D. N. Angel Fan Fiction ❯ Scandalous ❯ Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

 

Disclaimer: I do not own DN Angel, or any of the other anime characters mentioned here. Any similarities between OCs and living people are purely coincidental.

 

A/N: Hey there, I've been tied up with universities and exams lately, so please excuse my long absence. However, I have finally gotten around to writing this latest chapter, so enjoy!

 

Father Stefanos was a worldly priest, well-versed in the sins of the world, and accustomed to hearing of the most heinous crimes without turning pale. Rumour had it that as a young man, he had himself committed a horrible crime, and was now atoning for it by becoming a priest. Nevertheless, no one could deny that he gave good advice, or that he was extremely intelligent. Some nobles had been even heard to wish that their sons were half as intelligent as he was.

 

It was at Castle Shadow that the Father had decided to reside, upon seeing Lord Kosuke and judging him to be a good man. For ten years he had served as the castle priest, giving advice to all who asked for it, and helping those who needed guidance. At six-and-fifty years of age, he was still strong and healthy; a rare thing for anyone to be. He smiled as he mixed his herbs, intending to keep the medicine for a rainy day. He doubted that anyone would come down with the chills in this weather, but one just never knew. Then came a knock on the door.

 

“Come in,” the middle-aged priest called. It was Satoshi, his thin, well-made spectacles glinting in the sunlight.

 

“Lord Daisuke Niwa is here,” the boy softly called. Stefanos smiled, blue eyes twinkling. He found the redhead to be a refreshing change from the other, pettier lords and ladies who came to see him for help. The boy would have made an excellent priest, had he not been next in line for the Seat. He walked out from his chambers, into the church and immediately spotted the heir to House Shadow. “Ah, my lord,” he said politely, walking over to the pew and bowing deeply. “What troubles you?”

 

“Father, I have a confession to make,” the redhead whispered softly, eyes downcast. Stefanos sighed and motioned for the other to rise.

 

“Come, then. I will hear your confession.” The priest smiled reassuringly and patted the younger man's head.

 

After hearing the young noble's confession, Father Stefanos sighed and closed his eyes. Daisuke trembled for fear that the man would damn him to Hell's deepest regions and curse his name forever. The silence stretched on. “You know, my son,” the priest finally said. “I can absolve you of giving in to desires of the flesh, but I can no more condemn your feelings than turn you into a woman.” He smiled at the look of shock on Daisuke's face. “But I can give you advice, to guide you until you're ready to face things head on.”

 

All courtly manners forgotten, Daisuke could only gawk like a commoner at the priest. “But-but isn't sodomy forbidden? Isn't it breaking one of the Ten Commandments?” He blurted out.

 

The older man sighed. “Well, yes, but I do not think God would condemn you for a deed born of inexperience.”

 

The redhead said nothing more, staring at his hands and hoping that Father Stefanos could give him some advice. It was reassuring to know that he would not be condemned to the inferno of Hell after his death, but he did not know what advice could help him overcome this great weakness. “But I do think, my lord, that you should perhaps…avoid Viscount Mousy for a while. It may help you gather your thoughts.”

 

Daisuke swallowed hard. “I…tried.” The last word came out in a whisper even as he stared abashedly at his hands, settled neatly in his lap. “I mean, I hid in the stables. And-and I tried to…”

 

“Yes.” The priest gently cut him off. Father Stefanos was a patient man, but he had never been one for repetition. “I am sure God knows you did your very best to avoid the viscount. But my lord, you must distance yourself from him even further. Surround yourself with attendants, if you must. I am sure your Element Knights would be willing to do the job-Sir Mouri was here the other day, asking for advice. Perhaps you should tell him a little more about your…situation.” He did not want to aggravate the young noble any further. Replacing the serene smile on his face, Father Stefanos bade the young man leave.

 

As usual, Satoshi ghosted out from the side door next to the altar, a white cloth in hand. It appeared that he had been polishing the shelves in their quarters again. “I cannot say I agree with you, Father.” Stefanos smiled.

 

“I did not expect you to.” Satoshi looked at him sharply, blue eyes flashing but his features otherwise completely smooth. “They talk,” he said abruptly. Father Stefanos looked at him, brown eyes mildly interested. “The servants. They say that the viscount does not care who he beds. It seems that he has even insinuated himself into the Element Knights.” The priest sighed.

