Anyone Else

“Tonight is the night, Ariella! You are finally coming out into society! The party is going to be splendid!”

Ariella rolled his eyes as he watched his father fuss about, running here and there to be sure his dress was perfect. His hair was perfect. Everything about him was perfect.

“All of the hard work we’ve done for the past eighteen years is about to come to fruition!”

When his father paused, Ariella knew the man was waiting for him to respond for the hundredth time. So, he took a deep breath and focused on keeping his voice quiet and feminine. Just like he’d practiced his entire life.

“Yes, father,” he said with his eyes downcast, eyelashes fluttering just slightly. When the man’s strong arms came around him in a suffocating hug, Ariella ground his teeth together and waited.

“You will catch us a handsome, wealthy young man and fall in love with him immediately.”

When he paused, Ariella sighed and finished his words again. “And I will have him sign the marriage certificate, so that when he finds out that I am a male, there will be nothing he can do about his assets without facing societal ruin.”

His father leaned back and squeezed his silk-clad shoulders, grinning from ear to ear. His teeth were yellow from years of drinking and puffing on cigars. The smoke hurt Ariella’s lungs, but every time he tried to shy away from his father when he smoked, the man would force him to stay, telling him that he had to get used to it in order to snag the best possible husband.

“Let us get you to the carriage. Our driver is waiting, and if I keep fussing over you, we will be late for your own coming out!”

Ariella’s heart suddenly started tripping over itself as he was led down the grand staircase of their dusty home, his trailing dress kicking up motes as he followed his father.

“I just know that your gorgeous hair and emerald green eyes will get a wealthy man. No other girl there will be prettier.”

If I was not wearing a wig, I am sure many of the young ladies there would be prettier.

He couldn’t doubt his green eyes, though. They had garnered him much attention growing up, as a female, of course. Several men were coming to the event just because of the glimpse they had gotten of his eyes. It was a shallow thought to him. To like someone strictly because of their looks? They had not even spoken to him, except to ask when his coming out party was.

Shaking his head, Ariella followed his father out of the house and into the slight drizzle in the dwindling light of evening. As he climbed into the carriage, he knew it would be dark by the time they got there.

Nerves gnawed away at his insides as they moved through the cobblestone streets toward a large banquet hall. Glancing out of the curtained window, Ariella noticed that the road was fairly congested with carriages and carts going every which way.

“We will be there shortly,” his father said as he leaned back, puffing on a cigar. The smoke quickly filled the small cabin of the carriage, but Ariella forced himself to cough as little as possible.

“I heard the town’s own lawman, Kirin Squire, will be present. Would it not be wonderful to catch a lawman in this trap? It would ruin him to dissolve the marriage without paying us to keep quiet! You truly must try to get him!”

I do not want him, Ariella thought to himself, hiding the frown that came with the suggestion. It was dangerous to voice his opinion. He’d learned that at the tender age of five. Everything from there on had been “yes, father.”

As the carriage came to a stop outside of the banquet hall, Ariella forced his breathing to calm and squared his shoulders. His father stepped out, greeting several people Ariella couldn’t see. He quickly checked his black wig in a small handheld mirror, frowning at the perfect curls that framed his makeup-free face. He was naturally beautiful, which was a relief because he highly disliked the feeling of makeup. The only kind his father forced him to wear was lipstick, because his lips were a bit dull. At least to him. Looking at the girl in the mirror, Ariella pursed his bright red lips and set the item down on the bench seat before climbing from the carriage.

His heels clicked as he dropped to the cobblestone and allowed his father to take his arm. The whole situation might have been a lie, but that didn’t stop him from visibly shaking with worry. If he was found out, he would likely be hung. If he didn’t go through with it, his father would see that he still ended his life with a rope around his neck. Either way, he was stuck pushing toward the only solution that resolved with him still breathing… and, unfortunately, another man’s wealth unjustly taken.

I do not want to do this.

Thinking it was one thing, but actually backing out of the situation was another. It was impossible. Taking a deep breath despite the tight corset around his stuffed chest, Ariella gingerly stepped into the large ballroom. It was hot, but thanks to the open doors leading out to two balconies and the light drizzle of rain still falling from the sky, the temperature fluctuated with gusts of cool air. Almost immediately, he was introduced to the room’s guests by his father, then was quickly carted around the room to each young man that seemed even decently wealthy. Many dukes, military officers, barons, earls, and far too many other stations for him to remember shook his hand and introduced themselves with hungry smiles.

