Animalec Fest
September 23: Lost
@animalecfest
This chapter is the first of a three-part series covering the prompts Lost, Sacrifice and Mating. These chapters were inspired by the twelfth-century Breton poem "Bisclavaret" by Marie de France, also known as "the Lay of The Were-Wolf". You can read a translation of the original story here:
🐺⚔️👑🐺⚔️👑🐺⚔️👑🐺⚔️👑🐺⚔️👑🐺⚔️👑
It was a clear, crisp autumn morning on the day that Magnus rode out from his castle, the air cool on his face. Avorig, the land of his kingdom, was beautiful to him at any time, but particularly so at this time of year, with the leaves just turning golden on the trees and the first hint of winter cold in the air. He drew rein as he came to the top of a hill and smiled as he saw his destination spread before him. Tan Koad Castle, one of the ancestral seats of the Avorig barons, and home to one of Magnus’s very favourite people.
He rode down the valley slopes to the castle, his horse’s hooves clattering on the cobblestone as he rode through the gates. There was already someone waiting for him in the castle courtyard, and Magnus smiled softly as he recognised the tall figure.
Alec came up to him, holding the horse’s reins so Magnus could dismount. “Welcome, my lord. We didn’t expect you for another hour at least.”
“I have a fast horse.” Magnus said. “And I brought no entourage, as you can see.” He waved his hand towards the empty gate of the castle.
A slight frown touched Alec’s face. “My lord, you shouldn’t be travelling alone.”
“I’m not alone now, am I?” Magnus murmured. “I’m with you.” He let his hand brush Alec’s arm lightly, and the knight looked away quickly, signalling for a stablehand to take Magnus’s horse.
As Alec opened the door of the castle, Magnus put his head on one side, considering him. Alexander Lightwood, baron of the Tan Koad region since his father had died five years before. One of Magnus’s most loyal knights, who had guarded this harsh border country so well that Magnus had never heard a single complaint from any of Alec’s people. A man who seemed to have everything, at least on the surface.
And yet, he had secrets. There was something Alec was hiding, something Magnus couldn’t guess at. There was the way Alec looked at Magnus, of course. He’d known that for years, had spent many sleepless nights lying awake consumed by the thought of Alec’s eyes, his lips, his hands. He’d seen Alec’s blushes, his gazes that lingered on Magnus a second too long before pulling away. All this Magnus knew.
But there was something else as well, an even larger secret Alec was hiding. Magnus sensed it instinctively. He didn’t know what it was, but he had never pushed Alec to reveal all the sides of himself that he kept hidden.
“I would like to ride with you, Alexander, once my horse is rested.” Magnus said. “Somewhere private, where we can discuss affairs. Of the barony, that is.”
Alec stiffened slightly, his back straightening. “Of course. Affairs of the barony.” There was the faintest flush in his cheeks, which Magnus ignored. “If you’ll give me a minute to change into my riding clothes?”
May I watch? Magnus wanted to say, but stopped himself just in time. He merely nodded, and Alec backed away, then turned quickly and headed up one of the winding stone staircases into the tower.
Magnus gave a little sigh and sat down on one of the plush couches that stood in the entrance room. A moment later, there was a noise of footsteps behind him and he turned to see Alec’s sister, Lady Isabelle and someone else that Magnus was very fond of.
“My lord.” Isabelle said, raising her eyebrows. She didn’t seem at all surprised to find the king waiting in her castle. She dropped a perfunctory curtsey— Isabelle had never shown much respect for royalty, which Magnus secretly admired her for— and sat down opposite him, smoothing out the skirt of her red velvet gown.
“It’s a pleasure to have you, as always.” She raised her eyebrows knowingly at him. “I do hope my brother isn’t boring you too much.”
Magnus leaned back, smiling at her. “Not to worry, my lady. I’ve never found Alexander boring.”
Isabelle smiled in return. She stood and crossed over to the far wall, where there were a number of wine kegs stacked up for the winter. She poured them both a drink and returned to the couches, handing Magnus one of the goblets. He took an appreciative sip of the wine, feeling the warmth spread through his chest and looked back at Isabelle. She was resting her chin on her hand, gazing at him thoughtfully.
“You should visit more often, my lord.” she said, although Magnus already visited Tan Koad more frequently than any of the kingdom’s other baronies. “It breaks the monotony. And Alec’s always so happy to see you.”
“Really?” Magnus said, with exaggerated surprise. “I had the impression that Alexander couldn’t wait for me to leave.”
Isabelle laughed, then became more serious. “Really, Magnus. It’s good for him, getting to see you. It’s just about the one happiness he ever gets.”
Magnus opened his mouth to say something else, but at that moment Alec came into the entrance hall, dressed in his riding gear. His eyes swept over Magnus and Isabelle. Magnus wondered if he’d heard anything of their conversation. He didn’t think so, but he couldn’t be sure.
“Alas, my lady, I must take your leave.” Magnus said, with a dramatic bow. Isabelle smiled and swept past him with a wink. “Have fun, my lord.”
The forest was golden and red, leaves clustering around them like a bright tapestry, shot through with dark tree trunks. Magnus rode close to Alec, their knees nearly touching on the narrow forest trail. Alec was telling Magnus everything that had happened since his last visit— a couple of border raids, a storm that destroyed three fields— but Magnus wasn’t really listening. He was distracted by the low soothing hum of Alec’s voice, how the moisture-laden air made the hair at the back of his neck curl damply. He kept thinking about what Isabelle had said
Alec seemed to realise he wasn’t listening and tailed off mid-sentence. “Is everything alright, your majesty?”
“How’s your wife?” Magnus asked abruptly.
Alec flinched, very slightly. “She’s fine.”
