The King and I {Damien X Shayne}

Chapter 23

MATURE CONTENT AHEAD

~

The rest of the month passed with relative ease. Damien got back into the swing of his day job, with Shayne gladly following along beside him. And by nightfall, the pair began exploring the more tactile aspect of their relationship. Things were being discovered all the time, the things they enjoyed and others not so; which meant that the time grew ever closer to their announcement.

But before that was to happen, the festival was to commence during the final day of the month and pass over to the first of the next. And the day was now the second-to-last of that month. No audiences were being conducted as it was all hands on deck to simultaneously set up the market stalls, decorations and maypoles for the days celebrations, and the ball for the evening. Frantic designers traversed the halls, accompanied by interns carrying boxes of lanterns and ladders galore. Damien had now freshened himself up, haven't been unattended to for a month, he had developed the beginnings of a luscious beard, and had decided to grow it out, much to Shayne's delight. The pair weren't to far off each other in age, but now Damien's looming beard would certainly age him.

As much as Damien wanted to help, he wasn't back to being in perfect health, so couldn't exactly scale a ladder to hang streamers. He decided to remove himself from the palace interior with it's hustle and bustle, and wander the paths of the town lined with stalls being set up by the folk of the city and from beyond with their wares.

As Shayne followed Damien outside, he had a thought that should be addressed before they left. "Damien; two things. We should tell Matt where we're going, should you be needed back here, and I think I should change into something more casual," gesturing to his trusty guard uniform in bright royal blue and gilded in gold thread designs all over. "it's a bit of a give away, especially with what you're wearing."

"True." Damien admitted pointing out his simple trousers and flowey shirt with a triangular cut out at the neckline, tied back up with blue thread and his own black leather boots. "So you go change, and I'll go tell Matt. Meet back in as soon as you can, and we can go for a wander before lunch." Damien said as the grand doors of the palace were opened once more for them to walk inside.

Shayne returned wearing a similar plain shirt, accompanied with his hand made boots from Damien, a dagger at his left hip and a light sword strapped to his right in another leather creation of Damien's, a scabbard and belt. He thought that Damien would be the first back, but it turns out that every corner he turned, he was met with questions from decorators, which delayed his return.

***

Shayne was walking along a similar cobbled path to the from his fabricated memory a fair while back, and began playing it out again to see how much would be true to life. Already, it wasn't night time, so that was the first exception. He and Damien also weren't holding hands, much to his sadness, making it two things that were different. There was music playing while people set up their stalls, so that was accurate to his fabricated scenario, as well as those who they passed by gave polite nods, and elbowed others when they didn't notice who they were, who them followed suit with slightly embarrassed nods themselves.

Sadly, unlike in his dream, he himself wasn't adorned with a stylish beard or any regal clothing like that of Damien's, but maybe that was for the better, to be just normal for once, roaming the streets and admiring the scenery they passed by, instead of focusing on this fantastical version of his life that he had fabricated.

Pushing the invasive thoughts of old from his mind, he focused on the now. The fact that Damien was on his way to being well again, had now adopted his magically induced sleep beard, and his slightly longer yet scruffier hair. Ironically it looked like he had lived in the woods for a while and had returned to civilisation without having groomed himself.