After several hours of dancing in at least twenty different men’s arms, Ariella politely excused himself and darted into a hall that led to a staircase. There were rooms upstairs for partygoers that drank beyond their abilities, so Ariella didn’t hesitate to climb the stairs and find a room with the door ajar. After glancing inside and not seeing anyone, he ducked inside and shut the door quietly.

Alone and panting from stress and constant dancing, he strode through the large bedroom, pausing as his reflection caught his eye in the mirror spanning half of the wall to his left. He turned, staring at the girl who looked back. Warmth from the dwindling fire in the hearth to his right made his already boiling frustrations rise further.

“You are not me.”

Even as he said those words, the girl in the mirror spoke them right back to him.

“You were never me. Ever. I am me, I am…”

His words died on his tongue as uncertainty slammed into his chest.

“Who am I?”

Ever since he was born, he had been a girl. His father had filled out the certificate after delivering him as a female. Ariella was a female name. He was raised to do everything a female should to win a man’s heart.

I do not know how to be a boy.

While the thought terrified him, going back downstairs to live a lie made him feel even worse. Before he could think through his actions, Ariella yanked his fancy, expensive dress over his head and wadded it up, then stalked over to the light fire and shoved it in. The flames flared and crackled, forcing him back as heat blasted him in the face. He wasn’t sure if he’d accidentally screamed from surprise, so he held his breath, falling silent as he tried to listen beyond the building fire.

Footsteps.

Jerking the tight wig off, which had somehow stayed on his head, he quickly threw it into the fire, then darted under the large bed clad in dark red and gold coverings. The sound of the boots got closer not a moment after Ariella got an arm across his mouth to quiet his heavy breathing. The steps echoed around the room, as if the person was looking for something. Spending an extra moment near the fire. When they didn’t seem to find what they were looking for, they quickly left.

That was too close.

Standing back up, Ariella looked around the room for something to wear over his chest. He’d planned ahead and worn a short pair of breeches he’d kept hidden from his father for years, but he wasn’t able to hide a shirt beneath his dress as well. The pants were far more comfortable than the corset he quickly shed, having had no time to do so before. It, and several other items, joined what was already in the fire before he turned to stare at the open door.

I need to leave.

If his father found him, he’d likely be whipped or beaten. Or both. It was a wonder that he hadn’t come to find him yet. Or the boots belong to someone he sent looking for me.

The thought was unsettling, but right as he was about to make a run for another room, one that might have a balcony he could escape from, he noticed the gorgeous thick blanket atop the bed beside him. After sleeping with appropriate female clothing his entire life, he’d never truly had his body wrapped in such materials. It was too hard to resist. Grinning like the child that he wished he was, Ariella leaped onto the bed and began to roll around, loving the soft sensation of the cotton and silk thread against his body. It felt so cool and smooth, like the wind from outside caressing his skin. Everything was perfect, for once in his life… until he heard someone clear their throat.

Jerking upright in an instant, Ariella’s wide eyes found the man responsible for the sound. It wasn’t his father, thank god, but as he looked closer, he realized that the person wasn’t much safer. Everyone knew him… Lawman Squire.

“What are you doing in here and—” His gaze lowered to Ariella’s hands, drawing the young man’s attention to the fancy white gloves that still clung to his smooth skin.

No!

“Why are you wearing women’s gloves and shoes?”

The question went right over his head as Ariella sat, frozen, atop the blankets that had brought him so much rare joy only seconds earlier. The man said something else, but Ariella didn’t hear him. Instead, as he stepped closer, Ariella kicked off his shoes and darted to the side. The lawman was there before he could even think about moving past him, his strong arms wrapping around Ariella’s bare back. The man’s chest was solid, muscles flexing beneath his shirt that Ariella could easily feel, considering he was being held against him.

“Who are you, boy? I do not remember seeing a male so young on the guest list and certainly not while making my way through the building. How did you get in?”

Ariella was still stuck on the first question, trying to figure out an answer, when the man continued to a second one. When he didn’t speak up fast enough, he was shoved down onto the floor, hard, and his arms were yanked behind his back before his wrists were wrapped with a very uncomfortable, scraping twine.

“I knew there would be a thief here tonight. They are always drawn by the nobility, but to see one so oddly dressed and behaving like a mutt in heat is new,” the man muttered as he got the rope tightened, then jerked Ariella to his bare feet.

