The Golosina, the Forgotten Land and the Skurkene - 7. Chapter 7

Freddy was in his room, getting ready. Now the ceremony and story were over, he just had to turn up to classes about maintaining his looks and fitness. He thought it would be over when the story ended but it was just another dull routine he needed to get used to.

‘So…’ Freddy heard Tav’s smooth voice. ‘Up to much?’

Freddy’s eyebrow raised, he looked down at his neckband going white.

Smirking, Freddy pulled on his shirt, he thought out loud, ‘Just getting ready, getting my shirt on.’

‘Is there a lot of buttons?’

Freddy laughed a little, shaking his head. He was glad he was alone in the room otherwise he would look pretty silly laughing to no one.

‘Right,’ Freddy thought out loud again, finishing off his cuffs.

He paused, his fingers lingering on the cuff buttons, ‘Wish you were here to help, ha.’ He bit his bottom lip, with a shy blush.

‘I wouldn’t be any good,’ Tav’s voice replied back. ‘I’d end up ripping the whole thing off you’

Freddy laughed again, then heard some coughing outside his closed door. Casting his eyes down, he bit his tongue.

‘I miss you,’ he quietly thought.

‘I.’

There was a knock on the door.

‘Have to go,’ Freddy thought quickly before straightening up.

***

Freddy and Tav would have random conversations like this every day, when he was eating or when he was getting ready or whenever he sat in the library section and read some books. Freddy loved hearing his voice but after a while he missed him, he physically ached for Tav.

While he was sitting at the dining table, other princes and princesses eating and chatting all around him, he played with his food.

Glancing up, he saw a young teenage prince and princess acting all coy and flirting with each other. He stiffened his jaw and stared back at his food.

‘Tav,’ he thought out loud.

He waited.

‘Are you sure we can talk right now?’ he heard Tav say.

‘I’ll be in the garden tonight. Where we used to be. You should come along.’

‘I can’t…’

‘Please,’ Freddy thought, stabbing at his food. ‘I need to see you tonight. I can’t wait any longer.’

‘Can you pass the potatoes,’ Princess Keira stated.

Jumping, Freddy looked startled and grabbed the bowl and passed it to her.

‘See you tonight, Tav,’ he thought quickly.

He must have moved his lips because Keira squinted and rolled her head to her shoulder, ‘Everything okay?’

‘Yeah,’ Freddy gave a short smile. ‘Just tired.’

Later on, Freddy left the kingdom, making sure he wasn’t followed. He climbed over the gate to the garden and walked around, smelling nostalgic moss and wet grass, seeing the different plants and trees. He saw a spot where him and Tav used to meet and sit in the grass.

He didn’t know if Tav would show up or not but he closed his eyes, sat down and waited.

He felt something, like a presence above him, a mist. Then there was a smell. Tav’s scent. He grinned and went to open his eyes but nothing was there.

‘I know you’re there,’ Freddy called out to the sky, looking at the stars.

The collar on him went white.

‘Close your eyes.’

‘Oh no, you’re going to punch me in the face,’ Freddy grinned, closing his eyes.

He felt something soft gently pull at his hand. Naturally he let his hand be pulled and he felt himself floating up.

He went to open his eyes.

‘Got to keep them shut.’

Chuckling, Freddy did as he was told but, suddenly he felt a physical hand pulling at him. Tav’s hand.

Freddy felt himself swirling, his eyes still shut, until he felt Tav’s whole body close to his.

He felt Tav’s kiss on his lips, and he melted inside. Pulling away slightly, he opened his eyes and saw they were in a room in the old castle again. It had a kitchen for food, bathroom, bed. Like a little human apartment. Tav was standing in front of him, unharmed, with a little smile.

‘So,’ Tav murmured, clearing his throat, looking down to the ground, his scales going from amber to pink. ‘This is the best I can do right…’

Freddy closed in on him and kissed him deeply. He could feel Tav weaken under his grip and he pulled at Freddy, running his hands through his golden hair. They landed on the bed, now kissing ferociously, unable to keep their hands off each other, slightly scratching each other, teeth nearly nipping their lips, both so hungry for each other.

***

Later on, they lay in bed, with their heads resting together, clothes all over the floor. Freddy sighed and smiled in a dreamy doze.

They just lay there, talking about how things were last time they saw each other, Tav scoffed at their marriage ceremony performance while Freddy was intrigued how Tav had used all his magic to make himself disappear and make it believable for everyone including his own kingdom. He appeared in his kingdom like a retired villain just enough for people to believe his story was over and then he would wander around, trying to regain his energy from such a heavy use of magic.

‘Do you just stay here?’ Freddy asked, as he was holding Tav’s hand.

