This Strange World Needs A Kicking! – Ch. 32
By Laura S. Fox
Copyright © 2021 Laura S. Fox
All Rights Reserved
Gay Romance
Intended for Mature Audiences Only
This story will contain graphic depictions of sexual intercourse, strong
language and it is not meant for readers who are less than 18 years of age.
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Chapter Thirty-Two – Gone
Rogue
"Well," Luna insisted,
seeing how he remained silent, his teaspoon resting in a delicate balance on
the edge of the plate. "It looks like you do not wish to share Milo's
whereabouts, so I will start with a confession of mine."
Sebastian's head shot up,
and he stared in disbelief at the charming lady. A charming lady with charms,
she called herself, and at times, Sebastian thought that there was something
about her, playful and mischievous, that he couldn't quite pinpoint. If that
were the case and her true self was this quirky side, his mother would never
confer with Luna Celeste. That made as good a reason as any for her to hide
that part that seemed so inclined to games and whatnot.
He waited patiently. To
show that he was in no hurry to divulge anything that would put Milo in harm's
way, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, all the while eyeing
Luna carefully. Something in her beautiful round face always brought
appeasement. Still, Sebastian usually fought that sensation, as he found it
unsettling to lose control over his own will in such a flighty manner.
"You're so like your
mother, stubborn to a fault, but your heart, just like hers, is still in the
right place."
He scoffed at that. Of
course, Luna would think nothing else of Reya, and
that was why they were thick as thieves. All the more reason for him to keep
his guard up and not allow her to see inside his heart, not for a moment if he
could help it. Reya wanted the good of Ifigia, and in that, there was simply no room for affection
toward a son who existed only so that he could serve the said good.
"I wished for you to find
love," she said.
"And I did, didn't I?" Sebastian replied curtly. "Pepin--"
Luna raised her hand and
cut through the air. "Enough, Sebastian. Don't take me for a fool. The last
time you visited me, I wished for you to find love and put my wish in the charm
I gave you."
Sebastian stared at the
empty plate in front of him and frowned. The mark on his skin where the Uxilan dagger had stabbed his body while Kai was still in
it itched, and he had to use all his willpower not to touch his chest. Was this
woman so wicked as to curse him?
"You," he hissed. "You
made it so that I was cursed to travel to that strange world!"
She served him an amused
smile as her eyes lit up with interest. "Sincerely, I thought you were having
emerging feelings for your new concubine and hoped to nudge you in the right
direction. If that had failed, it would have confirmed that Pepin should still
be the one for you."
Sebastian frowned.
"You're playing with things that don't concern you," he said thickly. "Do you
have any idea what you've done?"
To his dismay, Luna
placed her chin in her right palm and looked at him with loving eyes. What was
she playing at now?
"I do. I finally helped
you realize your deepest wish, Sebastian."
He grunted as he pressed
himself back into his chair more. "And what would that wish be if you don't
mind my asking?"
"To love and be loved
back," Luna replied matter-of-factly like he should have known that already.
He looked away and worked
his jaw. "That is preposterous," he denied. "What would love," he spat the word
like it was poison in his mouth, "bring me? I have everything."
Luna sighed, seemingly
from the bottom of her twisted heart. If she wanted to fool him into thinking
that she was on his side, she had to do better than that.
"I kept telling your
mother," she started, "that she should allow you to feel happy. And she kept
telling me that you were perfectly fine."
"I certainly was,"
Sebastian shot back.
Luna shook her head. "No,
my dear boy, you weren't fine at all. You weren't living, not completely."
"And how is this,"
Sebastian replied and grabbed his chest, "any living? This... this pain--"
"It's living," Luna
contradicted him and nodded all knowingly. "It cannot have been too long since
you were forced to part ways with your chosen. Don't you remember the joy,
too?"
He stopped the flow of
words he wanted to hurl at her. Of course, he did remember the joy, but it was
because he remembered that, pain existed, too, and their mingled effect was
just too much to bear. "That is not important." All that sighing coming from
Luna was starting to get on his nerves. "Why do you pretend to be so concerned?
And Milo is not anywhere in the palace or near it."
"That much I gather." She
continued to examine him with keen eyes. "What is this talk about a strange
world?"
So Luna didn't know she
had sent him into a world so different from theirs that he had no idea where to
start. But then, how had her charm worked? Did she have no control over her own
crafty magic?