 

“I consider myself to be beyond such petty gossip.” Satoshi only sighed at the priest's

 

“Father?” Both priest and assistant turned in surprise, startled by the unfamiliar voice. Immediately donning a mask of obliviousness, Father Stefanos rose from the bench, smiling benignly. This mask had served him well during his time in Drinolor, where people were likely to ignore anyone who did not look sharp.

 

“Is there something you require, my lord?” Stefanos asked blandly.

 

Dark Mousy smiled. “In fact, there is.”

 

Satoshi vanished once more, leaving the priest with the viscount. “Now then,” smiling amethyst eyes turned towards Stefanos, “there is a little matter regarding a certain man, which I would like to talk to you about…”

 

It was nightfall before Dark left the church, smiling with pleasure. It had been a good day. A very good day. Meanwhile, inside the humble stone building, Father Stefanos wiped his brow. For the first time in thirty years, he was genuinely worried about what the Viscount might do. It was all right for him to leave; perhaps he'd been staying too long in one place anyway; but Satoshi would be devastated. And the young man did not deserve that.

 

Element Knights:

 

There was still tension in their cottage, thanks to Rowen and Cye's determination to continue fighting. The two of them were still ignoring each other, making snide remarks about each other, and quite honestly, Sir Sanada was sick to the teeth of it. He simply could not understand why Cye was in such a state over the viscount and Rowen's little…tryst. Ryo wrinkled his nose in distaste at the thought of having to share anything with the noble, let alone a bed, but he supposed he could see the older man's appeal. After all, the man did have a sort of air about him that drew most people to him, rather like moths to a flame. Speaking of which…the blue-eyed Wildfire Knight narrowed his eyes and squinted into the distance. Was that Viscount Dark Mousy, the cause of all these problems? Another look had the knight running into the house to warn the others.

 

Sir Sage Date, the Halo Knight, sighed and turned to his comrade-in-arms and lover, the Torrent Knight. The other was still distraught over what he perceived as a failure to protect his lord, with the result that his eyes were downcast and he did not even have the heart to attempt a smile. “We will have to remedy this situation, but I see no reason for you to act so around Rowen.” Cye ignored him, pushing the hand that rested on his chest away. Sage frowned and touched the other man again, rubbing in circles to soothe his friend.

 

“Stop it, Sage.” Cye sounded slightly annoyed, a sure sign that his mind was not at ease. “I need to figure out how to convince Daisuke that he has to stay away from the viscount, no matter how tempted he is.”

 

“Think on it tomorrow,” Sage replied mildly. “You have done nothing for the past five days except pick fights with Rowen and worry yourself sick over something that might or might not have happened.”

 

Cye glared fiercely at the other man. “Of course it's happened! Why else would our lord ask about such things otherwise?”

 

Sage tried to soothe the auburn-haired knight. “It will be fine, Cye. Everything will be fine, as soon as we talk to Lord Daisuke. Besides, I have heard that…” The Halo Knight paused delicately, trying to think of a way to convey his information to his lover that would not imply any participation in idle gossip. “No, I have a feeling Lord Daisuke will be avoiding Viscount Mousy for the foreseeable future. And besides, the man may leave our lord alone; if events have played out as we fear, he may not even want to talk to Lord Daisuke any more.” Cye scowled and stood up abruptly, causing a twinge of desire within the blond knight in spite of their serious situation. Sighing, he watched his comrade dress and head back, his yari slung over one shoulder.

 

Dark Mousy stopped at the cottage, smiling as though he did not know anything of the discord he had sown amongst the Element Knights. Raising one, gauntleted hand to knock on the door, he suddenly found the barrier flung open in his face, and he looked into a pair of intense blue eyes. “Viscount Mousy,” Sir Sanada said shortly, bending just low enough to satisfy the protocol, and not an iota lower. “Why are you here?”

 

Ryo knew that it wasn't his place to question a noble, but this particular man got on his nerves. His irritation only increased when the other man smiled lazily and walked into the cottage as though he owned the place. Surprisingly, the other did nothing to correct his lack of manners, instead walking over to Rowen and ignoring the Wildfire Knight. Leaning casually on the sturdy wooden table, he tilted the Strata Knight's book slightly, peering over the top good-naturedly. “Good day, sir knight,” he smiled. “I was hoping for the pleasure of your company…in the training field. I heard you were the best archer in these parts, and I would dearly like to test my skill with the bow against yours.” He continued to smile serenely, ignoring the way Ryo's hands clenched into fists and pretending not to see the look of utter shame and embarrassment play across the blue-haired knight's face. Dark smiled to himself. He was going to drive those Element Knights so far apart that they wouldn't want to remember each other's names by the time he was finished with them.

