Fan Fiction ❯ Chocolates ❯ Chocolates ( Chapter 1 )

It was ridiculous, Sandris thought, that he should worry about something as trivial as a box of chocolates. After all, it was not as if his life depended on it.

Then again, considering whom it was meant for, perhaps his life did depend on it.

Still, if there was anyone that had earned the captain's gratitude - he could not bring himself to openly call it affection - in the past year, it was Lord Corvino Marcelli. And while Sadris really wanted to express his gratefulness towards the strategist, he was not sure how the man would react at this little offering.

But, he reasoned, better to be turned down and glared at than to be considered ungrateful. And he really, really wanted to see a smile on Corvino's lovely lips... even if it was a barely-visible one.

He was not going to lie to himself. At first, he had been afraid of the dark-haired man; but then again, everyone seemed to be terrified of him. Everyone who did not know him, that is. Stories about the king's strategist having castrated some officers who had gotten too close had been the talk around many a campfire. And there was a coldness that radiated from the man, a look in his pale grey eyes that warned away everyone. Having learned caution early in his life, Sandris had kept his distance. In time, he had come to respect the man and admire his genius. He had also started watching him from a distance, with the strange fascination he usually felt for new, unexplored territories.

He had never dared speak to Lord Corvino unless the situation had required him to do so, and even then he had tried his best to keep a neutral tone. He had never dared touch the man until the day he had found himself in his old tent, looking into disapproving grey eyes.

The strategist had given the old, patched canvas of the small tent a look, snorted, and informed Sandris he was invited to share his own tent until the supplies clerk found something that was more appropriate for Sandris' position.

That had been five months before. In spite of the various opportunities that had presented themselves, the two of them still shared a tent.

It had been a difficult transition, and yet... and yet not so difficult. Lord Corvino had not complained about the odd hours Sandris was forced to keep, about the inevitable bloodstains on carpets and furniture after a battle, and about the captain's newly-found self-consciousness. In turn, Sandris had learned to sleep during the long night planning sessions when the strategist would walk around the tent muttering to himself, had grown used to the lack of conversation when they were both unoccupied, and said nothing about the whimpering and sobbing coming from the strategist's bedding that would sometimes wake him up in the middle of the night.

And still, when the merchants had set up their stalls for the upcoming Spring Festival, Sandris had been unable to resist getting Corvino a box of chocolates. And not just any chocolates, no. They were, the merchant had assured him, filled with the finest cherry brandy, a delicacy worthy of their price.

Since he'd given up half the month's pay for twelve servings, they damn well better be or the merchant would wake up beaten to a pulp. Because Lord Corvino was a refined man, and a refined man would be able to taste the difference between good and bad chocolate.

Closing his hand more tightly around the small box the presumed delicacy had come in, Sandris hurried into the tent, relieved to see the strategist had not yet arrived. His first impulse was to set the box on the table for the other man to find, but quickly dismissed the idea. There were many men who wanted Lord Corvino dead, so a box on a table containing expensive sweets would probably give the wrong message. No, he would hold on to it until his younger companion would return from his meeting with Prince Valerian.

That took over five hours, so by the time Corvino stumbled into the tent, his features schooled in a blank mask, it was already evening.

Sandris watched him make his way to the table and pour himself a drink, the dark-gloved hand a bit unsteady as it raised the goblet so Corvino could take a sip. The strategist crumbled in a chair and let out a deep sigh.

Sandris flinched. "Bad day?" he found himself asking, and got a weary look in reply.

It was no secret that some of the generals did not like Corvino, and they chose to display their disapproval by always objecting to his suggestions. Unfortunately for them, Prince Valerian found the raven-haired lord an invaluable ally. There were even rumours that the two were related, though the only feature they shared was the shape of their mouth and the hard set of their eyes.

As he rose from his bedding and made his way to where the younger man was seated, the small box in one hand, Sandris could not help a shudder at the sudden realization that Corvino's glares had always cut deeper than the prince's.

And he was beautiful. Lounging in a chair, head propped on his fist while he the other held the goblet suspended in the air with only three fingers, his clothing a study of dark blue and black hues that only enhanced the pale skin, he was devastating.

Gritting his teeth, Sandris forced himself to keep moving. This was a bad time to acknowledge such feelings. A really, really bad time!

There was no turning back, not with an arched brow acknowledging his approach. So he swallowed once, and held out the box of chocolates within the other man's reach. "Happy Spring Festival," he said, his voice pathetically meek.

Corvino straightened in his chair and frowned - first at the box, then at Sandris. The captain stiffened under the grey gaze, but refused to lower his arm and back away.

Another moment passed before the panther in human form before him grunted and snatched the box from him. Long fingers hesitated a bit before opening it, and this time both eyebrows rose as the contents were closely inspected.

Corvino looked up again, and blinked. "You bought me chocolates?" he asked incredulously, and for once, Sandris was grateful that his darker skin hid the sudden rush of blood into his face.

"There's nothing wrong with them," he replied quickly. "In fact, the merchant assured me they were the best he had."

The frowned deepened, and he gulped. He'd blown it. Five months of them growing accustomed to each other's presence, and he'd blown it.

Damn! Why did the thought hurt so much?

"And what, may I ask, is the reason behind this gift?"

Corvino's voice, harsh and broken as it was, cut through his thoughts like a burning knife. No one knew how and when the man's voice had been ruined, and no one had dared ask. Sandris least of all; because he knew there were some things a man did not like to think about, let alone discuss with others. It did not bother him, but it did startle him occasionally, for it was such at odds with the strategist's physical appearance.

He cursed it now, for it made the younger man's emotions impossible to read.

"It's Spring Festival. Are we not supposed to use the occasion and show our affection and gratitude towards those close to our heart?"

Oh yes. Even better. With every single phrase that left his mouth, his grave got a few inches deeper.

Still, the startled expression on Corvino's face was something he had not seen before.

"So you got me chocolates." The words made Sandris shudder, the hand lifting one of the spherical sweets out of the box and placing it between pale lips caused him to break into a sweat. There was a strange look on Corvino's face as he tasted the chocolate, and Sandris found himself gulp as the look on the man's face became somewhat less rigid.

As he had not looked away, he also saw the twitching of the strategist's lips as he swallowed. It was barely there...but it was a smile.

Pale eyes turned to study him carefully for the second time that evening.

"Chocolates..." he finally whispered. When he kept his voice low, it sounded almost normal. Almost. "At least they have liqueur filling."

Sandris bust into laughter. He knew he shouldn't, but really... if one put it that way, it was simply too funny. Strangely enough, Corvino's lips curled a bit more and he shook his head at the captain before releasing the ribbon that held his hair back and letting the midnight veil hide his face.