Emir/Ivan Part 53
Oct. 27th, 2020 03:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emirandivanFirst posted here
There was another Eresenian dance after the first, just as energetic as the first. After the third dance Emir begged mercy, and Ivan led him from the floor to a chair and they sat side by side, breathless.
“A drink?” Ivan said, beckoning a servant. Emir nodded.
“Thank you, Ivan,” he said. “What a wonderful surprise.”
“I’m very pleased it pleased you,” Ivan said, and held up his glass. “To your first Eresenian ball,” he said.
“Here you are,” Adric said, descending upon them. “Now much as I don’t want to disrupt this lovers tryst – Emir you promised me a dance.”
“Go on,” Ivan said cheerfully. “Otherwise Peter will find you.”
They were parted awhile after that. Emir stood up with Adric, and then Yonathan. He caught glimpses of Ivan, dancing with this courtier or that member of the delegation. They would catch each other’s eye across the room now and again, and Ivan gave him the sort of looks that heated him from within. Soon he told himself again.
He was so hot and breathless after the waltzing began that he slipped away to a withdrawing room to cool himself. He was just pressing his handkerchief to his hot brow when someone spoke.
“Your highness,” Kanat said, bowing.
“Hello Kanat, I’m sorry I did not see you,” Emir said, heart sinking a little.
“I apologise, I was standing on your damaged side,” Kanat said, moving closer.
“Are you not dancing tonight?” Emir said, then wished he could bite his tongue. He had not meant it to sound like an invitation.
Kanat merely smiled. “Thank you sire, but you look a little hot. Perhaps a refreshment first?”
“Oh…”
“One moment,” Kanat said. He moved to the other side of the room, through a small crowd of people, then reappeared with two glasses of champagne. He handed one to Emir.
“Shall we?” he said, leading the way back out of the room to the ballroom. They almost immediately came upon Vinny and Ivan deep in conversation.
“…just a little argument in front of mother, it won’t take five minutes,” Vinny was saying.
“Can’t it wait? I want to…oh Emir,” Ivan said, breaking into one of his sunny smiles. Then his expression cooled a little. “And your friend! Forgive me, I forget your name.”
“It is a very Samatran name – many Eresenians struggle to remember it. I am Kanat, your highness,” Kanat said, bowing. Ivan inclined his head regally.
Emir took a long sip of his champagne. It tasted strangely bitter, but perhaps the awkwardness of the conversation was affecting his taste buds.
“You wish to dance with my husband?” Ivan said.
Kanat inclined his head in assent.
“Well, why not, this once?” Ivan put a hand on Emir’s waist and kissed his cheek, taking the champagne glass from his hand. “I shall wait for you here,” he said, in a low voice, looking up at Emir.
“I shall look forward to it,” Emir said, grasping Ivan’s free hand and squeezing it.
Ivan flushed a little and looked pleased. He drained the glass and grimaced.
“Gods that’s dreadful,” he said. “Vinny is that some of the lot you brought? So sour.”
“Oh do shut up,” Vinny said cheerfully. “Now, listen…”
The next dance was beginning and Kanat led Emir away.
“Your husband is very attentive to you this evening,” he remarked as they began.
Emir glanced at him but Kanat only smiled.
“You’re very sweet, the two of you. Very sudden of course, but perhaps someone has explained to him again the prize Eresenia won in your agreement to marry him. You must feel relieved.”
“Relieved?” Emir said, stumbling a little as Kanat turned him sharply. Kanat tightened his hold on Emir’s waist to steady him.
“That he is taking the marriage seriously at last. Of course, Prince Ivan’s antics have been mostly confined to Court. But if you had become more publicly estranged, well. Politically, the son of the Samatran king being slighted by the dissipated youngest child of the Eresenian Queen…”
“I have never been slighted,” Emir said.
“I’m glad you have never felt it,” Kanat said, turning Emir under his arm then pulling him close again. “Anyway, the effect tonight has been impressive. The two of you make a pretty picture – a symbol of the strength of the Union. You have surprised everyone.”