 

Daisuke:

 

Daisuke listened quietly as Master Minamino continued to expound on the yearly exports of the Firebelt, the strip of desert that connected the countries of the Ruyzon Alliance with the southern lands of Cheyne, Rygen and Lasjir. He felt a little better now; at least the priest had provided him with some form of advice, which he could put to use. What worried him now was where to hide; the older noble had never seemed to have too much difficulty locating him. And there was the problem of their morning rides, which had become something like a custom in order to facilitate relations between the two young men. He was startled out of his thoughts by the audible `thwack' of the large paper fan onto the solid wooden table.

 

“My lord, it is impossible for me to teach you like this!” Daisuke looked up in bewilderment at his tutor.

 

“I beg your pardon?”

 

“My lord,” Minamino said, moderating his tone slightly, “I cannot do this. Pardon me for my insolence, but if you do not concentrate on your studies, I cannot do my job properly.”

 

The redhead stared at him. “I'm fine!” He desperately tried to reassure the distraught tutor, but his words only served to agitate the man further and culminated in the noble's promising to do extra work in order to make up for the time lost during the lesson. Well, Daisuke thought miserably, at least I'll have a valid reason to avoid Dark. And keep my mind busy.

 

He'd proceeded to hide in the library for the rest of the afternoon, ploughing through History, Classical Translation and calculating House Shadow's income in the past year, almost crying when he realized that he'd failed to subtract the cost of running Castle Shadow, and the various manors scattered about their lands. For the first time in weeks, Daisuke was left to work in peace.

 

Dark:

 

Dark wondered whether to continue toying with the little redheaded heir to Castle Shadow, or whether to leave him alone and craving for more. He smiled to himself as he recalled the expression of wanton, innocent bliss on Daisuke face as he drank in the pleasure of his first experience that night. A thrill ran through the viscount and he half-closed his eyes, smiling lazily at Rowen. The blue-haired knight was frowning, and if his shooting was anything to go by, his mind was not on the task at hand.

 

“Ro-wen,” he softly sang into the quiet field. The knight stoically ignored him, blue eyes staring at the straw targets peppered with arrows. He raised his strangely-made golden bow once more, ready to fire, but gasped as the other man ghosted behind him and ran gentle but experienced hands up his sides. “Rowen, you've been so cold,” purred the viscount. “I haven't heard from you at all lately.” The Strata Knight swallowed and ignored him, shutting his eyes and forcing himself not to use the bow to hit the man behind him. He didn't like the fact that he'd…slept with the man. He wasn't proud of the way he'd given in so easily and perhaps if he'd had a second chance he might have left the young noble's chambers before things got out of hand. Rowen scowled as a hand drifted across his waist and slapped it away, slipping out of Dark's grasp and placing his bow between the two of them.

 

“Stop it.” He was proud of how steady his voice was, how blank his face was. “I don't like your little games. So go away, and leave us be.”

 

Dark threw back his head and laughed. “I didn't think you'd be so hostile,” he remarked. “Have you talked to Dai-no, Lord Niwa yet?” He smiled at the look of shock on Rowen's face. “No?” He asked mockingly. “Why, Rowen, I thought you would have been happy to share your experience-I thought perhaps you were the reason little Daisuke was so…accommodating.” Knowing that he had driven the point home, he turned and left, laughing away. It was always so fun to toy with fighting men's minds-they often failed to grasp the complexities of politics and ended up ruining themselves.

 

Standing alone on that archery range, Rowen's mind worked quickly and soon fit the entire puzzle together. Admittedly, the outcome was not one that pleased him, but he did still feel rather annoyed at Sir Mouri's reaction. He could have just told me, the blue-haired knight thought resentfully. Sighing to himself, he returned to the cottage, wondering how he was going to break the news to his comrades. Perhaps Sage would have an idea.

 

Dark sauntered up the hill and back to the castle, smiling a little still at the thought of seeing Daisuke once more. It would be fun to provoke the little one, and he was sure that the younger man's expression would be priceless. After all, he could not be the only one who had fond memories of their night together.

 

Daisuke:

 

Daisuke sighed blissfully as he closed the last book, leaning back in his chair and stretching lazily. He was glad to have finished at least his classical translation for the day; he liked working with ancient languages, but his eyes hurt and he was still a little distracted from the matter at hand. He frowned, remembering that Sir Mouri had gone to see Father Stefanos as well; perhaps it would be worth talking to his trainer. Then he remembered the look on the auburn-haired man's face when he'd asked that question, and he decided against it. He did not want the yari wielder to look down on him, or to think that he was a child.

