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"excuse me! pardon me, please.. let me through!" despite his best efforts, phainons pleas for passage fell on few ears, overwhelmed by the deafening chatter of the overzealous market-goers.
When phainon had convinced mydei to visit the markets with him to unwind, he hadnt expected it to be so lively. Normally seeing as such would be a good thing, followed by that familiar bitter-sweet feeling, but seeing as the liveliness of the markets has caused him to lose mydei –
Seriously, he had looked away for perhaps a second! Hed been marveling at the extraordinary work of Chartonus and his fellow artisan, as well as the glorious crafts theyve produced…
When he had turned to mydei to praise the hard-working men, he had completely vanished!
Scampering through the crowd, gently pushing through what felt like an endless hive of people, phainon felt cold sweat begin to build at his nape. What if mydei had gotten lost? Of course that thought was stomped near instantly, mydei frequented this place, or rather the roofs of it, but surely it applied.
Then perhaps he slinked off somewhere to nap? Phainon commonly found mydei ‘sun’ bathing in spots he found particularly warm. Those spots had more range than anything phainons ever seen before, and the weather today seemed suited for that sort of thing…but surely mydei wouldve tell him before just leaving. right?
Within his befuddled state, he nearly missed the shrill cry of a certain merchant, “lord phainon!”
Coming to a halt so abrupt he couldve left streaks, Phainon hesitated but ultimately turned to greet the man. Theodoros smiled at him, although that smile quickly fell upon seeing the disheveled appearance of amphoreus’ great hero. “lord phainon“ theodoros started hesitantly, “ive a new stock of ceramics that might fit your.. Particular interests, is now not the time?“ the merchant spoke slowly, so slowly phainon was overwhelmed with the want to shake him
Opening his mouth to confirm that right now was indeed not a good time, that familiar shade of bold red found its way in his peripheral vision. Snapping his head towards the eye-catching color to confirm, he felt nearly all of the tension drain from his being upon seeing the very face he was searching for.
Phainons shoulders slumped with relief. With a small relieved smile forming on his face without notice. Turning to leave, phainon spoke with a particular softness in his voice youd only hear in specific contexts, particularly with a specific prince, “sorry, maybe next time! Id thought i lost my wife just now, but ive finally found him”
Leaving theodoros to the choked sputtering sounds he was making, phainon hardly noticed the sudden influx of stares he was receiving as he quickly strode towards his dearest friend, who seemed to be examining the fresh pomegranates Mrs Demetria had to offer.
Slinging his arm around mydei, phainon felt as the mans muscles twitched as he rubbed his chin upon the others shoulder like an affectionate puppy, “mydei! I was looking everywhere for you, why hadnt you just told me you wanted to go elsewhere?” Phainon complained. were phainon not a grown muscular man, one would assume he was whining. If you asked mydei, he would flat-out say he was.
“Huh? Didnt i? Perhaps youve gone deaf. Stop, youll make me drop the ladies fruit!” mydei protested as phainon shook him, spouting of how he hadnt heard and nearly causing the pomegranate he had been inspecting nearly toppling out of mydeis grasp. Very quickly the air filled with the typical back and forth that could be expected of these two.
The merchant, Demetria, watched in amusement as the two men squabled, both hardly seeming to notice the utter lack of friendly distance between them, or the ever-growing number of eyes upon them.
–
If the rumors around mydei and phainon hadnt been horrifically scandalous in number and nature before, it was as if the entire population of okhema had blown up with the newest hit.
“Did you hear? Lord phainon has finally taken lord mydeimos as his wife!” came a fervent whisper, followed by the hushed voices of many. However as quickly as it came, the alluring breeze of gossip and light chatter vanished as mydeimos entered the bath house.
Suspiciously glancing around the terribly silent room, mydei made way to the floating platform to the heirs’ reserved baths. Rumors did not often paint him in a good manner, so silence upon his arrival was nothing new. However to this degree.. Mydei couldnt stop the furrowing of his brows.
It was horrendously awkward, even the slight shift of those in the baths filled the air with deafening splashes and the shuffling of bath robes. Mydeis footsteps, although quiet, sounded like a dromas within the tense atmosphere of the extravagant baths. It took everything in the man not to quicken his pace, lest he break into a run.
Finally, just as he was about to step onto the platform, an unfamiliar voice called out to him. Glancing over his shoulder, he was met with a man donning a pale blue bath robe, hesitancy clear upon nearly his entire being. One that seemed to increase tenfold when all he received as a grunt of acknowledgment.
“Lord mydeimos” the stranger began, swallowing so loud it let out a gulp sound, “is it true?” he asked, as if mydei had even an inkling of what he was talking about. It seemed as if everyone else did though, as nearly every pair of eyes within the bath house was focused solely on the two of them.
Feeling vaguely like the tension was physically crushing him, mydei glanced towards the platform he desperately wanted to escape to, “be clear with me.” he ground out, voice rough. The stranger let out an unflattering sound, seeming just as eager as himself if not more so to be cleared of this interaction, “ah, my apologies lord mydeimos.. I mean.. Em.. is it true you are wedded to lord phainon?”
The resounding silence was enough to drain the blood of the mans face, as well as do the opposite for the kremnoan prince.
Appalled and greatly flustered, mydei opened his mouth to refute, however quickly found himself closing his mouth as the words truly set in. wedded to phainon, what couldve possibly given anyone that idea? Yet as he thought on it, by his own bloods cultural means, werent they?
They had met in a way not unlike his own parents, not unlike many couples from Castrum Kremnos actually. They were so frequently competing, little bets here and there, spars so often theyd become routine – mydei hadnt noticed it at all.
Really thinking about it, there were many small things he hadnt noticed either. almost everything they owned was shared as well. Oils for their weapon and armor maintenance, soaps and foods.. Even, as a newer development, private chambers. Theres also that odd desperateness to phainon, always aiming for his attention with more determination than an archer in the olympics.
The clinging, the heart wrenching softness of his gaze, that warm kindness, the heart-filling sensation of his presence…
He wasnt aware his face could get any redder. Giving the man the nastiest glare he could muster, feeling little solace in watching the utter horror marring the strangers' features, he turned tail and allowed the platform to take him to his original destination.
Too lost in his own stuttering mind, mydei failed to acknowledge the sudden explosion of chatter within the baths below.
Damn him!
Somewhere, a particular hero sneezed