Emir/Ivan Part 55
Nov. 6th, 2020 09:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emirandivanFirst posted here
The world was blurring round the edges as he pushed his way through the crowd towards where he had seen Ivan fall. Though he couldn’t see his husband, he caught sight of Adric, Pasha and Andrei crowded closely together, with Erden crouched beside them.
“I don’t understand,” Adric was saying.
“Should I fetch Olya?” Pasha said.
“She and Anna just left for their party, I don’t think…” Adric stopped as he realised Emir was there. “Oh Emir, thank the gods.”
Emir looked down at Ivan who was sitting in a tumbled heap on the floor. He didn't seem injured, but his eyes were glazed and his face flushed. He looked up at Emir without seeming to recognise him.
“Ivan?” Emir said.
Ivan stared at him, but his gaze slid away, back to Erden who had his arm around his back.
“Let’s get you on your feet, sire,” he said.
“Erden,” Ivan said hazily. “You’re here.” His legs seemed incapable of holding him up as Erden hauled him upright.
“Did he take something Emir?” Pasha said in a low voice. “Only, Adric and I usually would get it for him, but he asked for nothing tonight.”
“I don’t know,” Emir said, looking at Erden who was in uniform and certainly not dressed for a ball. Ivan had leant his head against Erden’s shoulder and closed his eyes. "Erden?"
“Your highness, I know no more than you do. He sent for me only a short while ago,” Erden said, a small frown on his handsome face. “I had no intention of being here tonight.”
“You sent for Erden, Ivan?” Adric said. He put his hand on Ivan's shoulder and gave him a little shake. “Are you sure?”
“Oh Erden,” Ivan said in a sing-song voice. He was swaying unsteadily. “Take me to bed. I need to...Emir. Erden, I think…” He lost his balance again, and Erden pulled him tightly against him.
“Sire?” Erden said, looking at Emir for instruction.
“He wished you to be here?” he said to Erden quietly.
“Emir, wait a moment,” Adric interjected. “I don’t think Ivan knows what he wishes.”
“He sent a note, less than a half hour ago,” Erden said looking even more uncomfortable. “I have not come of my own accord, I assure you.”
Adric threw Emir a horrified glance and turned to hush Andrei who had begun to ask a question.
A note. There could be no question then that Ivan wanted Erden’s companionship. Ivan had deliberately asked Erden to join him at the ball – later on of course, once his official duties had been dispatched. Peter and Kanat had both been right. Oh gods, what a fool he felt.
He looked around at the faces turned to his, waiting for his instruction. Pasha was chewing his lip, and Adric looked agonised. Erden looked down at Ivan who had closed his eyes again and nestled his head against Erden's chest, and then pleadingly up again at Emir.
Emir took a steadying breath.
“If he sent for you, then we must do as he asks,” he said to Erden. “He really must get some rest.” His voice felt very far away. “Please Erden, take care of him.”
Adric opened his mouth to protest, but Emir turned away before he could hear it. He felt so strange and lightheaded. He could only think of reaching the cool of the Hall and walking among the trees - he wanted a moment, just a moment. Something about this seemed wrong but he could not think what.
The crowd parted as he walked towards the door. Gods in heaven, why must they stare so. He tried to hold his head high. What a night it had been, and what a way it was to end.
And yet he could not make sense of it. Ivan was many things, but not unkind. Never unkind. But this had been a kind of humiliation, and done so publicly.
He felt himself trembling with the effort of staying upright. Reaching the door he swayed and felt he must fall, but then someone was beside him, a firm arm around him, and he found himself steered into the blessed coolness of the Hall.
“My dear Emir,” Kanat said. “Please let me help you.”
Part 56
The world was blurring round the edges as he pushed his way through the crowd towards where he had seen Ivan fall. Though he couldn’t see his husband, he caught sight of Adric, Pasha and Andrei crowded closely together, with Erden crouched beside them.
“I don’t understand,” Adric was saying.
“Should I fetch Olya?” Pasha said.
“She and Anna just left for their party, I don’t think…” Adric stopped as he realised Emir was there. “Oh Emir, thank the gods.”
Emir looked down at Ivan who was sitting in a tumbled heap on the floor. He didn't seem injured, but his eyes were glazed and his face flushed. He looked up at Emir without seeming to recognise him.
“Ivan?” Emir said.
Ivan stared at him, but his gaze slid away, back to Erden who had his arm around his back.
“Let’s get you on your feet, sire,” he said.
“Erden,” Ivan said hazily. “You’re here.” His legs seemed incapable of holding him up as Erden hauled him upright.
“Did he take something Emir?” Pasha said in a low voice. “Only, Adric and I usually would get it for him, but he asked for nothing tonight.”
“I don’t know,” Emir said, looking at Erden who was in uniform and certainly not dressed for a ball. Ivan had leant his head against Erden’s shoulder and closed his eyes. "Erden?"
“Your highness, I know no more than you do. He sent for me only a short while ago,” Erden said, a small frown on his handsome face. “I had no intention of being here tonight.”
“You sent for Erden, Ivan?” Adric said. He put his hand on Ivan's shoulder and gave him a little shake. “Are you sure?”
“Oh Erden,” Ivan said in a sing-song voice. He was swaying unsteadily. “Take me to bed. I need to...Emir. Erden, I think…” He lost his balance again, and Erden pulled him tightly against him.
“Sire?” Erden said, looking at Emir for instruction.
“He wished you to be here?” he said to Erden quietly.
“Emir, wait a moment,” Adric interjected. “I don’t think Ivan knows what he wishes.”
“He sent a note, less than a half hour ago,” Erden said looking even more uncomfortable. “I have not come of my own accord, I assure you.”
Adric threw Emir a horrified glance and turned to hush Andrei who had begun to ask a question.
A note. There could be no question then that Ivan wanted Erden’s companionship. Ivan had deliberately asked Erden to join him at the ball – later on of course, once his official duties had been dispatched. Peter and Kanat had both been right. Oh gods, what a fool he felt.
He looked around at the faces turned to his, waiting for his instruction. Pasha was chewing his lip, and Adric looked agonised. Erden looked down at Ivan who had closed his eyes again and nestled his head against Erden's chest, and then pleadingly up again at Emir.
Emir took a steadying breath.
“If he sent for you, then we must do as he asks,” he said to Erden. “He really must get some rest.” His voice felt very far away. “Please Erden, take care of him.”
Adric opened his mouth to protest, but Emir turned away before he could hear it. He felt so strange and lightheaded. He could only think of reaching the cool of the Hall and walking among the trees - he wanted a moment, just a moment. Something about this seemed wrong but he could not think what.
The crowd parted as he walked towards the door. Gods in heaven, why must they stare so. He tried to hold his head high. What a night it had been, and what a way it was to end.
And yet he could not make sense of it. Ivan was many things, but not unkind. Never unkind. But this had been a kind of humiliation, and done so publicly.
He felt himself trembling with the effort of staying upright. Reaching the door he swayed and felt he must fall, but then someone was beside him, a firm arm around him, and he found himself steered into the blessed coolness of the Hall.
“My dear Emir,” Kanat said. “Please let me help you.”
Part 56