 

He heard the sound of footsteps approaching and turned, smiling, only to see Viscount Dark Mousy, dressed in rough training clothes and still carrying his bow and a quiver of arrows. In spite of his apprehension towards the other man, he could not help blushing as he remembered exactly what had happened the last time they'd met. To his surprise, the other nodded with a small smile and walked past, not even deigning to greet him. Although Daisuke knew that he should feel relieved, he felt a twinge of annoyance at being ignored so easily.

 

Dinner passed just as quietly, with Dark smiling and talking as usual but not paying any particular attention to Daisuke. Gone were the small, secretive smiles that had made his hair prickle and the back of his neck grow hot, and the occasional teasing touch of a foot. Daisuke wanted to scream at the viscount; how on earth could he possibly be so nonchalant, blowing hot one minute and cold the next? The redhead scowled and tried to shove another forkful of food into his mouth, only to realize that there was no room for it. Dark smirked and for a second, Daisuke felt himself turn red and much to his mortification, felt a twitch in an extremely inappropriate area of his body. The violet-eyed man's smirk grew in size as though he could see exactly what was going on within the younger lord's mind before he returned to the food in front of him as though nothing had ever happened between the two.

 

Dark was enjoying himself thoroughly. Although he had not purposely gone out of his way to attract Daisuke's attention, the other was clearly still thinking of him and if that absolutely charming blush was anything to go by, his memories were not altogether wholesome. The whole effect was fully rounded out by the thought of his satisfying conversation with the infamous Father Stefanos and a few, well-made comments regarding the rather scandalous affair at St. Muranus almost ten whole years ago.

 

`Least said, soonest mended' was one of his mother's favourite adages, and Daisuke decided to apply it to this situation. Continuing to uphold his part of the conversation, he soon found himself engrossed in a quiet discussion with his father over how to best utilize House Shadow's profits, for it appeared evident that there would be plenty left in the coffers for any member of the family. Dark did not participate, knowing that he would be unwelcome in such a personal discussion, but he did listen in, storing potentially useful pieces of information in his mind to be used later in his dealings with House Shadow. Father would never have thought to do such a thing, he thought contemptuously. Suddenly, a messenger ran in, holding a scroll embossed with a dark purple seal. Dark immediately recognized it; he knew that on closer inspection, the seal would bear the two feathered wings of House Blackwing.

 

“A message for the Viscount Dark Mousy,” the messenger bowed low, looking around for a likely candidate. Dark rose and strode towards the man, noting that he was nondescript in every way. “Thank you,” he told the other shortly before turning around to return to the table, breaking open the seal along the way. Amethyst eyes scanned the parchment quickly before he barked out a short, sharp laugh.

 

`My dear son,' the letter ran, `I hope this finds you well. I trust that your visit to House Shadow has been fruitful, and that you have not frittered your time away seducing their daughters or wives.' Dark had to conceal a snort at this part, wondering whether his stolid, dull father could ever conceive the idea of homosexuality. He continued reading. `I have recently become acquainted with a most charming lady, Lady Elena Zerada of House Fairwind. Perhaps you know her? I have decided to wed her on the tenth day of the ninth month of this year. I trust that you will be back in time for the ceremony. Please tell your generous hosts that I would like to take this opportunity to invite them to our wedding. Your father bids you make haste to return, as there is also much to be done. Signed, Lord Evan Mousy, Head of House Blackwing.'

 

Dark could not help but feel a little ashamed in spite of his own, much more brazen activities. Lady Elena Zerada was well-known for her charms and feminine wiles, and he was willing to bet his favourite stallion that she had only consented to marry his father because of the full coffers he would provide. House Fairwind itself was notorious for the perilous state of its affairs and the only reason they had not been demoted or shunned was because of their beautiful daughters, all skilled at seducing wealthy old men. Dark sighed to himself and smiling all the while, extended his father's wedding invitation to the Head of House Shadow and all his kith and kin.

 

A few hours later:

 

Daisuke lay on his bed, thinking about the events of the past days. He told himself firmly that it was better to be satisfied with Father Stefanos' advice, but deep down he wondered whether God would really forgive him this horrifying transgression. Perhaps he should offer his services to the church again, for penance. Father Stefanos was sure to need some help and it would be a way of reconciling himself with the Lord. He was startled out of his thoughts by a sudden knock on the door.

