Angel

4- Angel

"Come." Lord Vincent extended his hand to Kylo.

In the flickering light of the candles, Kylo noticed the intense way the lord was regarding him. A silver gaze which burned pleasantly throughout his body. "My lord, where...?" Slipping his hand into the older man's, Kylo bit his lip anxiously.

"Shh..." Lord Vincent touched his finger to his lips and spirited Kylo through the darkness of the back hall. "My room, dear boy. And I prefer my guests not know where I am so keep your voice low."

Led like a blind man through the embrace of the ill-lit area, Kylo held tightly onto the lord's hand. "Have you not graced your guests with your presence yet?"

"No," said the lord curtly as he led Kylo to a door and opened it. "I never go to any of my affairs before night has fallen thick and deep. And twilight plays like a disobedient child on my lawn still."

The lord ushered Kylo into a grand room and let go of his hand. The walls were decorated with fine tapestries and upon the floor were plush skins of both wolf and bear fur. A grand four-poster bed rested by the north wall and an oak wardrobe bigger than the cellar he had spent most of his life in was to his right. A dressing screen by the wardrobe boasted painted-on cranes in a lake of lilies.

"My lord," Kylo whispered, his breath taken away by the vast beauty of the room.

Seeing Kylo impressed by what lay before him, Vincent chuckled. "My chambers." He walked to the wardrobe and opened it.

Kylo took a step closer to the closet. The clothing inside reminded him of fine art, everything the lord had was exquisitely ruffled or new looking. Feeling like a frog inside a pond of swans, Kylo blushed at his old outfit. "Everything in here is beautiful," he uttered, ashamed to even allow his voice to tarnish the perfect state of the lord's private room.

"Yes," the lord replied quietly as he looked at Kylo and the drying blood on the young man's lip, "Everything I see." Walking to him as if in a momentary daze, the lord reached to Kylo and ran his thumb over the drop of blood. Vincent's silvery gaze lingered on Kylo long enough to make the younger man blush. Noticing Kylo's bashfulness, the lord quickly returned to the wardrobe's door and gestured Kylo to step behind the dressing screen. "Take off your clothes, I will make you the most handsome man in the ball. The ladies will swoon at your feet and long to hear their name uttered from your lips. And the gentlemen will try to drown their jealousy in fine wine, wondering if they will lose their lovers tonight."

"My lord, you don't have to go through all this trouble. I will never be handsome," Kylo said.

Rifling through his wardrobe, the lord tisked. "It's no trouble. And you already are beautiful, you just need the right outfit to highlight your loveliness." When he found what he wanted the lord stepped back with a smile. "Ah, this." Vincent walked to the screen dividing them. "I believe these will fit you." Without looking behind the divider where Kylo stood undressed, the lord poked his arm around it and handed the younger man the outfit. "Put these on and step outside."

Standing in his underpants and gloves, Kylo took the outfit the lord had selected and looked at it. The white lace shirt with the ruby buttons and the lovely black trousers looked too beautiful to be worn. Kylo ran his glove-wearing hand over the fine material, worried if he took the gloves off he might ruin the items with his rough hands. "My lord," he said softly, "clothing like this is made for a king, not some cinder-boy like me."

"Then today pretend you are a king. Get dressed," said the lord, "I want to see you."

"Yes, my lord," Kylo whispered and quickly put on his new outfit. When he stepped outside the security of the divider and looked in the full-length mirror, he saw that everything fit him like a glove. The gossamer shirt was perfect for a masquerade ball yet under other circumstances would have been absolutely scandalous as it showed off more than it hid. The trousers were much tighter than his tan ones and there were a pair of black lace-up boots waiting for him.

"You cannot go to the ball like that," came the lord's voice from behind Kylo. Moving around the younger man, Vincent ran his fingers through Kylo's hair, allowing it to hang loose around his shoulders. The lord reached towards a marble table and brought a white lace mask to Kylo's eyes. Carefully, he tied the lacy ribbon with a bow. "There." The lord ran his hand down Kylo's back, frowning deeply when he noticed the whip marks there. "Who did this to you?" the lord uttered.

Looking down at his feet, Kylo hesitated. "The step-mother, my lord."

Gritting his teeth Lord Vincent moved to his wardrobe once more and soon emerged with a pair of white feathered wings. "It is a Masquerade ball after all," he said as he secured the wings on Kylo's back, perfectly hiding every scar the other had obtained over the years. Stepping back, Vincent nodded. "You are...perfect," he murmured under his breath.

The moment of silence that crawled to them brought with it an odd sensation. Kylo longed to embrace the lord and believed the man's arms could be a nest for he was nothing more than a lost little bird.

"Thank you, my lord," Kylo said as he bowed. "I will never forget this."

Lord Vincent gave Kylo a small nod then put on his own disguise. A black leather mask covered the lord's upper-face, from cheek-bone to crown. A pair of leathery horns protruded from the top giving him the appearance of some breath-taking demon.

"Nearly perfect," said the lord as he scooped up a perfume bottle and sprayed Kylo with it.

"I smell like you." Kylo chuckled and brought his arm to his nose. The scent of musk and flowers filled the air, it was like being in an Oriental garden at night.

"I do not even know your name," the lord said setting the bottle down before moving to stand a foot away from Kylo.

"It's Kylo Bell, my lord."

"Lord Vincent De Vecci," the lord bowed elegantly, "at your humble service."

Giggling, Kylo matched the lord's deep bow. His wings fluttered as he moved. "The pleasure is all mine, Lord Vincent."

Through the window, dusk stumbled into night. The sound of music penetrated the walls. "Are you ready?" Lord Vincent offered Kylo his hand.

"Yes." Kylo slid his gloved one into the lord's and the two men walked out of the room.

word count: 1146