Lyer & Aluraios | Court
The bright swirls of citrine, cardinal, aquamarine, and shades of other vivid colours formed a kalidoscopic pattern beneath the balcony, causing Lyer's already sensitive eyes to ache slightly in sympathy with his taste. The one respite was the silver and white figure slipping among the rich display, the simple white tunic and trousers a sharp contrast to the vibrant plumage of the strutting females that surrounded him. And he thought it was usually the males who had to attract the mate. Not that the snowy fabric was plain, he'd been kept up for the last week in order to help his lover to sew the subtle embroidery over it. A similar pattern adorned his own elegant dark night-blue robe.
Lyer leaned one cheek on an upturned hand as he rested his elbow on the hard stone railing, brushing some strands of ebony hair away from his face from where they'd slipped out of the knot at his nape, content to just watch Aluraios from above. The woman he was presently dancing with was giggling flirtatiously, almost pawing at him in her attempts to wrap her arms around him, and a vague twinge of jealousy shot through him as the fireborn smiled at her, gently rearranging her arms around him, before leading off into the chaos. He's chosen you, Lyer, it doesn't matter who he dances with, he loves you. he reminded himself sharply, ignoring the tiny voice muttering something about how Aluraios didn't exactly get a choice in the matter either. But, I can't compete with women...
The sudden soothing throb that bloomed inside him made him blink out of the introspective inspection of the celing, glancing downwards where two twin suns fixed on his face. :I love you, solar.: the sunperson's soft mental voice whispered in his mind, reassurance in every word, :And don't you forget it.: Then the moment passed as he bent to whisper an apology in his partner's ear, the white fall cloaking them as they moved off again, Aluraios giving every apperance of an interested male.
Lyer shook his head, smiling slightly, and wishing that he had some of Aluraios's inherant, and weak, telepathy. Ydora had told them before she died, a memory that still made his heart ache for the young cheerful Mage-Lady, that over time their powers would merge, allowing them to use each other's magic and abilities, but six months had shown hardly any difference. However, they had eternity.
"Jealous?"
Lyer spun round, regulating his natural speed and reflexes to prevent careening into their host, and noting the slight hint of a smile, quickly surpressed, on the figure behind the Mage-Lord. "My lord." He slipped into the formalities with the ease of long practise, bowing slightly from the waist before taking the offered cup of wine from the boyish servant. "Why would I be jealous?" He daren't risk opening up instantly, testing the water to see if Lord Dakram thought it was safe to elaborate.
"It's not most lovers who have to watch their partners dance with another."
"It's not most lovers who's partner likes both men and women." Lyer countered smoothly in a murmur, knowing that if anyone would understand his feelings, it wouldn't be the muscular mage with too-old blue eyes, but the slim blonde servant who's hair slipped across knowing, sympathetic emerald eyes. Ferel, who had to watch his partner go through the motions of Court with females, and didn't have Lyer's luxury of being able to moderate it. "Yes, I'm not absolutely happy with it, but I can't stop his feelings, and I can't tie him to me. He's a sunperson." the vampire shrugged, knowing his friend would understand as far as he could. "And he's already tied to me heart and soul. I can't ask for more."
Lord Dakram nodded slowly, "I think I understand, Lyer." His own eyes drifted across to watch the couples pair up in sets for another dance as the music began, and raised a hazel eyebrow. "Surely Joy To The Morn hasn't got too complicated steps?" He gestured to where Aluraios and a younger fillie looked at each other for a moment before starting the steps again, and again, the fireborn misstepping.
"I'm afraid that's probably my fault," Lyer couldn't resist a soft chuckle as he watched his lover try again, and to everyone's relief get it right the third time, the young lady flustering around him, murmuring sympathy and apologies. "He was doing the steps for King of the Forest, same music, different age." He'd taught his younger partner some of the steps from when he'd been human, over three hundred years ago, not expecting the music to become popular again quite so soon. I'm probably going to be in trouble for that later tonight. he thought wryly as Aluraios and his partner completed their movement, and the golden eyes again glanced upwards at him, a small smile on the sensual lips.
"...some of them. Lyer?"
The vampire let his own piercing gaze lift from the dance floor to meet his friend's apologetically. "I'm sorry, my lord, I didn't hear that." He sighed inwardsly, seeing a figure, another Lord from the clothes, standing impatiantly just outside the bounds of politeness. "And it seems you have someone waiting to see you. Maybe we could continue this conversation later?" It wasn't Dakram's murmur of polite aquisance that Lyer was watching for though, waiting instead for Ferel's reaction to the enquiry.
The servant's head dippped to study the wine casually, neatening the glasses, in a gesture of acceptance, and Lyer smiled. "Thank you, my lord." It was a bad system, but the most subtle avaliable in such a public situation. Then he bowed again, stepping away from the couple towards the stairs, watching in sympathy as the impatient petitioner all but ran into the vacated space to ask the northern Lord about something that was no doubt pointless.
Making his way through the throng of people at the top of the grand staircase, he paused, judging the amount of time until the song would finish, against the length of time it would take him to reach the dance floor. Too soon, and he'd be swept off his feet by the rushing skirts, too late, and he could be propositioned into a dance. He smiled at that prospect, of the two of them, he was by far the better dancer on the ground. Though practise had made Aluraios's movements graceful and perfect, the hawken shifter was much more comfortable with aerial acrobatics on feathered wings than on two legs. The vampiric mage watched the flows of colour for another moment, until he caught sight of the silver mane glittering in the light, and started, almost involuntarily, down the stairs.
Years at various Courts enabled Lyer to barely concentrate on his movements, knowing instinctively how to fade into the shadows, even on the crowded stairway, so it was no hard task to let his magic spiral quietly around him, a recently learned trick, distracting people's eyes away from him. He wasn't particulary in the mood to be stopped for polite conversation.
