The swirling chaos of the stable was something Hokuto should have found discomfort in, so unlike the quiet peace of the library he preferred. Hokuto liked structure. He clung to routine as if it was the one thing keeping him grounded to reality. People weaving around him, low voices muttering and complaining about topics Hokuto’s ears couldn’t quite catch, normally would have stressed him out in any other situation.
But not a stable. Never a stable. It was the one place outside the confines of his home that Hokuto found peace in.
The figure next to Hokuto fidgeted, drawing Hokuto’s attention. Kyomoto Taiga was the crown prince of the country neighboring Hokuto’s own, and, from the way he flinched when a horse so much as breathed too heavy, he hadn’t spent much time around the large and graceful animals. Not that it bothered Hokuto. It only meant he wouldn’t be able to ride as quickly as he desired.
Two groomsmen were tacking up a quarter horses for Prince Taiga as well as Hokuto’s Arabian he had ridden to Prince Taiga’s homeland. Hokuto longed to step into the stall, to brush out his beautiful girl before placing the saddle and readying her for a ride. Those back home knew Hokuto found peace in spending time with his pets, but it wouldn’t do him any good to appear more strange than he already was.
A groom appeared from nowhere, momentarily shocking Hokuto, but he didn’t allow the surprise to crest his features. “Will you be needing a mounting block, your highness?” the groom asked, a small smirk playing across his lips that melted when he realized he hadn’t shocked Hokuto.
Hokuto waved him off. “I will be fine.”
The groom turned to Prince Taiga, the same question coming from his mouth. Prince Taiga nodded furiously. “Yes. Of course.”
Their horses were led from the stable, Prince Taiga’s brought before a solid block of stairs that he climbed gracefully up before hooking his foot into the stirrup and heaving himself over the back of his horse. Hokuto followed suit, knee bending to the utmost degree, before he pulled himself from the ground and settled himself onto his own saddle.
“As per Prince Taiga’s request, there will be no chaperone following behind you on your ride,” the same groomsman said. He paused for a moment, considering his words, before speaking again. “The guards will keep watch from the castle, so please keep to the grounds and don’t go past the treeline.”
Hokuto had no problem with that request. He wasn’t familiar with the woods surrounding the castle nor the way they bent and turned, the trunks far more thick than the thin and willowy trees of his homeland. Hokuto could have ridden through the forest surrounding his home with his eyes closed and never so much as brushed a single leaf. Riding out in the open sent a shiver down his spine, but there was a small comfort in knowing he was being watched. They would be safe no matter where they went on the Kyomoto property. He pressed his heel into his horse’s side, a gentle push forward, and she plodded down the dirt path, Prince Taiga following close behind.
In the two weeks since Hokuto had arrived in his neighbor’s land, he had been constantly in awe of the unbridled nature it contained. The trees were thick, so broad Hokuto couldn’t reach his arms around them to have his hands meet on the other side. Their leaves were so wide they blocked out every inch of sunshine craving to hit the forest floor. Not to mention the hills and mountains! They reached for the sky like the tips of fingers craving to touch the sun. Every morning Hokuto woke, seeing the sun peaking over faraway mountains, and the soft light filling the sky took his breath away.
If things progressed as his father planned, there were certainly far worse places to live, but there would always be the craving in his heart for his home. The flat rice fields swollen with water. The long branches of weeping willows dancing in the wind, their leaves brushing the surfaces of the lakes. He would crave the feeling of tatami beneath his legs, the wooden sliding doors covered in washi paper. He would give up a lot, and Hokuto always knew he would be the dutiful son. He played his part well.
The clopping sound of horse hooves filled Hokuto’s ear’s, Prince Taiga’s voice sliding in. “Prince Hokuto,” his voice was soft, a lovely tenor that had been trained to be polite since birth. “I…was hoping you could quell a bit of a rumor that I’ve heard.”
Hokuto didn’t speak, letting the prince find the words he wished to say. Hokuto already knew what Prince Taiga would ask, for he had heard countless servants of the castle murmuring the same thing.
Each word of Prince Taiga’s question was clear, the consonants cutting through the silence of nature. “Is it true that you have a…dog?”
