Aspen only came home on Sunday for a couple of hours. And next weekend he wouldn't come home. They worked in shifts. This month it was his duty to guard the royal family. Last month he only guarded the main hall and the wall around the castle ground. He had more free time and train time then.
Aspen told him he was very popular among the guards already. Thought it did seem to bother him a little.
He had told Cihan that in this kingdom men could marry men and woman could marry woman. But Cihan hadn't seen it before and all he knew was that you would get yourself killed with things like that. So he didn't really believe him when he said half his friends had a little crush on him. And he laughed and did promise his brother to not engage in anything with them.
Aspen had reassured him that visiting was perfectly fine. He might not have time to show him around but they could chat for a little. As long as he was careful and didn't come at a late hour. Aspen didn't want him alone on the street at night.
Cihan had started work extra early so that he could leave a little earlier with a little basket of spicy Vegetable buns. He wrapped them up in thin paper so they would stay a little warm until he reached his brother. He made a lot of them just in case he had to bride some guards again.
It was a little odd how the guards at the first gate smirked and knew his name when they greeted him and let him pass without trouble.
They said his brother had to be around Elliot somewhere or the crownprince.
But Cihan wouldn't go anywhere near a prince!
There weren't as many guards practicing today but that was probably because it was a little later today. It was a little after dinner. But Aspen could eat whenever so he didn't worry about the buns being eaten.
He didn't want to go past the inner gate and in the courtyard so he slowed trying to see if his brother was anywhere else.
He asked the guard at the gate. He had no clue who the men was but they grinned, took the buns with a big smile and told him to just walk in.
You didn't just walk into a castle did you?
Apparently you did.
The courtyard was quit large. Big tiles everywhere and a large fountain. A lot of people where walking around. Servants working, some kids running around or nobles enjoying the weather. He didn't wanne bother anybody but after a while he ended up asking a nice looking woman who sent him to the gardens. On the other side of the castle.
The gardens where the most wonderful place he had ever seen.
Huge fields filled with every single vegetable you could imagine . And beautiful flowers everywhere. You could tell they where beging cared for by someone who knew what he was doing.
Sadly not to many of the spices he loved. Maybe he could give a couple of seeds to the garden crew if they would like it...
Someone who seems like a kitchen clerk was filling a big basket with food. And he saw a men working with two guards a couple of meters behind him watching.
When one of them spotted him he waved like a maniac.
Of course that was Aspen.
He laughed and walked to him.
"Hello my little Ahaji !" Aspen greeted him.
He regonised the other men as one of the three on the horses from last time. The brown haired one with the scar.
"Ashaj, i made some Gurgu." He patted his basket. Aspen grinned wide.
"Oh yes! I really needed that I was starving!"
"I am sure they are starving you terribly!" Cihan giggled and rolled his eyes.
"Oh yes! You can't tell yet but if you don't feed me soon I might lose all my muscle."
Aspen held out his hands and he gave him a bun. He started eating it right away.
"Would you like some, sir?" He asked the other one.
"I am Elliot. Yes sure! What is it?" He asked politely.
"Spicy buns with some spinach, tomatoes and other stuff. They are so good!" Aspen answered for him.
Elliot smiled and thanked him and tasted it.
"Mhhh! They are good!" Cihan smiled satisfied.
The older gentleman walked up to him causing both distracted guards to blush a little and apologize.
He men laughed it of and patted them on the back.
He looked very kind. His hair was a little grey and he had a short trimmed beard and a big smile. He was wearing simple clothes and had dirt on his hands.
He was probably just someone who worked in the gardens. Cihan offerend him one and apologized for intruding.
"Oh don't. If you bring food as good as this you are welcome here any time."
Cihan blushed a little flustered. The men had a very nice deep voice.
"My name is Cardan."
"Cihan Herhendael."He introduced himself.
"Ah, Your with Aspen."
Aspen hummed.
"Yea! I brought him back al they way from Duran, your highness. After my first battle. Back when you were just a little kid."
Cihan almost rolled his eyes. He was fourteen back then and had seen a lot more than a boy his age should have seen, he was beyond broken and willing to die.
But the nineteen year old little soldier boy wouldn't have any of it and dragged him back to his village. They both didn't have any family left. So they became brothers.
But...
"Your highness?" Cihan asked a little worried.
"This is the king, ahaji."
Cihan almost paled and bowed as deep as he could mumbling an apology.
Aspen just laughed it of like it was nothing.
King Cardan put an hand on his shoulder and smiled.