“It must be hard for her,” Magnus said conversationally, “when meeting with the king takes up so much of her husband’s time.”
He didn’t know why he goaded Alec like this, except maybe he preferred seeing Alec angry rather than miserable. If he was angry at Magnus, at least Magnus knew he felt something towards him, rather than just apathy.
Alec’s hands tightened briefly on the reins, but his face remained blank. “Lydia and I both know our duty to the kingdom. If the king needs to speak to me, I am there.”
Ah, yes. Baroness Lydia Lightwood, formerly Branwell. For a long time, Magnus had wanted to hate her, but found that he couldn’t. She was gracious, clever and politically capable, and it wasn’t her fault she happened to be married to the man Magnus adored. For years he’d watched them dance around each other, caught in the awkwardness of a political marriage that they were desperately trying to make work, despite being completely unsuited as a couple.
He remembered their wedding, not long before Alec’s parents died. Magnus himself, as the King, had been the one to perform the ceremony. He hadn’t known Alec well at the time, and had wondered why the young man looked so pale and agitated at the altar. Then, as he had got to know Alec better, and seen the way his eyes lingered on Magnus, he’d begun to suspect why. But by then it had been too late to do anything about it.
Magnus wondered, sometimes, if he’d been cursed at birth, doomed to live a life of luxury as the King, with everything he could want except the one person he wanted more than anything.
“I recently increased the garrison patrols on the kingdom’s borders.” Alec was saying, and Magnus realised he’d been letting his mind wander.
“Is that right?” he replied. “How far are we from the border now?”
“About an hour’s ride.” Alec said. He seemed more relaxed now that the conversation had shifted back to matters of military strategy.
“So we’re unlikely to see anyone where we are now.” Magnus said. “After all, this is a very remote part of the kingdom, isn’t it? How far away is the nearest settlement from here?”
“At least a mile.” Alec replied. He was staring pointedly at the path in front of them, not meeting Magnus’s eyes.
“So we’re completely alone.” Magnus said. He nudged his horse a fraction closer, so his knee just brushed Alec’s. Alec stiffened very slightly but kept his eyes straight ahead. “If you say so, my lord.” he replied noncommittally.
Magnus waited, hoping, but there was no other response from Alec. Disappointed, he allowed his shoulders to slump slightly.
“Is there anything else you wished to discuss, my lord?” Alec asked.
Magnus stared out at the expanse of the forest, full of whispering leaves and softly moving shadows. “Do you love me, Alexander?”
He thought he heard a sound like a pained gasp, like Alec had been struck, but when Magnus swung back to look at him he was perfectly composed, except for the faintest flush along his cheekbones. “Of course I love you.” Alec said evenly. “You are my king. I swore an oath to serve you and protect you, and lay down my life for you if necessary. I love you as all your knights love you, no less and— and no more.” He swallowed thickly, his eyes still fixed on the trees around them.
“Is that true, my Alexander?” Magnus asked, his voice low and seeking.
Alec’s eyes darted to him for just a fraction of a second, the blush in his cheeks deepening. Then his gaze dropped and he seemed to withdraw in on himself like a crab drawing into its shell. “Yes, my lord.” he said, in a very tight, controlled voice.
Magnus looked away. For a long time, there was silence, broken only by the soft thudding of their horses’ hooves and the jangling of the bits. There was a deep ache in Magnus’s chest, like the pain of a wound, or the pain of something missing from him.
“Is there anything else, my lord?” Alec asked finally.
Magnus’s voice was heavy as he replied. “No, Alexander.” He turned his horse back towards the castle and Alec followed him a second later. They rode the rest of the way in silence, Magnus staring fixedly at the woods around them, but never at Alec’s face. The ache in his chest grew worse with every beat of his heart, weighing on him like a stone.
Back at the castle, Alec swung down from his horse, but Magnus stayed in the saddle. Alec looked up at him in surprise. “Your majesty, aren’t you— aren’t you going to stay longer?”
“No.” Magnus said quietly, staring out at the forest. “No, I don’t have anything more to discuss with you at present. I’ll be back before too long, Alexander. Look after my people for me.”
Alec exhaled raggedly. “My lord—”
“I would much prefer,” Magnus said softly, “if you just called me Magnus.”
Alec’s eyes darted around, the colour coming back into his cheeks. “No.” he said thickly. “No, you’re the king. That wouldn’t be— right.”
Magnus looked down at him. “Why are you trying to tell me what’s right, Alexander?” he asked gently.
Alec’s flush deepened and his eyes dropped. His mouth opened, then closed again abruptly.
“Look after yourself, Alec.” Magnus murmured. He wheeled his horse around, galloping away from the castle. He didn’t look back at Alec, standing alone under the dark battlements.
Later, he would wish he had.
_______________________________________________
It was more than two weeks before Magnus got another chance to ride to Tan Koad and see Alec. This time, as he rode into the courtyard, he could see instantly that something was wrong. There was none of the cheerful busyness that was usually found in a castle. Guards and servants were hurrying around in every direction, talking together in little huddles or doing their usual tasks with an air of barely controlled panic. The whole scene was one of fearful agitation. Such was the chaos that it was nearly a full minute before anyone noticed that the King was in their midst.
Isabelle came hurrying out of the central tower and ran to Magnus. There was none of the casual, cheerful attitude she’d had the last time Magnus was here. She looked like she was fighting back tears.
“What is it?” Magnus asked in alarm, though a suspicion was already creeping at the back of his mind.
“It’s Alec.” Isabelle whispered. She gulped back tears, wiping her face hurriedly. “He’s vanished, Magnus. Last night, when everyone was asleep. We can’t find him anywhere. He’s gone.”
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