"You should know," he
gave a vague reply.
"I don't. But when I saw
Milo--"
Sebastian tensed. "Where
and when did you see him?" he asked through his clenched teeth.
Luna rested her lily-white
hand over her mirror to the souls of humans, as she called that implement.
"Here."
He frowned. "How?"
"Your replacement walked
into my quarters, in search of answers."
Sebastian could feel his
jaw hurting. Just how much damage had that bumbling idiot done? "And you found
it not in the least strange that he wasn't me?" he asked.
"Ah, I was almost fooled
for a moment. But unlike you, he gobbled down the cake I gave him without
pretending that it's not the most delicious thing he ever had. I was intrigued,
of course, especially since I sensed that he was developing feelings toward
Pepin. Imagine my surprise."
Sebastian chose to look
sternly at her. "I have my doubts you were that surprised."
Luna laughed her silver
bell laughter that, just like her confectionery, could lull his mind into a
pleasant state that he tried to chase away as misleading and ill-intended. She
was his mother's closest confidante, and he should not forget about that if he
wanted to keep Milo safe.
"Very well. Not that
surprised. But I did see Milo, and his strange attire confirmed to me that he
must be somewhere a long way from Ifigia. And where
he was when I saw him, you had to be, too."
"Did you see me?"
Sebastian asked. Did you even look? Sometimes,
such annoying questions came to mind. Whether he returned from war or
negotiations with a neighboring kingdom, no one cared about his wellbeing.
Except for Pepin, of course, but Sebastian had always had to do his damnest to keep his servant at arm's length so that he
wouldn't end up making him believe any feelings of a romantic nature would
emerge between them.
"No, because, according
to my eyes, you were sitting right in front of me. Of course, your replacement
confirmed then my suspicions by letting me know that Milo is his friend. Hence,
if he were here, you had to be... where exactly have you been, Sebastian?"
Luna was obviously trying
to appear calm and collected, but her eyes shone with curiosity. He didn't say
anything.
"Never mind, then. I believe
you would talk when you realize that I'm not your enemy, and I've never been."
"That will never happen,"
Sebastian said icily.
"Never say never," Luna
replied. "Now, you came here to ask me something. Go ahead."
Sebastian pursed his lips
in thought. Could he trust Luna not to let Reya know
of Milo? She knew and had known for a while, without a doubt, and yet Reya had no idea of the handsome boy Sebastian was in love
with.
"Yes, you can trust me,"
Luna said with a slight note of exasperation in her voice. "Ask me. Just do
it."
"How is it possible to
travel between worlds?" Sebastian asked directly.
"Well, since you are
actually the one to have embarked on such an astonishing journey, I was hoping
you could tell me."
Sebastian stood abruptly.
"You are of no use to me."
"Sebastian, wait." Luna
stood, as well, and came around the table and close to him. She placed a hand
on his forearm. "Milo won't be safe. Why don't you let me help you?"
"The only help I need is
for you to tell me how to open the gate to that strange world. It looks to me
that you have no control over your own charms."
"You are harsh, just like
her." Luna raised one hand and caressed his cheek. "I am here for you, whenever
you need me. Just make sure she doesn't catch whiff of Milo being in Ifigia."
"How do you know he's in
our world?" Sebastian asked, only then realizing that he hadn't asked the most
obvious fact.
"I saw what happened at
the Shimmering Cavern."
He didn't have to ask
how.
"And I know that Milo,
along with his friends, didn't stay with you."
"How come you don't see
him now?" Sebastian asked, using his coldest voice.
"Quite the strange
thing," Luna replied. "I should have been able, but... I wonder what magic is
stronger than ice."
She gave him a sided
look, but he held his tongue. Clearly enough, she thought of Galien and his mother's lineage. Despite his cousin's
denial of having any magic of his own, it didn't mean that he couldn't enlist
his mother's help when needed. Where Reya had only
frosty feelings at best toward her offspring, Fiana's
love for her son occasionally burned a bit too hot. Galien
often joked about never being allowed to emancipate from under her wing till
the day he was no more.
"They must be with him,
then," Luna said airily.
Sebastian gave her a
stricken look.
"Oh, do not worry. I had
my suspicions, but I needed the confirmation I see now in your eyes. They're in
good hands."
"Not for long, I
suppose," Sebastian said.
