Castles in the Sky

Armour

A/N: It would be a good idea to reread the last section of ch.17, since this continues directly on from there!

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A carnival of tuoksut right there on midnight moor's edge. Bottomless fathoms of swirling sea, orchard's kaleidoscoping cherry blossom - and something nestled even sweeter in the midst of those marrying scents...

"Wh-what are you doing here? What are you wearing? My Gods I- this smell...this scent it's...I love you"

Head spinning stars, lips stained red, eyes sunken, black, against backdrop of a canvas ebbing of colour as Solaris clung in shock to the other figure - as if it were no human but only heart's mirage. An apparition, there to lure him into moor's enchanted, mauve heather kingdom.

And he would gladly go to dance those dreams.

But no-

-Ciel, truly Ciel, in the flesh, lifting off heavy helmet to reveal free-flowing tears on dirt-smudged cheeks - cradling the elder man's stunned, searching face, as he looked into his soul and told:

"I, too, love you"

And then pressing trembling lips together, salt of their tears balancing sugary highs of delicate, candied kisses.

Because they had yearned and they had missed - oh, how they had missed and yearned.

Mouths retreating to rest foreheads against one another, hands clasped and fingers intertwined in mutual prayer, as somewhere off centre stage, a third man and mule shuffled awkwardly in boot and shoe. Extras cast in a play with no lines.

'Mmmmmm....oooohhhh' - moor's wind wailing her way to weave about the summer night's warmth.

There were ghosts of long lost lovers on those barren lands, folklore told. But there, then, two agitated souls found peace at last - a serene stillness, sanctuary in times of war.

Then as seconds passed, and clouds parted farewell to allow the abundant fullness of an opal moon to pool the scene, the omega sensed that, rather than embracing, he was propping his weakened alpha up to stay standing, in fact.

Chiding softly:

"Let's have you back to your tent to rest. My King is gravely injured"

Alarm flashing tiredest, heavy eyes...

"No!...Y-you have to leave here...it's not safe...I forbid-"

-But finger placed on lips to stem anxious storm tides with stern, unflinching barrier:

"I will not leave your side again, husband, so do not ask it"

And that was that.

The very last words Solaris heard, as eyes' focus hazed and he succumbed at last to exhaustion's sleepiest warm milk teat.

From the shadows: Narong. Stepping to hoist the King's sturdy frame up onto waiting steed's saddle - slumped forward against mule's mane - led onwards by the helmeted Queen as they retraced Solaris's earlier steps silently, towards camp's centre.

Winding this way and that, sounds only of padding hooves upon rustles of dry summer's grass, and the huffing of the creature's nostrils, swishing white tail as it went.

Then King's unconscious groans as he was hauled from his gypsy bed to be dragged - limp arms hanging over the shoulders of a staggering Ciel and Narong - towards his sleeping mat.

Rousing Dr Phawattakun - who with swift glance registered the new arrivals with a single, knowing nod, as if it was all always to be expected, at some juncture, somehow.