment, the woman they had seen in the courtyard appeared out of nowhere and drew near without a sound. She kneeled before Gulf and efficiently held his thawb out of the way. In a other moment, the pants he wore beneath it were around his ankles.

"No! Don't!" Gulf yelled.

He trashed around, but Kadim held his arms securely and pushed him roughly to his knees. He was sure his arms were going to snap.

The woman put her hand to Gulf's underwear.

"No! Get away from me!" he screeched.

"It's obviously pointless to straggle. Now let Lord AA have a look a you." A degenerate smile crept over Kadim's face as he pressed closed behind Gulf.

AA himself stopped Kadim. "That's enough. Release him."

The man didn't look particularly offended, on the contrary he seemed to be enjoying himself. His lips twitched into a crooked smile and he shook his head with a theatrical gesture.

"Mew's guest intrigues me," he said, "but unfortunately, I have no interest in sleeping with a man."

Gulf was shocked at the sudden mention of Mew's name. How had AA known? Kadim seemed just as surprised , jumping back, his eyes wide.

"Mew's guest?" he whispered, his grip falling away immediately.

Rather than nursing his freed arms, Gulf fumbled to arrange his clothes, shaking from the shame he had come so close to experiencing.

AA returned to his old place on the sofa as if nothing at all had happened. He sat down again, one knee drawn up, and picked up his cigar. "That, or he's a thief," he added.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Kadim stuttered, moving closer to AA and leaning towards him.

"Look at the thwab he's wearing," AA pointed out. "No one but the royal family has silk as fine as that around here. I suspect we'll find the Murshid coat of arms embroidered in  the hiring. Mew must have invited him to the Saria palace."

Gulf couldn't judge the quality of the silk he was wearing. Neither could Kadim, probably. He hadn't checked the rest, but Kadim was scowling and Gulf could see sweat gathering in the man's forehead.

"Why didn't you tell me? If only I'd known!" Kadim yelled.

The outburst didn't ruffle AA in the least. He must be on familiar terms with Mew, since he hadn't used a title, but Gulf couldn't imagine what business the royal family might have at a degenerate place like this.

"We'll send him back at once," Kadim said. "Please put in a good words for me, sir,"

AA responded to Kadim's panic by puffing serenely his cigar. "He's the heir to the throne. No, we might as well call him the king now. I'm not sure how much influence my good word will have."

"But.. " Kadim protested.

Gulf's mind was in chaos as he listened to this exchange. It was Mew's fault that he was in this situation in the first place, and now Mew would be his salvation. It was ironic. But he was still incredibly lucky that AA had been here.

"Anyway, it seems it's too late," AA said, looking up.

Gulf, Kadim, and the black-robed woman all followed his gaze and listened.

They heard a faint noise. It grew closer by the moment until it became a roar. Gulf recognized it, too---the noise of propellers. At last the noise fell silent, and in its place they heard babbling all around them.

It was impossible to say how much time passed. One minute, two. Then they heard the sound of footsteps on stone.

TBC