The Grand One
part 3
By Evan
Well you're the grand one
Have you noticed
When you walk in all the fairy boys are pale and nervous
Well my starship doesn't want me And neither does his world
I'm glad I caught you on my view screen, Sailor
You're the grand one
Come and court me
'Cause this wooing
Is what I'm wanting
When my spaceship comes to orbit
Then hold me like a girl
I am the captain of the gravity, Maxwell
Everywhere I see your faces
-Hot One-
-Shudder to Think/Velvet Goldmine Sound Track-
Many days went by.
"Oh, what?" Seiji asked, irately pushing aside a pile of forgotten, crumpled linen in order to seat himself on Rowan's four posted bed. "I didn’t see you last night at the banquet."
Rowan rolled away from him, pulling the heavy blankets over his head.
Seiji moved to the windows. "You haven't been to a party or even bought a new coat in a week." He disdainfully ripped open the heavy purple velvet curtains to let in the blaring sunset. "And you look like absolute hell."
"What do you care." Rowan curled in a ball to defend himself from the offending light.
"It's been rumoured that you are hiding yourself away in Church, seeking the Lord's forgiveness." He smirked. "They are all saying you've got the clap." His irritating little laugh made Rowan's insides clench in loathing.
"Go away you wretch." Rowan muttered from under his bedspread. He had been spending many hours in the quiet chapel, wanting nothing but time alone away from the mess all around him. He hadn’t expected to be noticed. "Don’t worry, I don’t waste my time praying."
Seiji sighed. "You haven't said a word about him. I hope you haven't forgotten our wager." Rowan knew without seeing that Seiji was still smiling
"I have forgotten the wager." Rowan informed him coldly.
"Pity," Seiji replied airily, helping himself to Rowan's etched cigarette case. "There's a Masquerade tonight. I think I may finally get my due."
Rowan didn't turn to look at him. "These wagers are disgusting."
Seiji shrugged as he smoked.
"WE are disgusting." Rowan suddenly became very agitated, ripping aside his starched sheets. "All of us!"
"Is this about sin?" Seiji asked, the prince of nonchalance.
"Sin?" Rowan was incredulous. "We don't sin. We wallow in filth like pigs. Do pigs sin?"
"You need to get out of these rooms. " Seiji quietly assured him. "You are going mad."
"That is correct Monsieur." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I am indeed going mad."
"Come to the Masquerade, I will try to net our young English Lord."
"He is too good for you." Rowan murmured miserably into his bedding.
Seiji laughed softly, flicking ash delicately on the floor. "And for you?"
Rowan seethed silently.
"Get dressed." Seiji strode across the room and opened his wardrobe. "You will feel differently after a bottle of wine and some music."
Seiji lay out a deep red coat. Rowan shook his head moodily and groaned in disgust as he flopped back into his pillows.
Undeterred, Lord Date rolled his eyes and plunged back into the elegant over stuffed closet. Seiji turned and tossed a richly embroidered waist coat at him. "This will do." He composed himself to leave. "I will see you at the party. For God's sake, make your self presentable. And don't forget your mask."
Rowan bit at his lip and sighed, then winced as his door was firmly slammed shut. He reached out to touch the soft silk fabric of the coat and gave a reluctant, small smile. For all his pomp and nerve, Seiji did know him quite well.
Silver was his favourite.
Rowan sat dressed in his gaudy silvery white skirt coat in the empty church. The cold wooden pew he was seated on creaked as he sat forward to study the altar. Making a small face, he cast a scathing look up to the serene plaster visage of the Virgin cradling the Christ Child in her alabaster arms. Music from The Masquerade could be heard even through the holy walls, its gaiety invading their sanctity. Rowan sneered up at the infant.
"You think this is very funny don't you?"
The Child simply smiled wisely.
"All this talk of trusting you?" Rowan folded his arms on the pew in front of him. "All my life, I haven't trusted you for an instant."
The candles flickered in their coloured glass.
"I wonder, who is a bigger fake." The sullen Lord's eyes met that of the Child's again. "You or I."
The annoyed Lord tilted his head at the candle lit faces in consideration.
"Why do you punish me like this?" He demanded softly of the immobile statues. "Making a man like me fall in love was cruel," His whispered words were quiet in the vast room, "Even for you!"
A faint sound made Rowan turn swiftly, his face colouring at the thought of someone overhearing his lovesick babble. But the double oak doors were softly swinging shut.
"Wonderful." Rowan growled letting his head fall into his folded arms. "Why not flaunt my humility?" He asked the holy figures above him. "Make my misery complete."
The Child only gazed down on him in knowing silence.
Sai made to flee the chapel as soon as he heard the familiar voice. Dreams of the kiss, the wonderful, terrible reality of the Lord's eyes, lips and touch haunted him. He would not be allowed to forget any of it as long as he slept. God help him if this was Lust. Sai had trusted the Lord to protect him from sin, living wary of its seductive power for nearly all his life. Not once had he ever considered its affects. He bit at his lip in dismay. Prayers hadn’t been able to comfort him at all. If he didn’t lust after this man, could it be something more? Something better than the strange new obscene thoughts that kept him up all night?
He wanted to leave, but soon realized the Lord Hashiba was ignorant of his presence. Rowan was speaking, but only to himself.
It was almost a prayer, if not a terribly disrespectful one. It surprised Sai to think the cocky Lord would come here to make it, whispering his thoughts to the saints and not a barkeep. He did not expect to hear the word love at all in this country, least of all from the likes of the court. It shocked him so much, he made a small sound and quickly covered his mouth.
The Lord Hashiba started to turn around. Sai dashed through the heavy doors and leaned in panic against the cool wall in the deserted hallway beyond.
"Love?" Sai whispered, his trembling hand to his mouth. "Me?"
It made no sense. The Court was a facade, all of it. The Upper-class preferred hiding behind a wall of golden deceit and meaningless vows, not the Lord, not love. Living in this elaborate chaos was misery, why did others not see it so? His foolish cousin certainly did not. Hadn’t Rowan proved it all with that blind and ruthless kiss? Or had he proven it all wrong?
Right at that moment, the chapel doors opened. Sai, in a panic, secreted himself in a darkened alcove, and bravely peeked around the corner to see Rowan pause with a despairing sigh outside of the broad doors.
He looked very fine, if not incongruous in his shine and glint. A bit much even for the decadent French. Sai remembered talk of the Mask, or a Masquerade, for the evening. Certain that was where Rowan intended to go, Sai decided he would follow.