inevitable entanglements » a.i. + l.h.

9

Say something - A great big world

Family dinners had never been their thing. If possible, Ashton and Michael ate with Gabriel or just the two of them together in their room.

But now Michael was off to god knows where and he really did not want to see his father, nor did he feel like eating alone.

So he had asked the servants to make his breakfast to go. He now roamed the corridors carrying a silver plate with Hero and Leander clutched to his chest.

He didn't understand why it was Luke's favourite, seeing as both characters died very tragic deaths in the end. Like he had told the boy, it was something typically
Ovid.

It was a story about two lovers who were separated by a strait and whose parents had forbidden them to see each other. Every night, the boy swam to the other side, only to return before the sun rose. But one night, the boy drowned. After finding her dead lover stranded on the beach, the devastated girl jumped off the tower where she used to lit a candle every night, so her lover would be guided through the waves by the light of their love.

He made sure he arrived a little before worship ended and hid himself in one of the closets in the hallway. That was one of the perks of being the duke's son, you were allowed to do what you wanted. The smell of the fresh crepes teased his nostrils while he waited, testing his patience or lack of it.

When the doors finally opened, he squinted his eyes in an attempt to find that certain blond. Much to his disappointment, Luke was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't like him to miss worship, especially after excessively asking for Hero and Leander. At least that's what Ashton thought.

Maybe the feeling of excitement wasn't mutual.

He didn't get the chance to think it through, because someone else had caught his attention. In the middle of the mass exiting the chapel walked Calum with a distressed look on his face and his eyes clouded with tears.

Perhaps he missed having someone to pick on.

Ashton couldn't deny that he felt a little disappointed. He was also a little mad at Gabriel, because this feeling in his stomach didn't feel pleasant at all.

Deciding that maybe someone was keeping Luke from going to the chapel, he came out of the closet. There was no one around anyway, they had already left to get to work.

He strolled through the castle, the crepes in his hand slowly getting colder and colder. Right now, he couldn't care less about it. Because even if there was nothing wrong, which was probably true, he didn't want to miss out on seeing Luke. It was by far his favourite thing to do.

Alternating between taking in his surroundings and studying the carpet under his feet, he walked for several minutes. He passed a few servants, but because the duke was now in the castle, the duke's son was a little less important, something he was grateful for. He didn't like the idea of people watching his every move.

He was busying himself with looking at the paintings, when he noticed a cavity in the wall. The shivers that ran down his spine reminded him of one of his first conversations with Luke and when he saw the trembling mess on the floor, he wished he had actually left the blankets here, instead of taking them with him after noticing that Luke had left. Of course he knew that it would've been pointless, an other servant would've taken them. But the very sight of Luke could make everyone feel guilty, even about crimes they had yet to commit.

Ashton kneeled down next to the sleeping boy, finally getting the opportunity to take in all his features. It seemed to him that Luke had gotten even skinnier, but maybe that was because he looked so helpless when he slept. His skin clung to his cheekbones in a way that made Ashton's stomach crawl.