:: The Joust of Riley's 17th Year ::

[eblouissant]

It was the first time that Riley had been on the field, he'd trained hard for this. Very hard, all around him the area of people watched from their stands and seats. His armor gleamed pristine, the visor over his head, the jousting javelin tucked firmly underneath his arm.

Riding astride on his stallion, he galloped toward the ready line as the Games Crier spoke out his name. "Sir Cyril of House Valiase and his opponent Sir Germaine Moreau, please take your positions." and then Riley was in place, his heart thundering in his ears even while all around him the stadium turned as silent save for a few coughs here and there. The horn was blown and then he dug his heels in, pressed himself forward and started.

Grounding himself into the saddle, his eyes never leaving his opponent. Pounding hoofs the only thing to break the silence. That moment of fear, the way his stomach hit his throat and made him choke, so close so close. Held Breath. And then the sound of armor where he prepared for anything. No thinking, nothing-- head empty.

A clatter behind him as he charged forth. He had expected weightlessness, pain, but nothing as he made it to the end and he turned his horse around to see the attendants on the field rushing to Sir Germaine's side to help him from where he had stopped. Already they were assisting him off his horse, medics and his page. And then the crier called out.

"The Winner, Sir Cyril of House Valiase!" and the crowd went almost wild. Somewhere in the stands, he knew that his father was smiling approvingly, but his eyes did not search for his father. But a pair of eyes that he knew quite well, sitting in the royal box. There he could see them there, clapping along with the crowds-- his father not too far away from King Etienne itself.

A polite smile at his father and his King. And then his eyes searched out his best friend Guillaume with a far more shy smile; he was handed a rose by his page and there was a moment where he tried to figure out what to do with it.. he knew what to do, give it to a young lady of the court as was the proper procedure. A look at best friend, fleeting before he cantered his horse up to one of the young ladies of the Court and he handed her the rose.

--

Parties were like this, the celebrations were massive and with no expense spared. Now Riley could have found much more useful things to spend money on than a fountain of champagne and one of matching chocolate side by side-- but he did not make the rules nor did he hold the purse strings, so he held a glass of wine and watched the dancing.

He'd already done the required dancing with the young lady he'd given the rose to, also had been grilled on his mother on if she would make a suitable 'wife' for him. He did not care either way, if they arranged it then they did, it was not uncommon for parents to arrange matches for their children though he'd heard Guillaume state that his father the King was attempting to change that, to make Olympia more accepting. Trying to bridge the gap between Sylvia and Olympia, attempting to give women more rights.. everything that most Lords balked at (including Riley's father).

It felt like a fairy tale that was told, a fairy tale where magic existed and where women could be knights, where a marriage was only dictated by love. it was such a beautiful fairy tale, but Riley heard his father speak in contempt of such things, and Riley was not sure of the country was ready for that yet.

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[giveanything]

Liam waved at Kay'dia as she left.

And then it was just Riley and him. He turned towards his Knight then -- always his Knight, even if both of them had lost their titles when they'd died -- hand brushing back some of that sunshine gold hair. "She was kind. I'm glad you found your way to kind people."

Infinitely glad for it. Riley had always been, well, a treasure. And he deserved to be cared for. Liam would have worried about it, if he'd known Riley was still out there. Though what Kay'dia had said about Riley had not been surprising. "Still the caretaker though, hmm? Always looking out for everyone else. My brave, handsome, gallant knight."

[eblouissant]

"Oh, she is kind-- but she is also the sort that the phrase 'do not take my kindness for weakness' exemplifies.. I have seen her many a times stare a hole into someone, and then there are the times when she's shot a hole in others, those were not the lucky ones."

The way that Liam brushed hair back from his brow made his heart smile and he lay back against the bed though supported by a few pillows. "You know I took an oath to protect others, and I take it very seriously." he gave Liam a wry smile. "There was a time though when I felt that I had failed.. part of me knew I should've insisted on coming with you.. but-- I could not countermand his orders, and your father understood that I think.. but it was still difficult to live with that afterwards."

[giveanything]

"Duly noted. I will do my best to stay on her good side." He would prefer not being used for target practice. It didn't sound like something he -- or anyone sane -- would enjoy.

His fingers lingered in Riley's hair, winding a blond lock around them gently. He shook his head slightly, but even as small as the motion was, it was adamant. No, he knew Riley might have believed that, knew that the other man was the type to carry guilt even when it was in no way his burden to bear.

"No, my heart. You didn't fail. And if you'd been there..." Then he would have lost Riley for real, wouldn't he have? "I wouldn't have this miracle, of finding you here. Now."