"I'll search for your
answer," Luna replied. "I fear someone must have meddled with my magic."
"That's quite unsettling,
don't you think?" Sebastian eyed her carefully.
"Indeed," she admitted
with a thoughtful nod. "Until I find what I'm looking for, make sure to stay
away from Milo. Reya mustn't see him."
"No need for you to
remind me that." He hesitated for a moment. "Why are you helping me? Against
her wishes, even?"
Reya
offered him a fond smile. "I love your mother, Sebastian." For one heartbeat,
she remained silent. But then, she looked straight at him and right into his
soul. "But I love you more."
He opened his mouth,
wanting to ask what she could mean, but she silenced him by pressing her index
finger against her lips.
"Now go and have faith.
When the time is right, you'll see him again."
Sebastian couldn't say,
hand on heart, that he should have felt soothed by those words, but it was a
simple truth. There was something more than charming about the charming lady of
Ifigia. She could take anyone's pain away with just a
touch.
***
"Everything looks so
cute. I can't eat! It'll just ruing them!" Tani
exclaimed as Galien's personnel came and went in a
flurry of activity, placing the most exquisite-looking dishes in front of them.
"I can," Kai replied and
eyed everything while licking his lips. "But you should try Pepin's mini
omelets, for real. He makes the best in the world. I mean, the best I've ever
tasted," he added.
Compared to them, Milo
was a lot more reserved, and he was sitting straight in his chair without
letting out any sign that he was as impressed with his surroundings as Tani. He was no longer muttering under his breath so that
at least was a good sign.
"Please, enjoy," Galien encouraged them. "And I am well aware that nothing
can surpass the food made by the one you love."
Kai snickered. "Has
Conrad cooked anything for you?"
"I'm afraid we're still
not there yet," Galien replied affably. "However, I
am much interested in hearing more about your world. And Milo," he added.
Milo remained still, his
fork in the air. Kai stared at his friend and watched him swallow a bit
nervously. Even if Milo had come to terms somehow that they were in a fantasy
land, it didn't mean that he felt at ease there. They had been given other
clothes, so now they didn't appear as out of place as before. Milo looked quite
dashing, Kai had to admit, in a blue outfit adorned with intricate golden
decorations, and the same frilly type of shirt that Galien
wore was part of his outfit. Not that his dark green suit was any less
interesting, Kai thought, but Milo indeed looked handsome in his.
"Um, well," Milo said,
"What would you like to know... Your
Grace?"
Kai snickered. Tani followed, proving once more that they were siblings.
Milo gave them an alarmed look. "What? How am I supposed to address someone as
high up the ranks as Galien?"
Galien
hurried to the rescue. "Feel free to call me by my name. We don't keep up with
formalities here when we're among friends."
"Are we friends?" Milo
asked.
"If we're not, we're sure
to become," Galien assured him gallantly. "My cousin
is deeply in love with you, and I will do my best to--"
"But I'm not in love with
him," Milo said abruptly, cutting Galien's words
short.
Kai held his breath, and Tani did the same as they watched the exchange.
Galien's
eyes softened and shadowed. "Well, it's quite the shame if this is how you
feel."
"All this time," Milo
explained as his fingers flexed around the fork, "I thought I was in love with
my best friend. I don't really know your cousin, with all due respect."
Milo was right, of
course, to some degree. But hadn't he come to know Sebastian during their time
together? Kai wondered.
"But you do," Tani intervened, making all eyes turn to her. "He does,"
she insisted, somewhat defensively as her eyes moved between Kai and Galien briefly. "All this time, Milo, you've been with Seb, and come on, you like him, at least."
Kai observed Galien. He was examining Milo keenly as if he were trying
to make sense of something.
Milo played with the fork
a little more. "I was with him these last few weeks, but not for one moment, I
thought that someone else lived and breathed in Kai's body. No matter how much
he insisted. I was thinking that my best friend, now boyfriend, was just
fooling around."
Tani
scoffed. "That still doesn't change anything. You're in love with him," she
concluded.
"Tani,"
Kai came to Milo's rescue, seeing how his friend was looking down, unsure of
what to say, "let Milo be. He knows better."
"For now, let's enjoy our
meal," Galien recommended. "And later, you can all
teach me how to talk smack properly."
"Smack?" Milo asked.