Hokuto didn’t balk at the question. He knew there would be countless curiosities about his homeland and the practices their culture entailed. For centuries, his family had kept their borders closed, not engaging with the surrounding kingdoms except for the rare foreigner that wandered in to call their quiet country home. Their practices and customs were widely unknown, and it was how they preferred it.
Until bloodlines withered, possible marriages between the ruling elite disintegrating until there was no other option. The desire for new blood was not a want but a necessity if Hokuto’s family wished to continue ruling for years to come. The borders opened. Hokuto’s brother had already secured a match with another neighboring land, and Hokuto’s own marriage would be used to solidify another alliance. The Matsumura Line would not end, no matter the cost.
“I do,” Hokuto said without missing a beat. He offered no other info nor explanation, merely waited for Prince Taiga’s curiosity to delve further.
The next question came fairly quickly. “How old is your dog?”
“He was given to me when I was ten,” was Hokuto’s answer.
“Fairly old for a dog then,” Hokuto heard Prince Taiga mutter, chewing on his words, before speaking louder. “If the arrangement is finalized-” Hokuto had to bite his cheek at the phrasing of Prince Taiga’s words. Having their impending marriage defined as an ‘arrangement’ was quite hilarious, but he couldn’t risk offending the crown prince, “-will he come with you?”
“Of course. I would like my dog to live the rest of his life by my side.” Every single one of Hokuto’s words were sweet, but he knew deep down inside the bitter edges that clung to them. No matter what the prince wanted or demanded, Hokuto and his dog were a package deal. Where one went, the other followed. It would be the same whether Hokuto and the prince married or not.
They rode in silence far longer than Hokuto would have liked, their horses picking their way down the hill the Kyomoto castle had been built upon. The path flattened into a lush valley of grass and naturally blooming flowers Hokuto wanted to bring to his nose, pink, purple and red blossoms that looked so delicate amongst the rugged mountainscape. At the edges of the valley the forest began, a natural barrier that the groomsman had forbidden them to cross. In the distance, Hokuto heard the natural bustle of the castle as his and Prince Taiga’s horses slowly plodded toward the treeline.
When Prince Taiga spoke again, hesitancy was laced into his every word. “I…have never been around a dog before.”
“He’s quite well trained.” A gentle smile spread itself across Hokuto’s features. “You won’t even notice he’s there.”
“Does he bark?” Prince Taiga asked.
“Only when spoken to.” Hokuto’s smile remained plastered on his face.
“Does he pee on the carpet?”
“I don’t think he’s ever done that,” Hokuto laughed.
“Will…will he sleep in bed with us?”
Hokuto tugged on his reins, his Arabian halting on the path from the slight command. He watched as the crown prince panicked for a moment, tugging too hard on his own reins, but the horse the groomsmen had put the prince upon was gentle and kind. The quarter horse did not buck nor anger from such rough handling. She stopped a few paces in front of Hokuto and his own.
“Prince Taiga, I have two pets in my life that I consider my most important companions, my horse and my dog,” Hokuto’s voice was hard. “I cannot live my life without either of them, but, more than anything, my dog must always remain by my side. If this is something that concerns you, I have no problem spending the rest of our marriage sleeping in separate bedrooms.” He clung tightly to the reins. “If I am completely frank with you, it would be my preference.”
The silence between them was thick and deafening. Though Hokuto struggled to keep his breath even, his face neutral, there was a part of him that ached for the pain he was causing. It had been clear to Hokuto the second his family had stepped through the castle walls that Prince Taiga had been positively enamored with him. The glances across the dinner table and the little presents over the past two weeks would have clued anyone into the prince’s developing feelings.
But it wasn’t what Hokuto wanted. If anyone had cared for his opinion, he would have preferred to live the rest of his life in his family’s palace, living under his brother’s roof when he ascended to their father’s seat. Hokuto would live out his days in the royal library, devouring every book held in their possession. His brother would have his crown, and Hokuto would have his freedom. It was the only thing he craved.
“Would it…would it really be so bad to share a bed with me?” Prince Taiga asked, gripping his own reins tightly.
It wouldn’t, not in theory at least. Hokuto found comfort in spending the night with another person and had engaged in his fair share of nightly activities. Sleeping side by side was in no part a difficult thing to do, but it would also give Prince Taiga a dangerous thing: hope.