 

Frowning, the young lord answered it, staring in surprise at the sight of Dark, standing in the corridor clad in naught save for his undershirt and breeches. Ruby eyes widened and before he was conscious of having actually moved, Daisuke punched the other man solidly in the face, watching in grim satisfaction as the other staggered back and crashed into the heavy stone wall. He turned to slam the door, only to be knocked into his room by a sudden, heavy weight landing on his back. Daisuke cried out in surprise and turned, only to see his heavy wooden door swing shut before his lips were seized in a searing kiss.

 

“That was not nice,” Dark panted out. This close, Daisuke could see the bruise already forming around the other's eye. He tried to fight the other off once more, but he somehow found himself struggling uselessly against the noble's weight. Dark smiled down at him once more and in spite of himself, the redhead felt a shiver of heat bolt through him. The purple-haired man smiled down at him once more, licking his lips almost thoughtfully. “You know,” he murmured into Daisuke's ear, “I'd like to continue our little…” He paused even as the man underneath him whined. “…tryst.” He smiled deceptively softly at the other. “And you know, I should really…punish you for revealing our little secret.” At the look of fear on the young man's face, he smiled again. “It's all right,” he whispered, lowering his head towards Daisuke's ear and gently nibbling at the lobe. “I'll be gentle.” A hand made its way downwards and ruby eyes clouded with lust, a cry of pleasure escaping those lips and causing the viscount's smirk to only further grow in size.

 

Daisuke did not regain his senses until the early hours of the morning, but this time he did not have the luxury of the temporary haze that sleep often left as a parting gift. He stared in horror at the sleeping viscount beside him. Wild schemes of how to smuggle the man out of his room without being seen filled his mind, but a sudden knock on his door scared him even further. Panicking, Daisuke looked around for a place to hide the slumbering form of the purple-haired viscount, but he knew that in his current state he would be unable to do anything before the door swung open.

 

“My lord Daisuke, are you awake?” Daisuke swallowed hard. Knowing that the Torrent Knight suspected him of a…relationship with Viscount Mousy was bad enough, but the memory of their last meeting had not disappeared yet, and the redhead was loathe to face his tutor when he knew that the other disapproved of his actions. Seeing Dark-no, the viscount-sharing a bed with him would only rain further disgrace upon his head, and he knew that the Torrent Knight would not hesitate to inform Lord Kosuke of his actions.

 

“I'm dressing!” The redhead hastily called back, doing his best to make himself heard but at the same time praying fervently that the Torrent Knight did not make it a point to enter and help him dress. He had been on the receiving end of Sir Mouri's worry once, and once had been enough. Tugging on his breeches and cursing at the tightness of his clothing, he almost yelled in shock when Dark suddenly surged up in a flurry of soft blankets and gently leaned on him, breath tickling his suddenly-sensitive neck and one hand lazily stroking his back. He gasped as the long, skilled fingers gently trailed down the curve of his spine and as the arm wound itself gently around his waist.

 

“Morning,” the older man slurred into Daisuke's ear. As determined as he was to leave, the redheaded lord could not repress a shudder as memories of the previous night flooded his mind. His throat suddenly felt as dry as though he had had nothing to drink for days, and he knew that his cheeks were red and flushed. “I see you're an early riser.” Daisuke turned to stare at him in surprise and suddenly, remembering everything he'd ever been taught, pushed him away and scrambled out of the room, flinging the door shut behind him. Dark sighed and collapsed back onto the soft bed, a smile playing around his lips. Yes, he thought, it was always good to be shown such hospitality. A willing bedmate was hard to come by, such an innocent one even more so. It really was a pity that he could not stay longer.

 

Sir Mouri strode along the corridors of Castle Shadow, ignoring the young lord beside him. He wondered whether Daisuke could sense anything wrong with him; he was no longer able to look at his lord without feeling a sense of utter shame at failing his duty. How could he not have seen the viscount's designs upon Lord Daisuke? How could he have failed to give the younger man guidance when he needed it? These questions galled him and yet he knew that the only way to remedy the situation now was to ensure that Daisuke no longer met with the viscount alone. Lord, give me the strength to fulfill my duty, he prayed.

 

Daisuke swallowed hard, trying to get past the lump of guilt and shame blocking his throat. He did not doubt for one moment that Sir Mouri knew of what had transpired between him and Dark-Viscount Mousy-but at the same time he could not bring himself to actually admit to the fact. He remembered their last meeting and the look of shame on Sir Mouri's face, and wished fervently for some way to open a conversation without mentioning the dashing viscount.