"What the hell have you been telling these people, Kai?" He was grinning now, a
good sign that the earlier conversation hadn't rattled him too severely.
"I was just trying to
defend myself," Kai protested. "Of course, I've said all kinds of weird
things."
Galien
laughed whole-heartedly. "I wouldn't mind the truth this time. So, your world
has no magic? None whatsoever?"
Kai was thankful for Galien's smooth manners. Milo was surely confused and
couldn't just jump into the new situation and declare his undying love for
Sebastian. Things were rarely that simple, in any story that he knew of. But he
exchanged a quick look with his sister, and Tani
shook her head and then mouthed to him – `he loves Seb'
and gestured with her chin toward Milo.
Maybe Tani
was right. But that still didn't mean that things would be easy.
***
Luna Celeste didn't have
the answers he wanted, which only meant that he would have to look somewhere
else. But where? Sebastian pondered, examining the options he had at his
disposal. None in the entire Ifigia, at least none
that he knew of, could yield such incredible power. Luna had admitted that
someone must have meddled with her magic, but her knowledge on the matter was
limited.
Still, he wouldn't sit
idly, twiddling his thumbs. First things first, he needed a map and to summon
all the eggheads at his court to question them on all the places and people
with magic living in his kingdom. If it took him days and nights without one
wink of sleep to find a way to send Milo back to safety, he would do it without
a moment to waste.
He frowned as he walked
into his quarters and found Pepin dusting as usual. These minor intrusions upon
his privacy were beginning to unnerve him.
"The place is as clean as
it can be. Feel free to tend to other duties. I believe you have quite an
important one," he said without even greeting the servant.
Pepin turned to face him,
holding on to his feather duster like the thing could summon protection magic
at any moment. "Sebastian," he said in a hurt voice, "why are you so cold?"
"Cold? Don't you mean my
usual self?" Sebastian snapped.
Pepin didn't recoil from
his moods like he used to. "You're troubled. You're worried. And so am I.
Kai--"
"Please, do not speak his
name. Walls have ears, as you just may well know. If you don't, then you're a
fool."
Pepin hurried close to
him and touched his arm. His big beautiful eyes were swimming in tears, and
that was something Sebastian couldn't stand. However, Pepin required learning a
few crucial truths, or else he'd be prey to confusion and much more suffering
for a long time. "Pepin," he said in a measured voice, "you know you cannot
keep him."
"What?" Pepin took a step
back and held on to his shard.
Sebastian sighed in
exasperation. "Not the child. Your lover. He must return to his world."
Pepin nodded. "Yes. If Reya discovers them--"
Sebastian put one hand
up. "No need for you to remind me."
"Your
Majesty, are you in love with that handsome young man?" Pepin asked.
Sebastian looked away.
Why did everyone feel the need to twist the knife? "Yes," he admitted in a
quiet voice. "All the more reason for me to find a way to send them all back.
They're not safe here."
Pepin came closer again.
"I want to help."
"What can you do?"
Sebastian said and waved dismissively. "All your life, you've been trained to
be a servant. And you are a qualified one, don't get me wrong, but--"
"Kai took me on
adventures with him. And I helped him get the dragon's tear when Conrad was ill
after being stabbed by an Uxilan dagger meant for
you."
Sebastian stopped,
astonished to hear such an incredible story. He scoffed. "It is not like you to
embellish the truth or say blatant lies, Pepin."
"It is true," Pepin
insisted, his hands turned into fists and held close by his sides. "Ask Conrad
if you don't believe me."
There was something
alluring about Pepin when he got stubborn like that. His willfulness could be
considered a character flaw, and Sebastian had always been annoyed by it, but
right now, he could understand why Kai Martin would fall in love with the
servant. Of course, his face was very pretty, but that wasn't it. A fiery fire
burned into those eyes the color of a summer sky.
"Very well," Sebastian
said coolly. "I suppose your insubordination could at least serve the higher
good, given the circumstances. Can you please tell me what you think happened
that Kai Martin and I exchanged places in such an incredible manner?" He
crossed his arms and waited. Pepin would be a bit upset about being put in
place like that, but he had to see his limitations.
"It must have been a
really powerful magic," Pepin replied.
"Yes, that much I gather.
But who could be behind it?" Sebastian didn't care about sharing with Pepin the
details of his discussion with Luna Celeste just yet.