Hope that Hokuto’s mind would be swayed. Hope that they could become something more. Hope that an arranged marriage would blossom into something people in their station craved: a love match. And Hokuto could not allow himself to give that gift of hope. He couldn’t watch the light be crushed when Prince Taiga slowly came to terms with the lack of feeling Hokuto held for him. It would be better to snip those feelings before they continued to grow. It was better to set the terms of their future relationship before the contract was signed, and they entered into matrimony with unclear expectations.
“Yes,” Hokuto said, keeping his words short but gentle. “It would.”
Hokuto didn’t like it, being the bad guy. If he was in Prince Taiga’s shoes, bearing bits of his soul and craving something more than a hollow marriage, Hokuto would have stormed off and ripped up the marriage contract before the ink had time to dry. He wouldn’t have blamed Prince Taiga if he wanted to slap Hokuto across the face for being so blunt.
But the prince didn’t. Hokuto heard him sigh, the sound struggling to tear a deeper path into Hokuto’s heart, before he nodded. “I understand,” he said. “If our fathers come to a mutual agreement, I’ll have the staff prepare a bedroom for you.”
There was a moment, just a moment, where Hokuto’s mask slipped. He felt the shock flicker across his eyes before he grabbed the metaphorical edge and pulled it firmly back across his features. “Thank you,” was Hokuto’s simple answer before he spurred his horse forward once more, Prince Taiga following after him.
The trees towered above them, thick branches that reached across the sky offering cooling shade in the midday sun. They made small talk as they rode along the edge of the valley, sliding from topic to topic as they had been trained to since birth. Though his riding lacked the polished edge Hokuto had perfected, there was a kindness and hilarity to Prince Taiga that was endearing. It was hard to imagine how such a person hadn’t been snatched up by another noble or one from neighboring land, but everyone held secrets. Perhaps Prince Taiga held ones so heinous that only a nation desperate to expand would accept them. It was certainly a possibility.
On the back side of the castle, the sound of rustling trees filled the air before two figures dropped in front of them. The horses reared, Hokuto’s expertise keeping him from getting kicked off his. It appeared to be pure stubborn luck Prince Taiga hadn’t been thrown from his.
“Good afternoon, your highnesses,” the one on the right, a woman, said. A long scar was sliced across her face, marring features that would have been classically beautiful. The man next to her was built like a tree, thick limbs with rippling muscle that Hokuto did not want to engage with. “Any spare change to share?”
Hokuto saw Prince Taiga go for his purse, the little bag securely tucked into his clothing, and he reached out to stop the prince before he exposed its hiding spot. He curled his hands around Prince Taiga’s wrist, those wide eyes shocked at the small touch, and Hokuto gave a slight shake of his head.
“We left them in the palace,” Hokuto said, keeping his voice even. “Please join us on our return. The staff will give you food to fill your bellies, a warm bed, and anything your heart desires.”
The man snorted. “But if we did that,” he said, pulling a knife from his belt, “how would we get to enjoy your squeals of pain?”
Hokuto felt Prince Taiga tense under his grip, and Hokuto didn’t need to look at the prince’s expression to understand the thoughts flickering through his mind. The palace wasn’t far, within shouting distance, and they were on horses. If they took off at a gallop, they could summon the palace guards to take care of these bandits and their plan to butcher two princes of powerful countries. They would be safer running than trying to barter with them for their lives.
But he also understood how these types worked, their cards always kept close to their chest. Though they had shown one hand, a small knife, it didn’t mean it was the only tactic in their arsenal. It was often a misdirection that many nobles fell for, and Hokuto was far too clever to fall for such a simplistic ruse.
“Killing two princes is quite the serious offense,” Hokuto said, his voice even as he spoke. He saw the two exchange a look, a mix of confusion and annoyance that Hokuto had not acted as intended. “Certainly you have thought of the repercussions from our murder.”
“We’re not going to kill both of you,” the man huffed, and he swung his knife until it was pointed at Prince Taiga. “Only him.”
Ah.
So that was it.