“I-I am no thief!” Ariella said, shouting as much as he could with his delicate feminine voice.

“You are not? Then whose clothing were you wearing, boy? Do you just go about wearing such fine items daily?” the man asked, a smirk on his lips as he began pulling him toward the open door.

“No,” Ariella replied as he kicked out, shutting the door with a lucky hit. He knew it wouldn’t buy him more than a few seconds, so he quickly racked his brain for some kind of sentence that would get him out of his current predicament.

Or…

“Alright, I am a thief. I stole the shoes and gloves from another room while a young woman slept off her night’s alcohol.”

Kirin grunted approvingly as he reached for the door, opening it before pushing Ariella out into the hall. He had a firm hold on his arm, making escape impossible with his hands tied.

“I am glad you at least speak the truth, though it took you a moment to remember it.”

I will not steal… but I will lie if it will save my life.

“I apologize,” Ariella said, trying his best to look upset with himself.

“Good, but you will still need to go to the courts. If the magistrate is in, then you may be able to take care of your situation quickly. I doubt they will release you for theft, but your jail sentence should not be too long.”

Surprisingly, the idea of jail didn’t bother him.

“I understand. Best we not walk through the party, sir. I doubt they would wish for their night to be disturbed by the likes of me.”

Kirin stopped at the top of the stairs, thinking through Ariella’s words before nodding. “You are correct. There is no need to parade a half-naked male wearing something he should not in front of them.”

They descended the stairs quickly, but instead of going into the main ballroom, they turned and vanished behind the staircase. Within one minute, they were outside, having left through a door inside a small storage room. It was obviously used to exit or enter without raising anyone’s suspicions. Handy.

The rain that had been threatening all night now came down in comfortable waves, cooling Ariella’s overheated skin as he was walked to the front of the building. He expected Kirin to just lift him into the black carriage they stopped beside, hooked up to two black geldings, but when he turned to him and just stared, Ariella felt that he was going to try more questions.

More questions that I have no answers for.

“Who are you?”

Ariella’s throat constricted as tears pricked at his eyes. That question was the most unfair of them all.

“Who am I?” he repeated, honestly wanting to know himself.

“That’s what I am asking you, boy. Answer the question,” Kirin said as he narrowed his eyes. When Ariella just stared up at him with a frown, the man sighed and licked some rainwater from his lips before trying again.

“What is your name?”

Immediately, Ariella knew he couldn’t give his real name. Not just because it would end with a noose around his neck, but he also didn’t feel like he could stand that name anymore. It wasn’t his , it was hers.

“I… Can I have a name?”

The look on the lawman’s face morphed from anger, to shock, then to confusion as he stared down at him.

“Do… do not lie to me, boy. What is your name?”

The man’s frustrated voice made Ariella flinch, but he couldn’t back down. This was his one chance to change his life. To start anew, even if that start was going to be in a jail cell for something he didn’t do. So, he refused to answer and just looked down at his dirty feet.

“Fine then, remain silent. It will only add to your charge,” Kirin growled as he lifted Ariella easily into the carriage, then followed him inside. He should have expected it, but when he was shoved off of the bench and onto the hay coating the floor of the carriage, Ariella couldn’t help but be surprised. He’d taken a seat on the only bench in the vehicle, right behind where the driver now sat, but evidently being a criminal made him below having a normal seat, even though there was plenty of room.

“Hold still,” the lawman said as the carriage began moving. Ariella did as told, noticing Kirin kneeling down in the straw as he tugged at the gloves Ariella wore. He got one off easily, but the other took a bit of extra effort not to tear. When he grasped Ariella’s wrist to finish removing the glove from his fingers, he suddenly froze. His thumb was the first thing to move again, slowly. It drifted over Ariella’s skin, down to his palm, then along his fingers as he slid the glove free.

“You are a thief… with very soft hands,” the man said, almost sounding like he was lost in thought.

Ariella couldn’t understand what he was trying to say, so he just grumbled out a bland answer. “You have already decided that, sir.”

“Yes… yes, I have,” he said as he sat back up on the bench.

Silence fell over the cart then, the rain pattering against its roof the only sound that could be heard in the dark carriage. Ariella knew that the magistrate was at least a day’s carriage ride away, even if they didn’t stop on the way, which was likely to occur. So, he carefully maneuvered himself into a decently comfortable position on the hay. He could feel the man’s eyes on him, but that didn’t stop his own eyes from drifting closed to rest.

“Boy?”

