pumpkinewe

That wraps up the end of Arc 2! See you next week for the Q&A! Don't forget to leave questions you are curious about or want more info on!

The after-party for the coronation was just as grand as the ceremony itself. The only difference was that Shafir made sure he was sitting as far away from everyone as possible. There had been some whispers here and there when he walked into the ceremony beside Aila, but they soon died down. That’s why he was here now, sipping on a glass of water. He had learned his lesson about drinking things he didn’t pour himself. Everyone danced and frolicked about without a care in the world. Shafir was content here. A cold drink in hand and watching everyone else enjoy themselves was enough. 

“Sir Shafir, nice to see you here.” When looking up Shafir saw a handsome dressed elf. It wasn’t as if Shafir liked him but he felt so familiar with his toothy grin and side-swept bangs. Shafir thought it only courteous to stand from his seat and he watched the other elf bow. The dark elf returned the gesture. “Ivasaar of Rites.” 

“Nice to see you as well, Sir Ivasaar,” Shafir said. His eyes wandered from the other’s face as he watched the crowd. He wished the greetings would be over soon so he could return to his water and enjoy the night in silence. 

“You know… I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so elegant before,” Ivasaar said. His smile was cheeky, and it rubbed Shafir the wrong way. He knew what this was. Shameless and annoying. Flirting like this was what Shafir considered trashy. If this elf had liked Shafir so much, why did he wait until now to talk to him? Ivasaar of Rites? Never heard of him. 

“I can assure you, my elegance is much better hidden.” Shafir hoped for him to leave soon. The air around this man made him uncomfortable. He didn’t know why, but it left him with goosebumps. 

“With how dashing you look, I’m surprised there aren’t more suitors lining up to dance with you,” Ivasaar complimented. His eyes took over Shafir’s body. This was why he hadn’t wanted to wear something like this. Not because he cared about wandering eyes, but the kind like this was unwelcome.

“It is because they know better,” Shafir said. He sat back down in his chair. There was no way he was staying standing this whole time. His hand grasped the neck of the glass once more before sipping from it. The more the man stood there, the more his temper increased. If he could scream and shout, he would. To make a big scene at the party, though, wasn’t a good idea. “My mouth is often what turns them away.” 

“I’m sure your mouth wouldn’t be able to turn me away,” Ivasaar smirked at Shafir. If he could, he would punch this loudmouth. To think he would turn into Eliqinor with how much his eye was twitching would not be a surprise at this instant. He could ignore it. No, he would ignore it. “A mouth that perfect would be nice around-” 

Shafir slammed his fists against the table and stood. That was the last straw, Aila be damned. He would make this rude mouth shut the fuck up. Ivasaar stepped back at Shafir’s anger and a few of the people from the crowd looked at them. He didn’t care anymore. Shafir would fight him right here, even in this ridiculous outfit. 

“Sorry, I know I’m late.” Shafir looked at the voice that interrupted the beating that Ivasaar was about to get. It was, of course, another high elf, hair parted to the side. 

Ah, that’s why he seemed familiar, Shafir thought. This one, though, was a bigger annoyance. Shafir turned to tell Eliqinor to fuck off before he felt heat against his back. He stiffened like a cat caught by surprise and his mind kept wandering to the burning sensation of Eliqinor’s fingers along his spine. 

“I trust my companion didn’t cause you too much trouble, Sir Ivasaar.” Eliqinor smiled like he always did. Though Shafir could see the underlying threat. It wasn’t often that Shafir saw that look and it usually was only directed toward people who were causing problems, aka Shafir. 

“Oh. Well, I guess this is my cue to leave… It was nice seeing you both,” Ivasaar said before bowing. Shafir waited until Ivasaar was far enough away before turning to speak. 

“I could have handled it just fine,” Shafir said and Eliqinor laughed. 

“Would you have been able to do it without throwing the table at him?” Eliqinor asked questioningly, turning to face Shafir. He could feel the slight brush of Eliqinor’s fingers as he moved. It sent a shiver up his spine and he had to hold back an unsightly sound.

“... Fair enough.” Shafir crossed his arms before looking Eliqinor over. His outfit, while less exposing than Shafir's, showed off his chest. A keyhole spanned the expanse of skin and Shafir had to look away. Though something about the navy garb tickled something in his brain and he felt the telltale sign of a blush creep up his cheeks.

“Well, I at least averted a crisis,” Eliqinor said, his fingers still lingering against Shafir’s skin. He wanted to move away from Eliqinor’s touch but didn’t want the high elf to realize how it was bothering him. It felt like lightning across his back and he wasn’t sure why he felt this way, but the feeling was too much to bear. 

“Why are you still touching me?” Shafir asked. He couldn’t hold it in anymore. The itch it was causing him was unbearable, and he had to address the touches of his captain. 

“Oh, my apologies. Since he’s gone, it’s better to part now then.” Eliqinor nodded at his words and retracted his hand from Shafir. Even though the warm fingers were no longer there, Shafir's skin burned as if they were burrowing their way into him. 

~o~o~O~o~o~

“Are you two enjoying yourself?” When Shafir looked up from his plate of food, he saw Aila standing in front of him. Her head donned in her ceremony circlet and imperial crown atop her head. Eliqinor and Shafir went to stand from their seats to bow. Aila waved her hands, and they stopped mid-stand. “Please. I want you to relax. I may be the Empress, but I won’t take formalities until after the party.” 

“If that is what you want,” Shafir said and loudly sat back down. Eliqinor followed suit and nodded his head to the Empress. What an ever-loyal dog, Shafir thought. Aila’s smile radiated as she waited for them to answer her. Not that Shafir wasn’t having a good time, it was just… Not great either. 