The music creshendoed to announce the end of the song as the ebony haired mage reached the bottom, the magic still in place as he glanced around for his lifemate. Catching sight of him, he almost danced himself as he wove around the others around him, the slender gracefulness of his species evident in every step, wishing he dared shapeshift to his own, more manueverable, hawk form.
The fireborn, his back towards him, paused in his speech as he approached, leaning over to murmur something to the girl he was talking to, before turning towards him.
"Sensed me, hmmm?" Lyer murmured when he knew he was in range of his lover's ears, trying not to look too irritated as the girl, her blue eyes wide with surprise, hooked one arm possessively through Aluraios's arm, and forcing the equally posessive look out of his own eyes, settling for allowing them to gleam vibrant gold.
Aluraios just looked coolly at his arm, pulling it smoothly away from the child, before glancing back up at Lyer with a smile, ignoring the girl's mew of protest. "Of course, solar." Then the smile dropped into a grin as gold eyes met lovingly. "How could I miss you?"
"Please, Lord Zephyr, will you please accept my offer of a dance?" The girl all but ran in front of the mage before Lyer could answer, curtsying politely before gazing hopefully up at him.
Aluraios closed his eyes for a moment, trying to will patience to return, having instantly tired of the social flirtation and manners at his lover's approach. "I'm sorry, my Lady, I've already got a partner for the next dance."
'Rios you idiot, this is Cormell, we can't! Lyer once again longed for telepathy, as he glared at his partner, trying nonetheless the communicate silently through his gaze.
"Later, then, my lord?"
"Not today, pretty one, I'm only dancing once more tonight." Lyer raised an eyebrow at the sickeningly sweet endearment, leaning against a pillar as Aluraios's eyes once again met his, watching the fire start to dance within the depths. "I'm sure there are still many lords who would dance with one such as you."
Lyer watched as the disappointment momentarily blossomed on the young face, then was rapidly hidden as she turned and walked sedately away, to be stopped by another man a few meters away, and smiling, accept a dance. "I take it you didn't mean 'dance' as in The Greens, love," he asked quietly, recognising the next tune as he moved up to stand next to his lover, resisting the temptation to wrap his arms around him. "And I take it I'm said partner?"
"Of course. Do you see any other gorgeous dark haired vampires lurking around?" The teasing familiar tone slipped back into Aluraios's voice, the formality seeping out from the rich voice as one finger ran lightly over Lyer's knuckles where they rested near his hand.
"Before you start seducing me, I'd better warn you we're meeting Ishrak later," Lyer said, relaxing his hand under the caress.
The fireborn sighed dramatically, "Well, if it's already planned..."
"It is. But he won't be finished here for at least another few hours." the vampire nodded his head upwards, where the same petitioner was still in animated discussion with Lord Dakram, Ferel's blonde hair standing out from beside him.
"A few hours..." Aluraios's eyes darkened suggestively, leaning ever so slightly against his lover, causing soft material to rub senusually against them both. "That magic you were using before to stop people noticing you seemed pretty effective..."
Lyer shook his head in smiling despair, trying not react to the whisper of cloth against his sensitive skin, and failing, "I thought you liked the attention."
Aluraios answered with a soft laugh, watching the miriad of colours flow past them, "You like the attention just as much as me, Lyer." He met and caught Lyer's gaze, the intense eyes now burnt umber as he looked up from under long pale lashes, "But when there's much more enjoyable attentions to be had from you..." He wrapped his fingers tightly around those of the black-haired mage, "I thought you didn't want us to attract attention anyway."
Lyer nodded, knowing his lifemate would be able to sense his eager answer in the rush of power as he set the magic in motion once again. As soon as it was established, he wrapped his arm around the smaller man's waist, pulling him against him in unashamed relief at having the physical, and not just mental, connection with him. Easily dodging the whirling dancers, they moved in silence, not risking saying anything more until they reached the small plain door, in contrast to the main grand heavily carved wooden doors, that led into the guest quarters.
"We're in the usual rooms?" Lyer asked quietly as they slipped through the main hallway and into one of the runs that led to the guest rooms, knowing from experience, and Dakram, that the servants would be too busy with Court to be using this particular one. It had been Aluraios's turn to go and find the House Maiden, Lireta, and check that the usually unused suite in the west wing was empty. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with the rooms themselves, except the distance from anywhere useful in the Holm, the dining hall, Lord's suite, main hall and business rooms, made them undesirable to every visitor to the Holm, except themselves, who had absolutely no wish to be anywhere near the main areas. As such, the suite was barely kept clean, and Lireta didn't bother to dress it, even when she knew the pair would be arriving. It wasn't as if they spent time enough in it to appreciate it.
"Yes, Lireta said no-one's used them since we last did, so they should be just as we left them. Oh, and something about having fun." He grinned, glancing round before giving into to at least part of his desire, and dropping a kiss on the vampire's cheek. Ever since the friendly middle-aged mistress of the Holm had discovered their relationship, as well as Ferel and Dak's, she'd been teasing them good naturedly in private, which, after her actions in helping them in the past, they couldn't begrudge her the pleasure of doing.
The vampire turned his head until their mouths touched, feeling the link between them thrum slightly in response to the kiss. "I think we can manage that." he whispered against the other's lips, before pulling back. "Love you." With the magic still spinning around them, Lyer's hand drifted down to rest on the sunperson's white-clad hip, enjoying the sensual brush of snowy silk across the back of his hand as they moved off again towards the west wing, their bed, and an hour of pleasure before several more with friends.
© Clare Selley 2009
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