Blinking, Ariella gave a quiet sigh, having not realized that he’d fallen asleep. He noticed a moment later that what had awoken him was the man speaking.

“Sir?” he whispered, not bothering to move from where he lay.

“Would you like a name, boy?”

It was a simple question, but one that got Ariella sitting up immediately, his eyes wide with hope as a smile graced his lips.

“Please, sir!”

The man appeared a bit surprised by Ariella’s excitement, but he just seemed to shrug it off and smile. “Alright, well… What letter in the alphabet do you like?”

Ariella licked his lips slowly as he looked down, thinking hard about the simple question. He thought about choosing a variety of letters, as he liked quite a few, but he realized that if anyone ever said a name beginning with A, he would likely turn his head. It was a bad idea to choose anything besides A.

“I like A, sir.”

The man nodded, then leaned back, his eyes roaming over every inch of Ariella, as if that would somehow help him find a suitable name. Evidently, it did. And it also brought a self-conscious blush to Ariella’s cheeks.

“I think I have got a good name for you.”

When he didn’t give it to him right away, Ariella fidgeted, crawling forward on his knees until he was nearly up against the man’s legs. “Please, I want it. Please!”

He desperately did. More than he’d wanted anything in his entire life. It would be the first true thing that he owned. His own name.

“Please…” he tried again, hoping to coax the simple word from the man’s lips. When Kirin finally allowed his lips to part again, Ariella focused all of his attention on his words.

“I believe that Abel will be the perfect name for you.”

Beginning

“Abel? Wake up.”

Ow, my back.

Feeling fingers wrap around his bound wrists, Abel forced his eyes to open just in time to stumble to his feet as he was yanked up. Surely I have not been asleep for two days?

Kirin’s hands moved from his wrists to his waist, lifting him from the carriage after he stepped to the ground. The lawman was about to set him down when he noticed Abel’s lack of footwear.

“Uh…”

“Just set me down. My feet are already dirty. I will just wipe them on the mat inside,” Abel said, wanting to be let down. He wasn’t heavy in the least, but he still didn’t like people just randomly touching him. Especially not the lawman bringing him in for stealing something he had not taken.

“I suppose that makes sense,” Kirin mumbled as he set Abel down, then pressed a hand to his back to guide him inside the small inn. The place was surprisingly comfortable. Warm and decently clean. The bottom floor was set up like a tavern, with the innkeeper acting as the alcohol tender among the few guests spread throughout the room. A couple scruffy looking men eyed him, but thankfully Kirin didn’t dwell for more than a moment before he shoved Abel across the room and up to the innkeeper.

“I would like one room, please.”

The innkeeper looked at Abel, then back up to Kirin with a crooked smile. “Two pieces,” he mumbled as he turned and grabbed a key, the last one hanging on the wall behind him. When he turned back around and handed it to Kirin, the lawman gave him two bronze coins.

“Thank you, sir,” Kirin said before leading Abel up the stairs at the back of the room. The hall upstairs was well worn from traveler’s boots. Scuffs had taken over the smooth wood years ago, turning it gray and white where parts of the wood were removed over time. When Kirin stopped in front of a door, Abel glanced toward the stairs, worried that one of the men might follow them up. Not that he was in danger. At least not much. He saw Kirin’s gun at his side when his coat moved slightly, so at least he would be able to defend them if anyone tried to attack.

Or at least defend himself.

Feeling fingers pressing into his lower back, Abel quickly walked into the small room and stood still, waiting for Kirin to shut and lock the door before following him with his gaze.

Oh, oops. I forgot to wipe my feet.

“Hold still,” Kirin whispered as he knelt down right in front of Abel. Having not been paying much attention, Abel almost stumbled backward when Kirin gently lifted his foot and began wiping the mud and dirt from it with a cloth. It felt so odd to have a man’s hand, rough and callused from years of work, touching his foot instead of his maid’s smooth fingers. When Kirin’s hand paused after cleaning both feet, his right one still in his grasp, Abel had a feeling what he was about to say.

“Your feet are soft… for a thief.”

Abel licked his dry lips. “As you have previously determined.”

Kirin blinked, looking up at him without releasing his foot. “Yes… You are a thief.”

After a moment of awkward silence, Abel tried to remove his foot from Kirin’s hand, but the man’s fingers just clenched tighter around it.

“Why were you wearing those shoes and gloves, Abel?”

Do not ask me that. You know you will not get a new answer.

“You already determined that,” he answered with a dull tone.