Tav shrugged, ‘Sometimes. I go back to Damp every now and then, but no one really bothers with me there. I just venture around different areas, mountains and forests and swamps.’

‘You’re not lonely, are you?’

‘Nah, I’ve got you to annoy.’

Freddy laughed at that, and turned to kiss Tav’s shoulder, ‘It would be great if we just had our own kingdom to make.’

‘Where would we have it?’

‘In the garden, no one uses it, it’s our area practically anyway.’

‘Practically?’

‘Just us, our world, Tav.’

Tav smiled and then looked up, in a stern voice he said, ‘You’ll have to go soon. Keira will be suspicious.’

‘She hardly bothers with me. Let’s keep meeting up.’

Tav looked at him with an eyebrow raised, ‘We’ll eventually be caught you know.’

Sitting up, Freddy sighed, ‘You’re right.’ He then turned to Tav and with a wicked smile said, ‘Well, we might as well enjoy ourselves then.’

He lunged at Tav, kissing Tav’s throat, making him laugh out loud.

They would meet in secret a few more times. Freddy wanted to see Tav more and more but Tav pushed back, only visiting him a few times in the next few months.

Freddy knew Tav was afraid for him but he needed to be with him. He felt his energy charge up being with him, he felt like a real breathing being with him. When he was with Tav he wasn’t just another prince, another two-dimensional character. He could say things that Tav wouldn’t be offended at, he could kiss him any time he wanted, there was no performance or self-analysing. Tav made him feel so good and he adored watching Tav show him his magic and skills, and listening to Tav’s story of adventure.

One night, they planned to meet up. Freddy was walking through the garden, he heard giggling and he stopped. Was someone following him? He looked around but didn’t see anyone. He heard the giggles again. Two feminine giggles. Frowning, he crept around until he got to his spot and then saw two figures laying there in the grass. He froze and watched from a distance.

It was two girls.

He looked closely. One was a young teenage princess; the other was a young witch. Both must be in their teens, about thirteen or fourteen. They lay there together, close, very close. Freddy’s frown lifted. Those two girls. They were like him and Tav. The teenage princess giggled and the young witch reached down and held her hand. Their noses touched.

Freddy didn’t even know who they were but they just reminded him so much of himself and Tav, he wanted to protect their innocence, he didn’t want anyone to hurt them. They needed happiness. Him and Tav needed happiness. He stepped forward and the noise made both girls sit up in panic.

Putting his hands up, he rushed over to them, ‘No, it’s okay, it’s okay.’

He smiled and thought out loud, ‘Tav, you there? Can you help?’

‘Can I help?’ Tav was suddenly behind the girls.

The girls jumped up. The Witch instantly got her wand out, and with her other hand, she pushed the princess behind her, protecting her.

Tav narrowed his eyes and scoffed, ‘Cute.’

‘We’re like you guys,’ Freddy blurted.

The princess turned around and looked confused at him.

Freddy looked desperately at a grinning Tav, ‘Come on Tav.’

‘Oh no, I’m not helping’.

‘You guys know each other,’ the princess finally spoke up.

The witch was still eyeballing both Freddy and Tav.

Freddy gave a soft smile, ‘You guys aren’t the only ones in a secret relationship.’

Both the princess and the witch spluttered over each other, trying to deny this.

‘Oh, come off it,’ Tav said folding his arms. ‘Think Freddy and I are the experts in this field of pretending not to be in a relationship. Just admit it.’

‘Tav,’ Freddy almost scolded. He turned to the princess, ‘Do you guys need more privacy? Tav can help with that, can’t you Tav?’

‘You volunteered me,’ frowned Tav.

Freddy raised an eyebrow and thought out loud, ‘Tav, you can just provide a place for them to be together, you know they deserve to be happy. Like us.’

Tav sighed, and thought back, ‘I hate you.’

‘Yous can do that for us?’ the princess stuttered. ‘This isn’t a trick or?’

Freddy grinned.

Tav said to the girls, ‘Okay, I’ll take you some place that you girls can do…. Whatever…. Anyway, just come with us.’

The princess and the witch both did not look convinced but the witch held her hand out for the princess and she took it strongly.

‘I’ll protect us Beatty,’ the witch said.

‘Eyes closed,’ Tav ordered.

They all closed their eyes and when opened, they were all in a run-down castle building, bricks missing, moss growing in the cracks. The smell of plants was all around.

‘Go have fun,’ Tav snarled, he smashed a glass ball to the ground and the girls took off running.

Freddy laughed.

Tav turned around and shrugged, ‘What? I’m a villain.’

Freddy smiled and reached out to him, grabbing him by the hand, kissing it. Tav smiled back, his scales turning from dark into that sunrise colour, and then shouted over his shoulder, ‘We’ll get you two in an hour.’