The King's Artist

Ch 15: The Soldier Kayden

Kayden had just finished his afternoon training when he saw the Henry and Arthur walking by. They hadn't noticed him standing nearby so Kayden's wave fell short and his arm dropped to his side useless. As he opened his mouth to call after the two of them, he halted mid-sentence as his eyes, out of habit, landed on Arthur who was walking a few steps behind Henry and wearing the most interesting of expressions.

Even though he had chosen not to make his presence aware, Henry seemed to have sensed him. He turned, spotting Kayden, and smiled at the guard. Arthur's line of sight followed in toon with Henry's, and a similar smile was displayed on his face.

"Well, if it isn't the most promising of soldiers," Henry thundered, approaching Kayden with Arthur trailing behind him as usual. "You look worn my friend. Just finished training?"

Kayden bowed to Henry smoothly before the two embraced one another while laughing boisterously.

"You would be correct," Kayden said, allowing an easygoing smile to fall on his face. Regularly, if in the presence of his higher-ups, Kayden was supposed to act professionally at all times. Never speaking casually. With Henry, however, the two were as close as brothers. Not as close as Henry and Arthur were, but still close. Formalities were something they never used unless Henry's uncle or Kayden's superiors were in the vicinity.

"Hey, quick question for you," Henry said leaning in close to Kayden with his brows furrowed and his lips pressed into a firm line. "Which one of us is the better horseback rider?" Henry asked motioning between himself and Arthur. Kayden raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"But, of course, that would be Arthur," Kayden said without hesitation. Henry let out a screaming groan of frustration as he attempted to pull his hair out. Arthur's laughter rang equally as loud as Henry's complainants. He had doubled over, clutching his side, as he laughed at the receding figure of Henry. Kayden, in bewilderment, stared at the storming Henry and looked to Arthur for an explanation. After having regained his breath, Arthur straightened and wiped away a few streaks of tears that had fallen because of his hysteria.

"It's best you don't ask," Arthur said in response to Kayden's questioning gaze. Kayden laughed while he shook his head in amusement.

Together, the two made their way after Henry who had disappeared down the hall and who could still be heard shouting. Kayden and Arthur made their way down the hall in silence with Kayden stealing several glances at Arthur as they walked. He was still attempting to decipher the earlier expression he had seen on Arthur's face and, as a result, was staring far too intensely. When Arthur's piercing blue eyes shifted to stare at him, Kayden felt his heart lurch in his chest.

"What?" Arthur questioned innocently. Kayden felt his heart pound furiously, and his temperature rose several degrees. He swallowed exaggeratedly before shaking his head and laughing off the incident. Arthur shrugged his shoulders but picked up his pace slightly which allowed Kayden to drop back a few steps and stare after Arthur without noticeable scrutiny.

He looked over Arthur like a doctor, examining the man's walk and figure that, in Kayden's opinion, just didn't seem to fit a boy. Arthur's skin was fair and unblemished without even a hint of a morning shadow on his chin. Kayden found himself questioning his own skills in shaving the more he looked at the clean edges and flawless and rosy complexion of the younger man. Arthur was also smaller and thinner than any man Kayden had ever encountered. It did make sense, though, to some degree, for Arthur wasn't trained in combat and was more concerned with painting than fighting. Kayden sighed softly as he moved to examine Arthur's curly blonde hair, high cheekbones, and plump lips.

But even with all things considered, Kayden just couldn't seem to wrap his head around the fact that Arthur was a man. He knew it was impossible, but he just couldn't shake the feeling he was walking beside a woman.

Kayden felt his cheeks warm, and his neck burned at the thought. He coughed loudly, startling Arthur who shot him a concerned look.

"Are you feeling alright today, Kayden?" Arthur questioned as gingerly as he could.

"Ah, yes, just feeling a little under the weather," Kayden lied. "With the storm, I've been having to train inside, and it's not nearly as comfortable as being outside. It's a lot hotter and stifling, not to mention I have to restrain my movements a lot more."

"I didn't realize it was that bad," Arthur acknowledged. "I'm not really one for exercise, but I can agree that it is nicer being outside than inside."

Arthur went quiet, and while Kayden felt awkward by the silence, Arthur seemed content.

Eventually, they caught up to a now-calm Henry. Kayden said a brief goodbye to the two of them before heading off in the direction of his own room. Kayden briefly glanced behind them to watch their receding figures. He cocked his head to the side in wonderment, causing his dark hair to fall over his eyes. With a shake of his head, Kayden continued down the hall. He tried to reason what Arthur's eyes had been showing earlier, but it wasn't an expression he was familiar with.

One thing was for sure, though, men didn't usually look at other men in such a way. Not openly, anyway.

Feeling it was best to ignore the situation and forget about it, Kayden shook his head furiously and reached his door without further reflection. He opened the warm wooden door and shoveled off his gear as soon as he entered. Sweat clung his shirt to his back and his hair to the nape of his neck making the room uncomfortable and warm. Sighing loudly, Kayden flung himself onto his bed and stared intensely at the ceiling.

He wasn't sure why Arthur's expression was bothering him so much. He wasn't even entirely sure what Arthur's expression had been about. He just knew he didn't like it. The reason behind that, too, was a mystery to him.