Luck’s descent (BL)

I have decided to add parts more often as I have more time at the moment. Chapters will be posted at least on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and sometimes on other days as well. I hope you will enjoy the story and wish you a pleasant reading. 

Shane was lying peacefully in the grass, listening to the sound of water when his thoughts were interrupted by the neighing of the horses. Shane, who could have fallen asleep if not surrounded by hostile looking men, sat up with a sigh. They were all standing, and waiting without a word, as if they couldn´t even speak without their commander. Their unreadable, harsh faces made Shane wonder if they really only saw him as a commodity that had just arrived from another country.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the thief boss:

"Bastards! Who do you think you are?! You can't lock up people without evidence! Where's your proof?!" He yelled.

But no one answered him and Shane wasn't interested. He just lay down on the grass again and ignored the noise.

"Luke?! It was you, bastard!" He yelled.

Luke didn't answer either.

"You betrayed us for a few pennies?! How much did he promise you for selling your own brothers?! Traitor's filth! Wait till I catch you…" he growled.

"I didn't betray anyone. My life always belonged to the prince," Luke said, cause he had been irritated by this guy for the past six months.

Shane gave Luke a look. He wasn't sure at first if this guy was working for Nielle or if he was just paid by him for this job. He had to laugh softly at his words as he realized that his new Rinselan was even more rotten than he had expected.

"Where did he go anyway?" Shane asked the soldiers, not expecting anyone to respond, "He took a lot of trouble to get here," he added, "Does he have a woman nearby?" He asked in such a monotone mode that it didn't even look like he was interested. And actually he really wasn't.

However, the guys responded to his remarks: "Don't say things that will cost you neck, Lacrisan."

"My name is Shane," he repeated, though he felt it would be pointless in this country, "so I guessed correctly." He raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up!" Another soldier glared at him and moved his hand to his sword.

"If you answer me normally, I don't have to guess, do I?" Shane clarified.

"No," Luke walked up to him and gave him a warning look, "but if you don't want to end up in prison when you get to the palace, don't let such audacity come out of your mouth. In Lacris, you have the same rules...I doubt you would inappropriately asked this your prince." He pointed out.

Shane stated, "For someone who has only just joined the expedition, you are very knowledgeable of my past." He confirmed his suspicions and lay back down. He was now sure that it was Nielle who had planned his kidnapping.

Anyway, he didn't think any prince was stupid enough to actually have an affair. Every single country agreed on the rules in this matter. Only the crowned prince was allowed to marry a wife and have children. It was a simple way to ensure that the future king and his children wouldn´t be hindered by any of his younger siblings.

Since murders in the royal class were nothing special, in this way they were at least reduced to fratricide. In a world where everyone was bisexual, not being able to take a wife was no problem. Actually, one wife in exchange to the once big royal harem ensured the equality of future offspring with the minimization of fratricide. Everyone was happier.

Shane, who didn´t see a big difference between women and men, had the same opinion. So he didn´t consider as something logical, the possibility that one of the princes would start a forbidden relationship and thus violate one of the royal rules.

When Nielle finally returned, Shane was sleeping in the grass again.

"Get up," the prince threw at him the bags of souvenirs he had bought.

Shane woke up and reflexively caught them before they hit his stomach. He didn't feel like going anywhere, but lying here forever probably wasn't an option either, so after a while he sat down and looked at Nielle.

However, Nielle didn´t deal with him, he just got on his horse and looked at the men: "Let's be back by evening," he said and stepped forward.

Not wanting to be surrounded by strange soldiers, Shane mounted his own horse and slowly approached the prince. He ignored the way the soldiers were staring at him, but since their only order was to not let him get away, they didn't stand in his way.

"I have a question," He began as he stopped by Nielle.

The prince was only amused by his self-willed behaviour and smiled: "There is tea in this bag, coffee in the second...chocolate in the third...take some if you want." He informed.

Shane looked at the sacks he was carrying, "No thanks," he stated, "I want to ask if they heard about my carriage from Lacris yesterday from you." He was interested.

Nielle laughed lightly: "Yes, they did," he didn't have to hide it and looked challengingly at Lacrisan, "what are you going to do about it?" He was having fun.

"Nothing," replied Shane, "I just wanted to know." 

"What's the use of information you can't do anything about?" Nielle wondered.

"Just so I know what kind of bastard my new prince is, nothing more," he stated as he wasn't even surprised by the result.

Nielle was silent for a moment before laughing with pleasure and giving him a satisfied look. He measured him for a while before he called to the soldiers: "Speed up!" He spurred the horse into a gallop.

