Luminescent

Chapter 1

Harold lay sprawled out on his bed, staring at the ceiling of his bed-chamber in silence. He didn't want to move, didn't want to get up to start preparing for the undoubtedly long day ahead of him. He knew it would be a tiring one. Politics. Economics. Planning. All things that he wasn't exactly in the mood for, but were his responsibility as the leader of the country. Harold, as the king of Dorthore, had more responsibilities in life than most men his age, but he didn't mind those responsibilities. On most days, at least.

The King sighed gently. The maids had finished filling his bath a few minutes before and it was best that he took to it sooner rather than later otherwise the water would cool. He hated bathing in cold water.

Harold rose from his bed, and just as he did, the servant's passage door opened up. For a brief moment, he was annoyed. He didn't want any more company from the maids. He was more than capable of cleaning himself. He did not need their help. But it wasn't a maid that had walked into his bed-chamber.

It was Eins.

"Harold," he said as he shut the door. "I hope I'm not bothering, but then again I don't really care if I am."

"No. Of course you haven't," he replied as he blearily rubbed his eyes.

"Good. I've prepared everything for our guest's arrival. Speaking of which, you've procrastinated until the last possible moment to get ready, like always," Eins stated, eyeballing Harold's nightclothes.

Harold rolled his eyes. Sometimes Eins sounded oddly reminiscent of his sister and even his late mother. That fact was troubling at times. Eins was supposed to be his best friend and advisor. Nothing else.

"I don't know how you even see in here with it so dark," Eins said as he crossed the room and threw open the curtains, spreading light throughout Harold's bed-chamber.

"It's because I'm not blind like you are, four-eyes," Harold grumbled.

If Eins were one of the maids, Harold would have scolded him for letting the light in. His eyes were not yet adjusted. He was not awake enough to have the glaring sunlight around him. He preferred to wake up slowly. But Eins was not a maid and Eins would be very quick to scold him back if he even tried to address the issue. So instead, Harold trudged over to the screen that separated his bath from the rest of the room.

Eins was not pleased with his speed.

"Honestly, Harold. You have to operate with a sense of urgency. You have guests arriving soon."

Yes, their guest. He was due to arrive within the next hour or so. Harold was so far behind. He hadn't done anything to prepare himself, but then again, he didn't want to.

"I'm well aware," Harold said.

"Then why aren't you already bathed?" Eins asked. His fingertips had risen to his temples, very obviously attempting to massage away an ache that Harold's loafing had caused.

"Because I'd rather you join me," Harold said.

The words had fallen unbidden from Harold's lips before he could even think to stop them. He hadn't really even thought them in the first place, but somewhere along the lines, his miserable subconscious had. Now that they were in the open for the pair of them to both hear, it was all Harold wanted.

"You and I both know that that is not advisable, Harold," Eins said.

Harold shrugged and quirked a brow in Eins' direction. "When has that ever stopped us before?"

It seemed that Eins couldn't dispute this. In three quick strides, Eins managed to cross over to Harold. All hesitation had been thrown to the wind. Their lips crashed together. The rest was a blur. Clothes disappeared. Bare skin came into contact with bare skin. They sank down into the water of the bathtub. Tender lips brushed the sensitive spots below Harold's chin and a rush of ecstasy coursed through him. All of his senses were alive and in overdrive, greedily sucking in every sensation he was exposed to. All sensical things in his mind, however, had gone as far out the window as they possibly could. All because of the man that was across from him in the bathtub.