“War is more profitable for people like us,” the woman cackled, and Hokuto felt Prince Taiga stiffen under his grip on his wrist. “And what a perfect story! A quiet ride between two lovers only for our beloved crown price to die by a witch’s hand. Cries for war will sound around the kingdom before the body can be laid to rest.”
Hokuto knew he should have been offended from being called a witch. Magic was not something that existed nor was even capable of being practiced. It was merely the unknown that spurred hatred for his home country. The mind flooded itself with the worst among things it didn’t know nor comprehend. Over time, Hokuto hoped to ease these fears with calm reason and logic, but preconceived notions could not be turned in a day.
The woods next to them rustled, making Prince Taiga jump in his saddle. If it wasn’t for Hokuto’s firm grip on him, he knew the prince would have bolted across the grounds towards the castle upon his steed. Hokuto rubbed a small circle into Prince Taiga’s wrist with his thumb, and the prince looked at him, fear clinging to his eyes.
He turned his attention back to the bandits. Hokuto was already doing too much, and he felt Prince Taiga’s affection for him growing with the small calming gesture. “The king won’t believe I murdered his son,” Hokuto said. “He is a kind and just man who treasures the budding relationship between our two countries.”
“If the people believe our truth, who cares if the king believes you,” the woman said, a cruel smile on her face. “The people will demand retribution for their believed prince. If the king doesn’t give them what they want…well…A revolution is equally profitable.” From her waist band, she pulled out a knife. “Now come down, little prince, and let me cut your belly free.”
Prince Taiga’s voice was small, barely a whisper to Hokuto’s ears when he spoke. “Prince Hokuto,” he said, and Hokuto could hear every layer of panic in his words, “what do we do?”
There weren’t many paths that they could take. They held no weapons. The woods certainly held the bandits’ companions waiting with baited breath until they could leap out and pierce the soft flesh of Prince Taiga’s skin. He could distract them further, trying to buy more time for a possible rescue from castle guards, but if they hadn’t arrived already, there was no telling if any under Prince Taiga’s employ would aid them.
The prince was stone under Hokuto’s grasp, the rare breath passing from his lips. Hokuto knew what Prince Taiga was thinking. How could Hokuto remain so calm under threat of danger? How could he rest so easily when one of their lives was at stake while the other had a looming war resting over their shoulders?
If Hokuto had grown up in any other circumstances, he knew he would have reacted much as Prince Taiga had: terrified, flighty, and panicking when confronted with the threat of death. It was the constant worry of those in power for they clung to it with their dying breath, but not Hokuto. Never Hokuto. Death was not a master that would visit Hokuto until he was old, his bones fragile and weak.
The trees rustled once more, and Hokuto breathed out, letting out the small amount of tension he had been holding in. Things would be fine.
“How many are with you?” he asked, and he felt shock run through Prince Taiga’s body once more.
“The two of us,” the man said, waving his dagger between himself and his companion, “and five in the woods. Play nice and you’ll never have to meet them.”
“If only I could,” Hokuto said, the sweetest smile on his face, “but I’m afraid they’re already dead.” He watched as the confusion spread across the bandits’ faces, questioning if Hokuto’s words were true or not. He didn’t allow them to interrogate him further. He pointed his free hand at the man. “Get him.”
The arrow struck true through the man’s sternum and into his heart. He hit the ground before he was even aware he was dead.
The woman looked at her companion a moment before dropping her knife, sprinting across the valley for the trees farther away. Prince Taiga tugged his wrist from Hokuto’s grasp, Hokuto letting him go. He saw the wonder and confusion in the prince’s eyes, the questions brewing behind his lips, but it was easier to show than explain why Hokuto had never held true worry over the bandit’s words.
“Jesse,” Hokuto called out, his words echoing in the valley. “Fetch.”
A tall figure burst from the treeline, powerful muscle propelling him forward. He threw his bow as he chased down his assailant, quiver strapped to his back. Hokuto watched as the distance between the man and the female bandit was closed by half then a quarter until she was pounced upon. Hokuto reached out to Prince Taiga, drawing his attention away.
“Don’t look,” Hokuto murmured, cupping the prince’s cheek and forcing his attention on Hokuto’s face. “Especially if it’s your first time watching someone die slowly. It will be bloody.”