"Is something wrong, sir?" One of the guys asked.

"Someone can't wait for night," Nielle laughed, "we shouldn´t be late." He gave Shane, who was galloping just a short distance behind him, a fleeting sadistic look before turning his attention back to riding.

Shane shivered as he could sense Nielle's thoughts and wondered if he should have kept quiet. He wanted to have as little work and worry as possible, but somehow he always added more. But it was too late and he had no choice but to follow him and hope that his feeling about the coming night was wrong.

***

He would prefer to walk around the city all day. He wanted to see everything that had changed over the years, but also what remained the same, just to make sure that the whole world was real. He wanted to meet new people and live life to the fullest with a smile on his face every single day.

The sun was shining, although it was going to be evening in a little while, and the city was alive with different smells, colours and noise that aroused interest in him. He didn't know where to go first, he didn't know where to stop, where to buy something, where to use the subsequent goods. He didn't know anything at all, so he just walked around, letting the merchants pull him to their stalls.

However, he didn't buy anything. Not because he didn't want to, but because another merchant called to him. And Rue lets himself be called, he was excited by how many people were talking to him, how many things he was seeing.

Everyone looked friendly, so he left one flower for everyone he met and then moved on. He would run up and down the rest of the day if the delicious smell didn't make him stop. He looked next door at a noisy restaurant where he could smell fresh food even from outside. It wasn't like he was hungry, he didn't need much food and would survive, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try it if he had the chance.

For some time he wondered whether he should really stop at the place. However, since new places attracted him, he finally went inside. His nose was immediately hit by a strong sent smell. He stopped for a moment, as he didn´t expect so much commotion, but a satisfied smile still played on his face. There were tables full of people all around the sides. Some were having fun together, some were just eating, and the atmosphere was so lively, as if everyone knew each other.

He didn't want to just stand, so he slowly walked past the tables to the end of the restaurant, where the bar counter stretched. He sat down on one of the many chairs and looked at the bartender, who examined him carefully.

"Luck with you," Rue smiled, placing his hands on the counter.

The barman didn't look the nicest, but after a while he spoke: "What´ll it be?" His black eyes were staring at him as if he had spotted an enemy.

"I don't know what you provide here." Rue said.

"Rooms upstairs, food downstairs, gambling behind," he summarized.

"I think the food will be enough," he smiled gently.

The man stared at him silently for a moment before pulling out a stack of pages from under the counter: "Take your pick."

"Thank you," he accepted and excitedly opened the menu.

Half of the meals he didn´t know, half he could barely read, since some letters had changed in two hundred years, and some he didn´t understand at all. But it didn't matter, he would enjoy anything they brought him. He was taken out of his thoughts by the loud banging of a glass on the counter. Surprised, he looked up at the bartender, who placed a glass of golden liquid in front of him.

"What is it?" Rue didn't understand.

"Metheglin. It's your first time here, isn't it? Every Lacrisan has a welcome drink," the barman explained monotonously, "did you pick something?"

"I do, I think," Rue didn't know, "you´re very nice people," he pulled his glass closer, but preferred not to mention that he wasn´t Lacrisan, as he wanted to avoid talking about his country, "can I have the apple pie, please?"

"And?" The barman couldn't believe that he only wanted a cake.

"I don't know anything else," Rue laughed.

"Nothing?" The man raised his eyebrows and looked at their classic dishes.

"What would you recommend?" Rue wondered.

"This is the most popular," he pointed out.

"In that case, I will gladly try it," Rue nodded, though he had no idea what it was supposed to be.

The man looked at him blankly before taking the menu and going to announce the order to the cook. He then went back behind the bar and discreetly watched Rue. However, Rue didn´t notice the strange look he was throwing at him, he didn´t notice how strange the bartender's black eyes were, and he didn't even notice the strange looks of the people at the nearby tables. He didn't find it strange that there wasn't a single Lacrisan in the whole place, since he couldn't tell them apart and didn't even register the strange noises from the back of the restaurant.

He just looked contentedly at the many bottles in front of him and waited for the food he hadn't eaten in the outside world for a long time. But before it arrived, someone else had taken the chair next to him. Rue moved away confused, not knowing if it was normal to just sit next to someone he didn´t know.

"Hello," the man said and made Rue look at him, "I haven't seen you here before, are you new? Who are you going to?" He was interested, since it was normal for Lacrisans to belong to some Rinsel´s family.

"Hello," Rue blinked, "I'm here for the first time," he nodded, "I don't know where I'm going yet," he smiled, as he didn't understand the man's hint.

"Oh I see," he smiled, "and would you like to play a game?"