“The party is wonderful, your highness. I have never enjoyed one more,” Eliqinor said eloquently—a smooth talker. Of course, it would be in their best interest to get on Aila’s good side. That was one thing Shafir didn’t have to worry about. As long as she didn’t find out about his curse. 

“I am happy you are enjoying it. I hope I can see you at many more,” Aila said, looking toward Shafir. She was waiting for his reply, but he didn’t want to give it. Shafir didn’t want to seem rude, but he didn’t want to lie. “Shafir?”

“It’s… Alright, I guess.” Shafir looked down at his food and picked at the measly salad. It was more interesting than making eye contact with Aila when his back still burned like a brand. He disliked the disappointed sigh that came from the empress, but there wasn’t much he could do in this situation. Shafir felt awkward next to Eliqinor, but he couldn’t bring himself to chase the annoyance off. Besides, he was a good deterrent for people like Ivasaar. 

“Oh! Eliqinor, I forgot to ask. About the reimbursement for the damaged desk-” Aila began but was interrupted quickly. 

“I will cover the costs,” Eliqinor said. Shafir’s head snapped to the side. 

The desk… Well, that was Shafir’s fault. Within the last few days, his temper had gotten the best of him before he knew it. He had turned the desk into splinters of wood. Shafir couldn’t remember what had set him off, but it had to be something important for him to become destructive. 

“Why are you paying for it? I’m the one who broke it.” Shafir didn’t want Eliqinor to pay for something that wasn’t his responsibility, and while his pay was meager, it wasn’t like he was poor. 

“You made a mistake. As your superior, it is my job to fix it.” Eliqinor didn’t even seem phased by what he said but to Shafir, it felt like a slap to the face. So he broke a stupid desk. It wasn’t like it was all that great, to begin with. The legs were uneven and wobbled when you put too many papers on them. So, of course, it was better off broken. 

“Ah… It seems I may have fanned the flames…” Aila said and covered her mouth with her hand. There was something about how her eyes looked like they were laughing at the argument that had Shafir’s blood boiling. He soon forgot about Eliqinor’s burning touch when he turned to continue the argument. 

“I didn’t do it on purpose anyway!” Shafir said and shoved a fork full of salad in his mouth. 

“If I remember correctly, you said. May the mother strike me down if I have to use this desk for one more day! Then hacked it to pieces with your sword,” Eliqinor said matter-of-factly. Now that Shafir was reminded of his mistake, he felt like an idiot. It didn't prevent him from being mad. 

"... Alright then, shall we replace the desk with something else then?" Aila asked and clapped her hands together, snapping the tension between the two. She looked between them to defuse the situation and Shafir shut himself up with a heaping forkful of tomato. 

"I'll take care of it," Eliqinor said. Shafir huffed in annoyance. Of course, he would take care of it. The oh-so-ever dependable Captain Eliqinor. Shafir couldn't care less and wanted to tell him to go fuck himself now. 

"I will leave that to you, then. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening." Aila walked off after both men nodded their heads at her. It would be a long night and Shafir wasn't sure how much longer he could stand being here. 

~o~o~O~o~o~

Shafir took another bite of his food before pushing a rather unappetizing piece of cucumber about the plate. The silence was awkward. He didn't know what more he could say. 

The evening hadn't gone as planned and now here he sat in silence with his captain. The high elf looked like a guard dog protecting his charge. Anytime someone as much as tried to make conversation with Shafir, Eliqinor somehow interjected, thus turning attention to himself. Shafir was thankful as he wasn't one for small talk but it still irked him. Something about how they were so close to each other but Eliqinor didn't even try to talk to him. Shafir's attention was caught when he saw movement from the corner of his eye. 

"Where are you going?" Shafir watched as Eliqinor stood up from his seat. 

"Work," Eliqinor stated without so much as batting an eye. 

"You're going to work? Now? Of all times?" Shafir sighed and stuffed his mouth with a piece of bread. Well. If this buffoon wanted to go to work, then so be it! He would stay here and enjoy the good food. At least he made the best out of it if he was going to be forced to dress like this. 

"Paperwork won't wait." Eliqinor smoothed down his navy outfit before pushing his chair back to the table. 

"You are more boring than I am. All you do is work, work, and work!" Shafir huffed and puffed as he drank from his water. He didn't know why he seemed so upset that Eliqinor saw his job as his chief priority. This party was probably a formality that had to be fulfilled. 

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Eliqinor looked down at Shafir from where he sat. He wasn't expecting that. What did he want Eliqinor to do? What did people do at parties like this? Dance, drink, mingle, and flirt from what he could tell. Eliqinor didn't seem like the one who did those things. Well, at least they had that in common. 

"... Eat?" Was the only thing Shafir could come up with. He looked down at his plate which had soon become empty between bites, all except for that piece of cucumber. Eating wasn't something they could do all night, but Shafir didn't want Eliqinor to leave. 

The serious look Eliqinor had on his face slowly melted away when he laughed. There was a pang of pain in Shafir's chest when he saw Eliqinor smile, but he turned away quickly. 

There was no reason for him to be mad right now. So why was his heart racing, like when he was pissed off? Perhaps it was because he laughed at Shafir's comment. That's what it had to be. Shafir was mad because Eliqinor wasn't taking him seriously.

“You can enjoy the food, but I’m going to head back to the office,” Eliqinor said, patting Shafir on the back. Without another word, the blonde disappeared into the crowd and Shafir felt a rock in the pit of his stomach. Why did he feel so lonely? He ignored the feeling and went back to eating his bread. Shafir would address this feeling another day...