"You don't have to do that, Cihan. My husband it the one who is the king. I'm just married to him that's all." He dismissed it.
Aspen laughed when Cihan eyes practically rolled out of his head.
"Where he comes from, you would get your head cut of for something as loving someone from the same sex." Aspen explained to the king.
"He never does believe me when I tell him that it's fine either way."
Cardan smiled a little sad at that.
"Well people always do seem to have their own opinions about it. But yes. In this kingdom you can love whoever you like."
He gave Cihan a wink.
It was hard to believe, but when a king said it....
Perhaps... perhaps then there was even someone who could love someone like him.
He loved his brother very much. But he had always dreamed of having a big family. Somewhere safe and sound. Just enough money to feed them well and take care of them. To have what he really wanted!
"I should go." He told Aspen. It was getting late.
Aspen frowned.
"I don't want you running around in the dark. Your highness may I be......where did Elliot go?" Cihan looked around but it seems like the brown haired men sneaked away a little while ago. He was nowhere to be seen.
The king smiled like he already knew.
"Why don't you show your brother around and after that bring him back to the city, Aspen. I am sure there are many guards just waiting to have a taste of these." He nodded at the basket in Cihan hands.
He smiled softly.
"I came prepared, your highness."
This made the king laugh out loud.
They walked back to the castle together. The king chatted about his husband a little. A warrior king he met years ago when he was just a garden boy.
He sounded a little scary but when Cardan talked about him... he couldn't really be that bad. He talked very lovely about him. It was odd to hear that a garden boy could marry a king. And it was also odd that Aspen was being treated like a friend more than a common guard. And the king didn't seem to care about the way he spoke or looked either!
When they entered the courtyard they where met with Elliot and the Handsom man from last time.
The one who made him blush so badly.
Cihan got a really funny feeling when he saw him. Like he was a little glad to see him but beyond nervous at the same time.
"Where did you sneak of to?" Aspen asked Elliot.
Elliot shrugged.
"Kade was asking for you, something about a book?"
Aspen grinned. He grabbed Cihans shoulder.
"Oh great! Kade let me borrow a book I know you would love! Wait here." Aspen ran off before Cihan could say anything about being left behind in the presence of three strangers.
"Well I should be going. Elliot, want to help me find the twins? Luca I will see you later. And it was very nice meeting you Cihan. I hope to see you again sometime."
Cihan blushed a little and made a little bow.
"Thank You, your highness."
Cardan winked at Luca and walked of with Elliot who sneaked an other bun out of the basket with big smile and a wink.
Then he was alone with Luca.
There was no reason why that would make him nervous, yet he was.
"Nice to see you again." Luca broke the silence.
Cihan nodded.
"I made a lot of gurgu bread, would you like some?"
Luca smiled politely and grabbed one.
"If they are anywhere near as good as those pastries last time. You might have to strike the guards away from you when they find out your here."
Cihan laughed at the joke.
Luca led him to the fountain to wait for his brother and they sat down at the edge. Cihan took a couple of bites from a bun as well.
"These are very good! Do you own a bakery?"
Cihan smiled.
"No! I wish !" He put the basket down. He slowly started to feel a little more at ease with Luca.
"I work at one. As a cleaner. I hope that if I work hard they'll take me on as an apprentice. Than maybe one day." He shrugged. It would be hard though. No one hired someone like him just like that.
"I am positive that one day you'll have the longest lines of costumers for your store!"
Cihan laughed.
"That would be nice." He said honestly. Luca smiled.
"I know I will be in it!" Cihan laughed.
"So... have you known Aspen long?" Luca asked while looking up at the clouds.
Cihan nodded.
"About seven years now. He took me back from Duran after he fought a battle there."
"Your from Duran?"
"Not really... I ... just lived there." Cihan rubbed over his right wrist.
He could just feel the sting of the knife when they used to cut the numbers in his skin. It was a faded scar now. He didn't like looking at it. It made him feel less if a human. Like he was just a little number and nothing more.
Luca didn't press on it and he was relieved about it. They chatted a while about the gardens and foods they liked.
Luca had a ready sweet tooth, he really liked to sneak into the kitchen to steal some pastries. Especially the once with fruit like raspberry and peach.
You couldn't tell though. Cihan was positive he was even more fit and muscled then his brother.
"Aspen is taking a long time. Although I wouldn't mind chatting longer with you. It's getting dark." A little surprised so long had past Cihan looked up to the sky that was already a dark blue. He hadn't even noticed.
He got up a little reluctant. It was strangely nice talking to Luca. He really wasn't that intimated by him anymore. He liked just sitting and talking.