Prince Taiga’s eyes were so wide, so innocent. His lips formed the perfect ‘o’ as his mouth hung onto a single word, “How…”
There were many questions that Prince Taiga could have had. How many deaths had Hokuto witnessed? How long had Hokuto known they were being followed? How had he been so confident that the bandits were dead? All of those answers would come in time. For the time being, he would hold those answers close until Prince Taiga found the courage to ask them.
The sound of a body being dragged was the only indication that Hokuto was no longer alone with Prince Taiga. His footsteps were silent, well placed, and Hokuto broke his hold on the prince to acknowledge the man who had rejoined them.
“My prince,” the man said, giving a deep bow. Though his clothes were bloody, dark red already staining his hands and forearms, his smile was like pure sunshine peeking through on a cloudy day. There was nothing more that Hokuto wanted than to reach over, and give him a pat on the head. “I captured the prey.”
“Good boy,” Hokuto said, the words slipping out just as they had countless times before, and he saw how the bloody mess of a man before him brightened more from the praise. “You’ve done well.”
The man dropped the bandit’s leg, a low thump as it hit the ground, before he quietly crossed the small distance to where Hokuto sat upon his horse. A quiet panic flashed through Hokuto the closer he came, the edges of his mask threatening to curl up and expose every emotion he had fought time and time again to push deep down into his heart.
He could feel Prince Taiga watching them, his curiosity peaking with every passing second but unable to form the words. Hokuto also knew that Prince Taiga would be searching through his memories, trying to recall a time he had seen such a man within his home. There would be none, of course. It was a part of the strict training that had been instilled from a young age.
A hand was placed on Hokuto’s thigh, the touch so gentle and unlike the brutal killings that had occurred that afternoon. “Are you okay, my prince?” the man asked, his voice so gentle and low it sent ripples through Hokuto’s body.
“I am fine,” Hokuto promised. His gaze stayed on that bloody hand until he was removed from his person. It was only then his attention returned to the prince. There were introductions that needed to be made. “Prince Taiga, I would like to introduce you to my dog. My guard dog, to be exact,” Hokuto said, a quiet smile on his face. “This is Jesse.”
The low fire was the only light in the room, casting long and dark shadows across the walls that brought less comfort than Hokuto would have liked. He turned over, trying to find a position that his weary body agreed with, but his mind remained sharp and awake. The castle had long ago fallen quiet, even the servants slipping off to bed to awaken with the morning rooster’s crow. Everyone except Hokuto. It appeared as if he was the only one who wouldn’t sleep that night.
Two weeks had passed since the encounter with the bandits, Prince Taiga’s father taking personal offense that his people sought to kill his only son for a petty cause. His guards had combed the surrounding woods, even traversing into the nearby towns for any survivors, but found only the bodies of the five Jesse had already killed. Prince Taiga as well as Hokuto and his family had been confined to the castle until the threat could be fully confirmed to be squashed.
Not that it had mattered for Hokuto’s family. The marriage contract between himself and Prince Taiga had been approved by all sides, the two kings’ signatures swiftly signed with wedding preparations well underway. The joining of their two kingdoms would be official in less than a month when Hokuto’s family returned for the week long celebration, and Hokuto would remain in this foreign land until his death.
True to his word, Prince Taiga had the household staff prepare apartments close to his own for Hokuto’s use. Though the staff questioned the decision, for why should they prepare a room when the two princes would inevitably share Prince Taiga’s, Hokuto had been proud of how firm the prince had been. The prince had stood watch as the staff dusted, cleaned, and made up the bed that would become Hokuto’s for the rest of his life.
Hokuto ran his hand across the sheets, his fingers slipping over buttery soft fabric. The mattress beneath him cushioned his hips like a fluffy cloud that begged to be sunken further into, tempting him to fall deeper and deeper. The bed he had been given was large, far larger than any single person should ever need, and defined the pure wealth the Kyomoto family held. Hokuto had never encountered such luxury in his life.
But the other part of him would long for what he had left behind. The same bed Hokuto had called his own since he was a youth, breakfasts of food he craved, and his only chance of happiness. He was giving up more than he realized as the days ticked by, an aching eternity of marriage being built around him and encasing him in.