[eblouissant]

"I understand that now, but I did not.. at the time-- and I did not understand until perhaps this very night when I found you alive again." the two of them alive in this moment, it was a miracle and he still almost felt like he was dreaming.

"Honestly, I think you need to pinch me.. so that I understand I am not dreaming." because a blowjob hadn't been enough, he knew that he would've had dreams about that. "Or maybe I should chase Kay'dia and get her to shoot me, maybe that will prove that this is real."

But there was Liam, strong and firm-- there was nothing wishy washy about him; he allowed his entire presence guide him even now he could see it. There was a purpose there that Riley would nurture, would support.. for this was his King, but more importantly this was his love.

[giveanything]

"Please do not go ask the intimidating elf lady to shoot you." Liam clucked his tongue gently, allowing a playful smile flickering over his lips. The expressions were still strangely tentative, like he was remembering how to make them, how to actually feel emotions besides a depthless despair.

But he was growing surer with them bit by bit. The panic from his nightmare was fading too.

Leaning closer, he very deliberately bit at that strong jawline. "How's that? Or do I still need to pinch you?"

[eblouissant]

"She has the best aim of anyone that I know, so no.. I am not inclined to though.." and then he felt the bite against his jawline and yeah, that was a feeling but also it was actually pretty sexy having Liam bite him like that. It brought him to mind of all the times they'd made out while they were trying not to get caught.

Those teenaged fumblings.

But they were not teens anymore, even though that giddy feeling in his stomach made him feel like that. By 30 years old, the teenaged phase may have worn off, except there was a lot of time that had passed them and it still feel like he was a boy again. "Oh gods, that is.. yeah-- okay, that is sufficient, this is real and I'm not dreaming."

[giveanything]

They had been so young and eager and caught up in the thrill of being in love -- and the added danger that they skirted with being discovered. They were older now, sadder, but in all this time apart, for Liam at least, that love had only grown, even if he'd thought that it would only ever be love in mourning and longing.

Now it had shifted, to something alive, fire rising from embers that he'd thought were ashes, burning with a not unfamiliar heat.

So he couldn't help a little nibble where he'd already bitten. "Good. We've established that much, which is good. You aren't allowed to be a dream." Liam wouldn't survive having this be only fantasy.

[eblouissant]

The closeness and contact felt like everything that he thought he'd never have again, a fire thrumming through him as he tilted his head to the side so that Liam could further brush mouth against his neck while he let out a patently happy sigh. "Then you are not allowed to be a dream either and you will still have to be here when I wake up, so that we can both tend the horses together."

He tilted his head them so that he could look over at Liam, a smile playing across his mouth and those grey eyes settling with a softness.

"We will get back what is rightfully yours, first your brother and then.. well we'll focus on what you want from there." and Riley hoped that it involved ousting King Valiase from power, but he would understand if it did not.

"Your choice in all of this, you know."

[giveanything]

"I would never be a dream to avoid chores," he teased lightly, lips brushing a gentler kiss where his teeth had been playing. He leaned back enough to meet Riley's gaze properly, unable to stop himself from reaching up and tracing his fingertips along the shape of Riley's smile, over those pretty lips. He loved that smile so much.

A nod in agreement. First Patrice, to make sure he was alive still and safe and at least let him know that Liam was still alive himself.

"Our choice, love. We'll decide together." Because what Riley wanted mattered to.

He was quiet for a long moment, and Riley likely knew him well enough to understand that he was turning something over in his mind. Eventually he spoke again. "But I... I can't leave that murderer sitting on my father's throne. My father deserves justice. And Olympia deserves better, someone who will lead for its people and not for his own benefit."

Oh part of Liam wanted to run, to flee somewhere where no one would know him or Riley or anything about Olympia, but that part of him paled in comparison to the rest of what he wanted. "We'll need allies, and it may be best to find some outside Olympia as well. Resistance with in and assistance from without. The Kirklands might be sympathetic. Everything I learned about them in my studies makes me think they'd be the best bet..."

[eblouissant]

"Then we will." Riley said with a soft smile, proud of Liam more than words could say. There was that strong sense of justice, and the nobility that would've had Riley following the other man into hell and back again-- even before he had understood that he was in love with the other man, he would've gladly given himself to the cause and served Liam his entire life.

Still would.

The way that Riley's lips shaped a smile against the touch of fingertip, well that smile reached his eyes as well.

"There is the man I am in love with, and all the reasons why I fell for him in the first place."