“But not each other. It is not sudden to us,” Emir said, the happiness of the evening dulling a little through this political lens. Perhaps it might seem so to others, but for him it felt as though he and Ivan had been traveling towards this closeness all along. He had been sure Ivan felt the same. Ivan had looked at him the whole time they had danced. He’d touched his face, his scar, in front of the world. Emir could feel his affection. It could not have been a show. Even if the Queen had warned Ivan of the stakes, Ivan had always gone his own way. No. It might seem sudden and unexpected to the Court, but not to them.
“Not sudden?” Kanat said with a frown. “But even last week…forgive me Emir, but you dallied with me in that hallway. We embraced.”
Emir was speechless. He hadn’t dallied with Kanat. He would never have thought of it that way. But with a horrible lurch he realised that perhaps Kanat had. And with that affection, the trappings of being a consort. The access to power. How could he have been so naïve? Ivan had tried to warn him. Even Adric and Pasha had tried. The magnitude of his miscalculation slammed into him.
“Kanat, I have always held you in great regard,” he said earnestly. “You will always have my ear. And my support. But…”
“A kiss is hard to misunderstand,” Kanat said shortly, a pained smile on his face. “But it seems I did, nevertheless. I had thought you chose to break with me for reasons of diplomacy, not because there were no feelings between us.”
They danced on in horrible silence, Emir racking his brain for a way to extract himself from this situation, but his head felt so fuzzy. Tiredness catching up with him, or the champagne, or both. Gods, would this dance never end? He looked over at Kanat but Kanat was looking away at a point in the distance, his face tense.
“I’m sorry,” said Emir as the dance ended and they bowed to one another. “I have never meant to be unclear.” And you kissed me, he wanted to add, but it seemed petty.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Kanat said with a sad smile. “Dear Emir, my hurt feelings are not your concern. Please - enjoy your evening.”
He took his leave, and Emir sat down heavily in the nearest chair and looked in vain for Ivan.
Part 54
There was another Eresenian dance after the first, just as energetic as the first. After the third dance Emir begged mercy, and Ivan led him from the floor to a chair and they sat side by side, breathless.
“A drink?” Ivan said, beckoning a servant. Emir nodded.
“Thank you, Ivan,” he said. “What a wonderful surprise.”
“I’m very pleased it pleased you,” Ivan said, and held up his glass. “To your first Eresenian ball,” he said.
“Here you are,” Adric said, descending upon them. “Now much as I don’t want to disrupt this lovers tryst – Emir you promised me a dance.”
“Go on,” Ivan said cheerfully. “Otherwise Peter will find you.”
They were parted awhile after that. Emir stood up with Adric, and then Yonathan. He caught glimpses of Ivan, dancing with this courtier or that member of the delegation. They would catch each other’s eye across the room now and again, and Ivan gave him the sort of looks that heated him from within. Soon he told himself again.
He was so hot and breathless after the waltzing began that he slipped away to a withdrawing room to cool himself. He was just pressing his handkerchief to his hot brow when someone spoke.
“Your highness,” Kanat said, bowing.
“Hello Kanat, I’m sorry I did not see you,” Emir said, heart sinking a little.
“I apologise, I was standing on your damaged side,” Kanat said, moving closer.
“Are you not dancing tonight?” Emir said, then wished he could bite his tongue. He had not meant it to sound like an invitation.
Kanat merely smiled. “Thank you sire, but you look a little hot. Perhaps a refreshment first?”
“Oh…”
“One moment,” Kanat said. He moved to the other side of the room, through a small crowd of people, then reappeared with two glasses of champagne. He handed one to Emir.
“Shall we?” he said, leading the way back out of the room to the ballroom. They almost immediately came upon Vinny and Ivan deep in conversation.
“…just a little argument in front of mother, it won’t take five minutes,” Vinny was saying.
“Can’t it wait? I want to…oh Emir,” Ivan said, breaking into one of his sunny smiles. Then his expression cooled a little. “And your friend! Forgive me, I forget your name.”
“It is a very Samatran name – many Eresenians struggle to remember it. I am Kanat, your highness,” Kanat said, bowing. Ivan inclined his head regally.
Emir took a long sip of his champagne. It tasted strangely bitter, but perhaps the awkwardness of the conversation was affecting his taste buds.