The door to Hokuto’s room clicked open, the door swinging inward before silently being closed. Hokuto didn’t need to move to know who had entered his apartments. It was always the same person. That would never change.
“What do you want?” Hokuto said, his words hardly a whisper.
“To check on you,” Jesse said, his voice so low it sent shivers down Hokuto’s spine. “I wanted to make sure you were asleep.”
If anyone from Hokuto’s household had been there, they wouldn’t have blinked twice at the words. For centuries the royal family had gifted each of their children a companion, someone of similar age, to be their protector as they grew older. Each child was trained to the utmost degree, every inch of their bodies honed to perfection. They were the ultimate weapon that required little to no sleep in order to fulfill their duties. When Hokuto had been a child, still sleeping in his parent’s bed when he was afraid, he remembered waking to hear his father’s guard dog slipping in to check on the three of them before he drifted back to sleep.
But Hokuto knew Jesse. He knew Jesse better than Hokuto knew himself. Their lives had been so intertwined since Hokuto had turned ten and Jesse had been nine. Sixteen long years had passed since that fateful day, and with every twitch of Jesse’s body, Hokuto knew what his guard dog was thinking.
“Liar,” Hokuto hissed. “Go back to your kennel.”
Hokuto didn’t know where Jesse had claimed within the Kyomoto castle as his ‘kennel’ space. Back home, he had an adjoining room to keep his various weapons and personal effects, but he had yet to tell Hokuto where he stashed his things. It would be difficult to find such a place when the castle staff was only aware of one extra guest in their midst.
It was the nature of Jesse and the position he had been raised for. Outside of their homeland, Jesse only made himself visible when Hokuto was alone, but he was always there. Watching. Waiting. Listening for one of the commands that had been instilled into him from a young age. The only other person who was aware of Jesse’s existence now was Prince Taiga, and, from what Hokuto could tell, the prince hadn’t told a soul about Hokuto’s dog nor the truth that he was a man, not a true animal. He hoped Prince Taiga continued to be discreet about the truth.
A flutter of movement drew Hokuto’s attention from the bed, and he shouted before it could draw closer. “Jesse, heel!”
The movement stopped, and Hokuto rose to find Jesse had already crossed the room to the foot of the bed. Hokuto’s heart was hammering in his chest, breath coming out short. He longed to reach out, to feel that soft hair on his fingertips, but Hokuto knew that he shouldn’t. He couldn’t. The pair of them were close, far too close, and he needed to break whatever affection he still held.
“Go,” Hokuto said. “Find another room to sleep in. You cannot remain here.”
Jesse’s eyes were so dark in the light, but the fire illuminated them enough for Hokuto to see the emotion playing across them. “But you can’t sleep without me,” he said. He reached his hands out, fingers sinking into the soft blankets that encased the bed. “You haven’t slept alone since they gave me to you.” With a bend of his knees, Jesse hopped into the bed. “On nights I was too injured to join your bed, you slept horribly. Don’t tell me that you didn’t,” Jesse said when Hokuto opened his mouth to protest, “I know it’s true. I could see it in your eyes.”
Hokuto knew that it was true as well, painfully true. He only slept comfortably when Jesse was by his side. Each time they had been separate he had barely gained an hour of rest. There had been a week when Jesse had needed to leave, his father sick and unable to support his mother, and Hokuto had counted the days until Jesse’s return. Though he had greeted his guard dog with polite platitudes the day he had arrived back, Hokuto had fallen into a deep sleep the second Jesse had wrapped his arms around him that evening. He hadn’t woken for nearly a day.
The bed shifted, Jesse prowling closer, and Hokuto hissed, “Heel,” once more. For a moment Jesse listened to the command as he was supposed to before he ignored it in favor of gaining ground.
“Is that why you asked the prince for separate rooms?” Jesse asked, his words filled with a teasing lit that threatened to tear Hokuto’s carefully crafted mask from his face. It was only Jesse who had seen the real Hokuto, the true person that existed behind the persona he had crafted for public consumption. Jesse knew every single button to push in order to get the response he wanted. “So you could sleep with me?”