 

“You will be learning some new moves today,” Sir Mouri abruptly said. His blue eyes were still focused on the end of the corridor, with its bright tapestries and slivers of sunlight pouring in through the windows. “They will help to hone your focus and increase your flexibility.” The entire hallway suddenly became blurry and his eyes prickled. A hot wave of shame and embarrassment washed over him; he knew that Sir Mouri would not have kept silent about his revelation, and he wondered whether all the Element Knights knew about his and Dark's…what was it the man had called it? A tryst? Although he had had little knowledge of the pleasures of the flesh, Daisuke was certain that his relationship with the heir of House Blackwing was not normal.

 

They made their way down to the practice fields without any further conversation, Daisuke afraid to speak for fear of losing what was left of his composure and Sir Mouri unable to think of anything else to say to the lord he believed he'd failed.

 

Practice was absolutely terrible. Daisuke found himself on his back more often than not, and the glaive felt out of balance in his hands. His back felt tight, and every time he thought about the most likely cause he felt his face go red once more. The blank look on Sir Mouri's face was even more distressing; whereas before he had become exasperated at Daisuke's mistakes, he now seemed impervious and uncaring, almost cold. It was frightening. A flash of dark blue caught his eye and he turned to see Sir Hashiba leaning on the fence of the training grounds, blue eyes boring a hole into Sir Mouri. The Torrent Knight affected not to notice the other, but judging from the white-knuckled grip on his weapon, he was not as unaffected as he would have the spectator and his pupil believe. After what seemed like an eternity of terse silence, only punctuated by the clangs of heavy steel, Sir Hashiba chose to say something. “What, in God's name, do you teach your pupil, Sir Mouri?” Cye flushed at the slight to his skills. “Let me guess-oh don't worry, just nod or shake your head in response. First guess: does it require him to be on his back very often? He seems to enjoy it down there, doesn't he?” Daisuke almost dropped his weapon in shock. Surely Sir Hashiba wasn't fully aware of what had transpired between him and Dark?

 

In a whirl of steel and light blue armour, the Torrent Knight suddenly leapt over the fence that marked the training field like a man possessed and went after the Strata Knight. Uncaring of whether they both tumbled down the small hill or smashed into a tree, the two men rolled and fought, legs and hands lashing out blindly, their only intent to cause pain. Daisuke could only watch numbly, unable to believe that his Knights, the small group assigned to watch over him until he became a full Lord of the Land, were fighting amongst themselves already.

 

He shook his head to clear it of the numbness and ran towards the flailing tangle of human limbs, yelling for them to stop all the while. “Stop!” He shouted, trying his best to sound as commanding as possible. “I command you to stop!” The two knights ignored him, desperately trying to injure the other as much as possible and the scuffle continued until Kento intervened.

 

The Knight of Hardrock had been practicing in a nearby field, going through his kata until Daisuke's cries had alerted him to the disturbance. Wading into the scuffle, he easily separated Rowen and Cye, holding them apart easily. The two men glared daggers at each other, but they no longer attempted to resume their fight. Kento looked slowly from one man to the other and sighed. It really should've been Sir Prim to stop these two, he thought ruefully. As much as he hated to admit it, Sage was the best with words; Kento himself had always preferred a good, honest scrap. Nevertheless, even he had to admit that what Torrent and Strata needed right now was a good, long talking to. Perhaps he should get Ryo out here? “Daisuke, what happened?” The orange-armoured knight stared at the redhead, hoping he would find some answers.

 

“Let me go,” growled Rowen. “It's not my fault Cye can't take a little joke.”

 

“It wasn't funny,” spat Cye. “You crossed a line, Rowen!”

 

“I was merely telling the truth in a shorter, more memorable form!” The other man sneered. Sensing that he would not get much out of any of the people involved, Kento began to haul the pair off to Sage and Ryo.

 

“My lord, may I please be excused?” Daisuke could only nod and watch in silence as the strong man hauled his two comrades off, presumably back to the little house in which they all lived.

 

Feeling his face grow hot and his eyes prickle, Daisuke turned around, only to see the two people he could not bear to see right now. His father and the viscount Dark Mousy.

 

Lord Kosuke's eyebrows were drawn downwards in a frown, his dark eyes intense and disappointed. “I was under the impression that you could control your own guards, Daisuke,” he mildly commented before walking towards another training field, turning to talk to Dark once more. The purple-haired man turned around to flash a smirk at Daisuke, the look in his eyes one of sheer delight and wickedness. At the sight of the devil-may-care glint in the viscount's eyes, the redhead was ashamed and shocked to find that his body tingled with the memory of their night together.