“You wish to dance with my husband?” Ivan said.
Kanat inclined his head in assent.
“Well, why not, this once?” Ivan put a hand on Emir’s waist and kissed his cheek, taking the champagne glass from his hand. “I shall wait for you here,” he said, in a low voice, looking up at Emir.
“I shall look forward to it,” Emir said, grasping Ivan’s free hand and squeezing it.
Ivan flushed a little and looked pleased. He drained the glass and grimaced.
“Gods that’s dreadful,” he said. “Vinny is that some of the lot you brought? So sour.”
“Oh do shut up,” Vinny said cheerfully. “Now, listen…”
The next dance was beginning and Kanat led Emir away.
“Your husband is very attentive to you this evening,” he remarked as they began.
Emir glanced at him but Kanat only smiled.
“You’re very sweet, the two of you. Very sudden of course, but perhaps someone has explained to him again the prize Eresenia won in your agreement to marry him. You must feel relieved.”
“Relieved?” Emir said, stumbling a little as Kanat turned him sharply. Kanat tightened his hold on Emir’s waist to steady him.
“That he is taking the marriage seriously at last. Of course, Prince Ivan’s antics have been mostly confined to Court. But if you had become more publicly estranged, well. Politically, the son of the Samatran king being slighted by the dissipated youngest child of the Eresenian Queen…”
“I have never been slighted,” Emir said.
“I’m glad you have never felt it,” Kanat said, turning Emir under his arm then pulling him close again. “Anyway, the effect tonight has been impressive. The two of you make a pretty picture – a symbol of the strength of the Union. You have surprised everyone.”
“But not each other. It is not sudden to us,” Emir said, the happiness of the evening dulling a little through this political lens. Perhaps it might seem so to others, but for him it felt as though he and Ivan had been traveling towards this closeness all along. He had been sure Ivan felt the same. Ivan had looked at him the whole time they had danced. He’d touched his face, his scar, in front of the world. Emir could feel his affection. It could not have been a show. Even if the Queen had warned Ivan of the stakes, Ivan had always gone his own way. No. It might seem sudden and unexpected to the Court, but not to them.
“Not sudden?” Kanat said with a frown. “But even last week…forgive me Emir, but you dallied with me in that hallway. We embraced.”
Emir was speechless. He hadn’t dallied with Kanat. He would never have thought of it that way. But with a horrible lurch he realised that perhaps Kanat had. And with that affection, the trappings of being a consort. The access to power. How could he have been so naïve? Ivan had tried to warn him. Even Adric and Pasha had tried. The magnitude of his miscalculation slammed into him.
“Kanat, I have always held you in great regard,” he said earnestly. “You will always have my ear. And my support. But…”
“A kiss is hard to misunderstand,” Kanat said shortly, a pained smile on his face. “But it seems I did, nevertheless. I had thought you chose to break with me for reasons of diplomacy, not because there were no feelings between us.”
They danced on in horrible silence, Emir racking his brain for a way to extract himself from this situation, but his head felt so fuzzy. Tiredness catching up with him, or the champagne, or both. Gods, would this dance never end? He looked over at Kanat but Kanat was looking away at a point in the distance, his face tense.
“I’m sorry,” said Emir as the dance ended and they bowed to one another. “I have never meant to be unclear.” And you kissed me, he wanted to add, but it seemed petty.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Kanat said with a sad smile. “Dear Emir, my hurt feelings are not your concern. Please - enjoy your evening.”
He took his leave, and Emir sat down heavily in the nearest chair and looked in vain for Ivan.
Part 54
no subject
Date: 2020-10-27 06:46 pm (UTC)I've been half expecting Kanat to kidnap Emir (possibly trying to make it look like Emir ran away with him) for some time now, so you can imagine how my ears perked up... but it's equally likely that he's just trying to cause a diplomatic incident by making Emir behave inappropriately in public. Of course now that Ivan has drunk most of the roofie I guess we'll have to see how things play out
sex pollen tropes maybe?no subject
Date: 2020-10-28 04:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-10-29 12:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-10-29 09:33 pm (UTC)