"You ended up falling in
love, so it had to be someone who wished you would find happiness," Pepin said
thoughtfully. "But if that had been true, then the handsome young man you now
love would have been summoned here instead of your being made to travel to
Kai's world. Which means that the magic used could also have been employed as a
means to eliminate you."
Sebastian was already
trying to think of other ways to identify the culprit for the strange exchange
without paying much attention to Pepin but stopped at his servant's last words.
"Eliminate me?"
"Yes. And leave Ifigia without her lord and protector."
Sebastian stared at Pepin
for a while. "That makes sense. Excellent thinking, Pepin."
The servant smiled
sheepishly.
Sebastian began pacing
the room. "I've been thinking the same thing ever since I opened my eyes in the
other world. Whoever made it happen must have wanted me away from Ifigia. And--"
"And the same day you and
Kai changed places, an Uxilan assassin appeared in
the palace and tries to stab Kai," Pepin said promptly. "That was when Conrad
got injured because he put himself between the assassin and Kai."
Sebastian stopped and
stared at his servant. "How long have you known that the bumbling idiot you
love was in my body?"
"Not for a while,
although I was quite confused by how different you seemed. I'm just trying to
piece things together here. The change must have happened that day, because Kai
woke up here and pushed Conrad away so fast that he made him fall on his ass," Pepin
said promptly.
Sebastian chuckled at
that image. Kai had his good parts, and somehow the situation just described by
Pepin appeared quite hilarious. "What?" he asked Pepin, who was staring at him
wide-eyed.
"Your
Majesty, I don't remember when I last heard you laughing."
"What do you mean?"
Sebastian turned away from Pepin, slightly embarrassed of being caught in a
moment of weakness. "I can be amused when the situation requires it."
Pepin didn't let go and
walked closer. "Sebastian, you're... happy."
"Happy?" Sebastian
blinked rapidly and turned to look at his servant. "I've tried to navigate the
intricacies of a dangerous world for weeks while being ill-equipped for it,
I've messed up the life and sentiments of a young man through no fault of his
own, and someone tries to destroy Ifigia."
"Not someone," Pepin
replied. "It has to be Uxilan. They've always wanted
you gone. As for the rest, I believe you did quite well, Your Majesty. You fell
in love with a very handsome young man."
Sebastian sighed. "I am absent
for a fortnight or so, and everyone here talks about nothing but romance and
love. I'm afraid we must be practical."
"We?" Pepin asked, his
eyes filled with hope.
Ah, he should have
considered his words better. "It is a perilous quest," Sebastian said coolly.
"I don't mind," Pepin
said promptly.
"I should go alone."
"No, you shouldn't."
"Since when do you feel
so free to contradict me?"
"Since I realized that
you're more than just the son of the ice goddess. Better, even."
"Better?"
"Yes, better," Pepin said
with conviction. "You're someone who can feel. I'm happy that you fell in love
with someone, Sebastian, even if that someone isn't me."
Sebastian took his time
to search the servant's beautiful eyes for any sign of lingering love. A loving
look met him, but it was no longer the mindless adoration from before. In
Pepin's eyes, he saw the love of a friend. "How can you be sure, Pepin?" he
asked.
"Sure of what?"
"That you don't... love me
anymore. And that you love Kai Martin instead. After all, the one in front of
you, in this physical form, has always been me."
Pepin shook his head
gently and smiled. "You may think so. But all my life, I was made to believe
that my happiness was you. But Luna told me that I was to be loved too, and
when you kept on rejecting my feelings... I started to believe, in spite of
everything, that you weren't that person. When Kai came along, my fate became
true."
Sebastian nodded
thoughtfully. "But how can you set us apart? When you look at me, don't you
have any feelings left?"
"No. It's the one inside
that counts, Sebastian," Pepin said and placed one hand on his chest. "Are you
worried that the one you love might not feel the same?"
Yes. Yes, he was. But the
answer he gave was different. "He would do himself a lot of good not to. His
place is not here, and if I can help it, I will send him back to the world he
belongs as soon as possible."
Pepin's eyes were
floating in sadness now. "You're right, of course. But you are allowed to wish
that he still loves you."
Sebastian turned his back
on his servant and walked over to the big table. "If you care about joining me
in this quest, you must prove that you can be more practical than this, Pepin,"
he said as he spread open the map of the kingdom.
TBC
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