Airie

The riders filled the yard, their horses neighing, their outfits shining bright in the morning light. The royal hunting party was quite extensive. Apart from the hunters, there were dozens of servants, valets and even cooks. Reijo was there, too, standing next to a rider in a colorful outfit, holding his fidgeting horse by the bridle, throwing his head back in laughter at something the man was saying to him.

Dusan had a hard time reconciling this new image with the young airie he had first glimpsed in the forest years ago. Now, Reijo looked like he belonged in the royal court, had never worn any clothes that were less than exquisite, had never stained his shining leather boots by stepping on a dirt road.

Dusan looked at the servants who gathered around him to see the royal party off. Somehow, he always ended up amongst the servants. He could have gone to stand with Reijo, but when he did that, it still felt as if he was only a servant accompanying his master. He couldn’t connect with these people. He didn’t know what allowed Reijo to slip into this new role so easily, but whatever it was, Dusan didn’t have it in him. He’d grown up in a village, surrounded by simple, straightforward people. The opulence and the complexity of this place felt alien.

Reijo had grown up in the forest, too, with barely any contact with anyone, yet he’d always been special. Dusan couldn’t say that about himself. Was that all he could be now—a servant? They had been equals before they’d arrived here, but now, Reijo was changing while Dusan remained the same.

His eyes found Tobias, standing away from the riders. The man sure liked to keep his distance. Dusan only wished he would keep away from Reijo as well. Reijo had been visiting the healer every day, learning to make potions and ointments, and as much as Dusan tried to keep his jealousy at bay, he couldn’t help but wonder if that was all that the two had been doing together. Reijo and Tobias were both special. Each time he thought about it, it stabbed him anew. It was him who’d brought Reijo here, and he’d been regretting it more and more each day.

Reijo was walking across the yard now, heading towards Dusan, a smile still lingering on his lips from the conversation he’d just had.

“Ah, what a nice day,” he breathed out, stopping next to Dusan, turning to look at the riders. “I wish I could go with them, but I need more riding lessons.” His hand slid into Dusan’s wide sleeve, touching his fingers. The contact relieved some of Dusan’s tension. Reijo was still willing to stand with him, and to hold his hand, for everyone to see. Reijo was still his. Dusan suppressed the urge to look at Tobias, to make sure he saw this, too.

“So,” came a voice, and he saw with a start, that the king was riding slowly towards them. “Any new predictions I should know about?”

“Nothing, your majesty.” Reijo’s fingers left Dusan’s, and he bowed. “You will have a marvelous weather for the next three days. I hope the hunt will be successful.”

The king gave a satisfied nod. Then, he bent a little in the saddle, reaching down, cupping Reijo’s cheek. Dusan tensed, but he knew better than to say anything.

“How do you know those things?” the king said, eyeing Reijo. “How do you do it? Is it there, the talent?” He tapped Reijo on the forehead with his index finger. “Or is it in your bones indeed?”

“That’s how it feels,” Reijo said cautiously. “I wish I had an answer for your majesty, but I really can’t explain it.”

“That’s fine,” said the king, straightening up. “Your predictions have been quite correct. I’m impressed.”

“I’m honored.” Below Reijo’s smooth tone, Dusan could sense his tension. After the first meeting, the king had barely spoken to them, only sending servants to inquire Reijo about the weather. This personal attention was something new, signaling perhaps a change that Dusan wasn’t sure he—or Reijo—were quite ready for. It had only been a few weeks. He’d thought they had more time.

“You are indeed special.” Still examining Reijo’s face, the king hummed thoughtfully. “We’ll talk about it when I come back.” He pulled at the reins, forcing his horse to turn around, and rode back to the party awaiting him.

###

The Special Quarters were surrounded by a tall stone wall, and the metallic gates with sharp spikes on top of them stood locked, as usual. A huge ancient oak grew in front of them. Standing in its shadow, Reijo and Dusan looked past the iron swirls of the fence into the yard where a little gilded fountain, decorated with blue ornamental tiles, spewed water. The benches around it stood empty, surrounded by freshly-cut bushes and neat flower beds. Through the tall windows, Dusan could see no movement inside the building.

“I never saw any of them,” he said. “It’s strange.”

Reijo shrugged. “It’s not like we come here often. Also, why would they come out in such heat? I heard their quarters are even more beautiful inside. Everything is made of gold, and there’s a park with wonderful trees and flowers. It would probably feel like home there. It sounds like a forest.”

“You could just go and live in a forest if that’s what you want.”

“Yes, but I came to enjoy the comfort of this place.” Reijo turned to Dusan with a smile that dissipated as he saw his expression. “Why do you look so tense? We’ve been hoping the king would eventually invite us to the Special Quarters. Now that it’s within reach, you don’t want it?”

“I never wanted it. If those ‘special’ people are there, why do they never come out? Are they held prisoners?”

“Prisoners or not, I find the idea of being amongst people like myself rather attractive.” Reijo returned his gaze to the small yard. “Take Tobias, for example. There’s so much to learn from him.”

“Sure.” Dusan snorted. “A much better company than me.”

“I didn’t say that. You’ll come with me, of course.”

“What, to serve your special highness and be the odd one out?”

“You’d rather I continue being the odd one out here?”

Dusan paused. He hadn’t thought about it that way, but perhaps that’s how Reijo had been feeling, indeed—the odd one out. He looked like he fit in, but Dusan didn’t really know if that was how he felt. The realization came with a pang of guilt. Perhaps some of the time he’d spent obsessing about Reijo drifting away from him, he should have spent talking to him, finding out what he was going through.

If moving here to join the other “special” people was something that Reijo wanted, was Dusan willing to go with him? He would feel even less adequate living in the Special Quarters. He could tolerate the new power balance with Reijo, because he loved him, but with the others in the picture…

Lovedhim? He baulked at his own thoughts. Was that how he felt?

“I don’t like this,” he said after a pause. “We should consider just taking the money we have earned here and leaving before the king returns from his hunt.”

“First of all, it’s the money that I earned, not you. Second, the king has been nothing but kind to us. That would be rude, to just leave.”

“He was kind because he wanted something from you.”

“So do you. Have you noticed how possessive you’ve been acting lately?”

“Go sleep with your healer, then,” Dusan snapped. “I’m sure he’s nothing like that.”

Reijo’s eyes turned into two angry slits. “Maybe I will, if you continue to act like this.”

They glared at each other. After a moment, Reijo’s angry expression began to change, morphing into regret. Dusan turned away, not wanting to see that. He knew he wouldn’t be able to be angry with Reijo when he looked like that, and he wanted to remain angry, wanted for Reijo to really feel it. Maybe that would make him change his mind.

“I’m sorry,” Reijo said behind his back. “I didn’t mean what I said. Please, forgive me.”

“We’ll talk about this later,” Dusan said, beginning to walk away even as something inside him pushed him to turn around, to hug Reijo, to make things right. “I really want to be alone right now.”

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