"I didn't even notice... I should probably find him."
"I'll show you were the barracks are!" Luca jumped up and Cihan smiled. Secretly glad Luca wouldn't leave just yet.
He shouldn't do that. He really shouldn't get attached to someone he hardly knew anything about. Besides Luca would forget about him the moment he left. He was just being nice.
The found Aspen in his room in the guard quarters.
He shared the room with three other man and they were playing cards.
Cihan frowned. It wasn't like Aspen to just forget about him like that. It almost looked like he left him alone with Luca on purpose.
Elliot was there to and the redhead Isaac grinned.
"Ah there you are. Your brother is losing badly!"
Cihan smiled a little. Luca was leaning against the door with crossed arms.
He was glaring at Elliot who pretended to not notice him.
"Are those the buns I have been hearing about?" The fourth guy asked. He had long dark Brown curly hair in a ponytail and greyish eyes. He was sitting cross legged at the table. When he smiled a little dimple appeared on his cheek.
Luca his eyes where blue. Almost as blue as the Medean sea. Cihan thought it was a beautiful color. But he would never tell him that.
"Would you like one?"
The guy nodded and thanked him.
"I am Frank by the way." He told him.
"Cihan."
"Yeah he is my little ahaji!" Aspen jumped up to mess up his hair. Cihan tried to get out his way and punched him in the stomach but that just made him laugh and wrap his arms behind his back to keep him from hitting him.
"If you piss me of any more, Ashaj. I swear I will let you starve next time you come home." Aspen released him instantly and Cihan sent him a glare. Blushing when he noticed everybody looking curiously at them.
"Are you guys together?"
"Was that not clear." Aspen huffed and rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"I should bring you back."
"You should!"
Aspen stuck out his tong.
"Watch yourself. Your king might fire you when he finds out your so childish."
Aspen laughed as did the others.
"Oh, I am positive he already knows! But he don't mind, does he Luca?"
Luca seems to have difficulty smiling at that but nodded.
Aspen ruffled his hair.
"How long have you guys been together?" Frank asked them.
"Seven years, I would say."
"That's quit some time."
Aspen hummed.
"About time you two got married then."
Cihan bursted out in laughing and Aspen just stared at his friend like he had hit him in the face.
"What?" He breathed out.
"Your lovers right?"
"No!" Cihan managed to get out shaking his head.
"That's so gross! That's my little brother your talking about! How can you even think that!" Aspen spat out.
Elliot and Luca shared a look and when Cihan looked at Luca he was very busy scratching his chin.
"Ashaj means big brother. Asaji means little brother." Cihan explained.
"Thought he is not wrong. You are very old, brother you should get married soon." Cihan patted his shoulder.
Aspen huffed.
"What about you then... shouldn't you... wait no scratch that. I don't want to have to commit murder because some idiot breaks your heart."
Cihan grinned.
"I am sure you wouldn't have to worry about that! It's late..."
Aspen nodded.
"I will bring you back!"
"Nice to meet you."Cihan told frank. And he picked up the other buns and placed them on the little table they used for playing cards.
"Please enjoy this."
"Oh you don't have to worry about that!" Isaac promised.
"Oh hey Aspen don't you have to do the thing first." Elliot said with a knowing look.
Aspen frowned,
"What thing.... oh right... the thing!"
Cihan knew when his brother was lying because he was really really bad at it.
"I can't bring you back.... I have to do something...uhmmm Luca would you maybe want to walk my brother back home?"
"I can go myself if your busy!"
Aspen shook his head.
"Absolutely not. I am not letting you go anywhere at night not after last time."
"What happened last time?" Luca asked with a frown on his face.
Cihan shook his head at him.
Aspen huffed and grabbed a big letter bound book from his bed.
"This is the book I was telling you about. You can borrow it for as long i you like!"
"Are you sure? I looks really expensive..." Cihan trased the beautifully carved symbols in the frontcovers with his fingers.
Aspen hummed and left the barrack after ruffling his hair one more time.
"Are You sure it's not to much trouble?" Cihan asked carefully for the maybe fourth time when they left the castle ground thru the main gate and walked the long main road back to the city.
"I don't mind at all."Luca seemed pretty comfortable so Cihan smiled and nodded.
He didn't mind at all to spent some more time with him... alone.
He blushed at the though.
"What are you thinking about?" Luca asked with a smile in his voice. Why did that man see everything!
"Oh nothing really."
Thank you for the first couple of votes ! ððð made my day honestly! So here is an other little chapter!