Jesse’s body was so close, the bed that had felt so wide and expensive not long before now feeling far too small. It would be so easy, far too easy, to pull Jesse against him, to nestle his head into the crook of Jesse’s armpit. Hokuto wanted to fall into the blissful sleep that his body was craving, so desperate to have what it wanted be so close and yet so far out of reach.
“You cannot keep doing this,” Hokuto said, trying to keep his voice firm, but he felt the sound wavering. “I will be married to Prince Taiga in three weeks.” He couldn’t bear to look into Jesse’s eyes. “You must let me go.”
“What if I don’t want to?” Jesse asked, leaning down, and Hokuto felt the warmth of Jesse’s breath on his skin. His voice was a low rumble when he spoke again. “What if I keep disobeying your commands? What would you do to me, my prince?”
Hokuto didn’t know when it had begun, the before and after merging into one timeline in his brain. At one moment they were children, sharing a bed together, and in the blink of an eye they were adults, Jesse’s firm hands on Hokuto’s body in ways only a lover could understand. Jesse was Hokuto’s first, his only.
As far as he was aware, Hokuto’s brother and his father didn’t have such a relationship with their guard dogs. They were friends, the best of companions and confidants, but never progressed to the kind of relationship Hokuto had with Jesse. The kind where, behind closed doors and within the dead of night, they offered themselves in their most human form.
Jesse was much like a dog in that way, so desperate to serve. Jesse has sniffed out every place on Hokuto’s body that had him begging for more. A moan of praise from Hokuto’s lips was enough to satiate him for a moment, but that same desperation spurred him on. It was only when Hokuto had come fully undone that Jesse would seek his own pleasure, so elated that he had pleased his master in every way Hokuto desired. Hokuto’s favorite part was always the end, when Jesse nestled Hokuto against his toned body as they rode off the lingering waves of their shared bliss. Jesse’s kisses lulled him off to the most beautiful and sacred dreams.
But they couldn’t do this anymore. It wasn’t possible. Though Hokuto desired a marriage only in contract and nothing more, he couldn’t allow himself to desecrate the sanctity of it with whatever existed between himself and his guard dog. In three weeks, he and Prince Taiga would belong to each other, and Jesse would remain a quiet part of it, protecting Hokuto from dangers lurking around the corner.
It wasn’t love. It couldn’t be love. Much like Prince Taiga’s affection for him, Hokuto needed to cut back the puppy love Jesse held in his heart, and Hokuto would trim his own in return. He would mold himself into an object of stone whether he was wearing his mask or not.
Soft kisses were pressed along Hokuto’s jaw, sinking lower into his neck. He felt himself gasp when he felt Jesse’s wandering hand, stroking between Hokuto’s legs through layers of silk clothing. A warm desire was growing within Hokuto’s belly, shredding every ounce of resolve he had built up. One more night wouldn’t hurt. Tomorrow he would be better. He wouldn’t allow Jesse to take what he wanted after tonight.
Hokuto curled his hands around Jesse’s shirt, using every ounce of strength he had to roll them over until Jesse’s back was flat on the bed and Hokuto was straddling his hips. From atop his guard dog’s lap he felt strong, powerful. He felt as if he was in control. Hokuto rolled his hips, feeling something long and firm awaken between Jesse’s own legs, and it ignited Hokuto’s desire even further.
“What a bad puppy,” Hokuto hummed. He ran his hands down Jesse’s chest, fingers already craving the feeling of tearing the fabric into pieces. He saw a flash of desire in Jesse’s eyes, a small pride that he was getting what he wanted. “It appears as if I need to punish you.”
He leaned down, capturing Jesse’s lips in a fiery kiss that seared Hokuto’s skin the moment they connected. Their clothing melted off, desperate hands removing each layer to get to the skin beneath that they craved. Tomorrow Hokuto would be better, but tonight he would allow himself to be wicked to the very core, taking everything his body craved.
That’s what he kept telling himself, at least. It was the mantra flowing through his mind night after night, ever since they had arrived at the Kyomoto’s castle nearly a month ago. It was the silent promise he would whisper through his thoughts every day until the wedding and even on the night of the ceremony itself. Tomorrow would be the day he would finally tell Jesse no.
If only Hokuto wasn’t a liar.