Disguised In Stardust ✔

Chapter Twenty-Nine

He lowered himself to the ground, wings folding behind him elegantly.

"...You look gorgeous." was all he could muster. I could tell his throat choked up on his words by the way he kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish above water.

"Says you." I chuckled, reaching for him. My hand brushed his cheek and he leaned into the touch. His eyes fluttered shut as he pressed against my palm.

"You've really grown, Faelinsis."

I jumped away from Faelin as fast as my muscles could let me. I turned in a little circle to find his father standing there with a quirk to his lip. "Your coronation begins in a tagot." His gaze intentionally pierced Faelin while he spoke.

"A what?" I asked him, turning to my mate. He looked up to me and smiled a little, though it was forced.

"A tagot is just another unit of time." Faelin explained briefly.

"Oh.. so what is that for me? In human units, I mean."

"About a few hours, human." His father sneered at me. "As you should know, that is not long. The townsfolk are gathering, and quickly." His condescending voice made my brow twitch a little.

In a fit of panic, Faelin took my hands in his and quickly changed the subject. He put on a false grin. "A-At least we'll officially be together. No more secret kisses.. We can bathe to-"

"You sure that's wise to say in front of your dad?" I interrupted, flushing. I couldn't help but return his forced smile. He pressed his head under my chin and brushed his hands along my sternum, slipping his fingertips slightly under the silken robes.

"It's okay." I whispered against his ear. I parted from him and dragged my hand around his shoulder to smooth out some wrinkles in his shawl. He let out a soft chuckle, throwing Halvor a side glance.

"Please." His father pinched at his forehead, closing his eyes in disdain. "Keep your affection for the private quarters."

I gave Halvor a little smile, slightly canting my head to pronounciate it. In return, he frowned with wrinkles creasing around those sharp, unforgiving eyes. For some reason, I found myself apologizing. "Sheesh, uh.. I'm sorry." I took Faelin's hands and made my way up the stairs.

"One tagot, boys!" Halvor shouted as we neared the tip of the tower, leaving him to storm away below us.

_

The bathing stations were actually the most modern thing I've seen here. The tiled walls were polished, the baths were large and the water could just melt my bones. The water was nice and hot, sloshing against my calves. I slowly sunk down onto the bench, then slumped my body some more, leaning my head back to rest against the edge of the bath.

It'd been a while since I could feel all the grime and dirt rubbing off of me. It felt nice. My hair floated around me in swirling black tendrils, just under the water's surface.

The door creaked open and I shot up, the water running over the edges a bit.

Faelin shut the door behind him, unclasping his shawl. "Relax, it's just me." His brow furrowed in concern before he continued to disrobe. I pulled my knees up to my chest, as a pathetic attempt to hide.

"What... What are you doing?" I asked, wincing as my voice bounced around the relatively small room.

"We shouldn't waste the water. It's a tradition to share the bath with your loved ones. Do you not want to bathe with me?" He tipped his head slightly, hands faltering on his thick-tasseled skirt.

"Wait- it's not that I don't want to, it's just..." It took all it had in me to not let my eyes roam. "I didn't think you'd be joining me. You can... if you want."

As he undressed, I felt captivated to watch as the soft fabrics slipped off of him. He folded the royal clothes and placed them on a little bench to the side, then approached in his undergarments.

I struggled to keep my gaze up.

"Move over, then."

"Sure." I slid to the side, continuing to force my gaze to where his curls of hair flung up messily. Much to my chagrin, and probably Faelin's too, I couldn't help but glance down out of curiosity.

My face was hot. It was just the bath heat..

Nestled in a thatch of trimmed burgundy curls, his shaft hung soft between his legs as he climbed into the tub. The sides were lined with the same ripples as those along his tongue. It must be a Faerie thing.

The water sloshed as he lowered himself in. When I say this bath looked like a deep pool, I'm not lying. This thing could fit at least four people.

"Oh.. How marvelous." he muttered to himself as the water embraced his frame. He rested his elbows up on the edge, letting his head rest against the bath edge. "It's been quite a while since I've bathed like this." A little smile poked at his lips while he spoke.

"Feel nice?" I asked with a copying grin.

"Very." he lifted from the water, rivulets of slick running down his hips. He reached for a bottle of a translucent lilac liquid. The bottle read, "Em'ul." He poured some into his palm and began scrubbing through his hair, eyes closed in silent bliss.

I mimicked his actions, hoping for the best. Unlike him, I had human hair, and human... everything. "Will this have a different effect on me?" I asked him, dragging my palms through my hair.

"No." he replied, reaching for another bottle with the label "Tofta" on it.

"What's that for?" I grabbed the Tofta bottle and inspected the glossy gel inside. Faelin dipped his fingers into the glistening substance, standing to open his wings a little. With precision and slow, meticulous movements, he waxed the gel over both of his wings.

"A moisturizer. Our wings are frail, especially mine. They easily crack in the cold. This gel helps keep them clean, strong, and damp. Our wings become much smoother. Feel." He extended a wing toward me.

"Are you sure I won't hurt you?" He gave me a shrug and nudged me with the rounded tip of it.

I reluctantly ran my hands along the tops of them, feeling every ridge and dip of the veins running through them. They were almost like dragonfly wings. I pulled away when he shivered. They folded back up, reaching the backs of his thighs.

A knock on the door startled the both of us. Faelin stumbled in the water and I reflexively pulled him against me. Our attention was to the door in an instant; I didn't notice that he was flush against my body.

"Lord Dain? Your coronation is in ten minutes. Do dry yourself and get dressed."

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