Kirin sighed, releasing Abel’s foot as he stood. His stare intensified, locked onto Abel’s gaze as if trying to find the truth in their emerald depths.

“I have…” he finally said with a confused frown. He gave Abel one more look before moving over to the bed against the right wall and dropping down to sit on it. The old mattress was firm with only a thin layer of dust atop it. After having to sleep on the straw in the carriage, Abel was eager to sink down onto the mattress, but he had a feeling that the floor would once again be his bed.

“Um, sir?”

Kirin looked up, having rested his head in his hands while his elbows balanced on his knees.

“Yes, Abel?”

Nervously, Abel turned partway, allowing Kirin to easily see his numb hands. “Can I please have the ropes off for a minute? I cannot feel my hands much.”

They stared at each other for a moment before Abel lowered his eyes and Kirin stood up. When he walked over, Abel couldn’t help but fidget. It wasn’t that he planned on running, which he figured Kirin might think, but he just wasn’t used to being near people who weren’t his father or maid.

“You look incredibly nervous, Abel. How do I know that you will not try to grab my pistol or knife?”

He honestly hadn’t known the man had a knife, and he had no idea how to even load a pistol, let alone shoot one.

Looking up, he stared into Kirin’s dark brown eyes as he began to speak. “I have no idea how to use either of those weapons, sir. And I have no interest in harming you. I needed to get away from that party for my own reasons and you helped me with that.”

“Yet now I am taking you to prison, Abel. Was getting away from whoever you were worried about at that party worth going to jail?” Kirin asked, a slight quirk to his eyebrow.

“Yes, sir. I believe it was worth it.”

They stared at each other for another quiet minute before Kirin stepped around him and began undoing the knot. The only thing that told Abel that his hands were free was the shifting of their weight as they fell from their bindings.

“Why did you not tell me that the knot was hurting your wrists?” Kirin asked as he took hold of one of Abel’s numb hands and began to rub it gently with his fingers.

“I thought it was supposed to be tied tightly, sir,” Abel answered honestly. He had never been tied up before, so he figured that they were tied correctly. The lawman didn’t want his catch to get away, so the knots had to be really tight. At least that’s what he had thought.

“They were not supposed to be this tight, see,” he said, lifting the hand he was currently working on bringing sensation back into. “Your wrists should not be faded white and blue. That means the rope was too tight and your blood was being partially cut off. It is dangerous and you could have lost your hand if it stayed that way much longer.”

Abel’s jaw dropped, fear racing through his chest.

“I apologize, sir. I did not know.”

Kirin shook his head, a smile playing at his lips as he switched to rubbing Abel’s other hand. The one he had just let drop felt like it was being pricked with hundreds of needles, making Abel wince.

“Do not apologize to me, Abel. But if that happens again, please tell me, alright? I do not want you to lose your hands because of a mishap that could be avoided with a few words.”

I thought one of the penalties for thievery was to have a hand removed? If not both? So why would me losing a hand bother him?

Not that he wanted to lose them, by mistake or otherwise. Abel quickly nodded, flexing his pained fingers as they were released and feeling began to return.

“Come over here. I do not want you standing near the door.”

Abel quickly walked over to where Kirin stopped by the bed. The man removed his gun and knife, setting them down on the small nightstand in front of him. He then turned to Abel, after taking a small cloth that had been on the nightstand, and sat, gesturing him closer.

“You will be sleeping with me. I will refrain from using the ropes as long as you give me no trouble, understood?”

Worried, Abel nodded, climbing into bed when Kirin patted the spot next to him. It wasn’t much compared to his bed at home, or at least where he used to live, but as he settled in, he couldn’t help but yawn. He could hear Kirin and feel him shifting his weight on the bed every few moments, likely removing his boots and some of his clothing. When the man finally lay down, Abel let his body relax. Sleep was something he welcomed, knowing that he would likely not get another chance before getting to jail.

The only thing that stopped him from managing to close his eyes was a firm, well-muscled arm wrapping around his waist. That alone would keep him awake, but when he was tugged back against Kirin’s chest, felt the heat of the man’s skin against his back, Abel knew he wouldn’t be able to close his eyes and rest. So, he lay there, stiff in the other man’s arm, snug against him for the next hour. Kirin had long since gone to sleep, his breathing steady as he regained his energy for the day ahead. Darn it. Go to sleep, Abel!

He forced his eyes to close, but no matter how hard he tried to focus on sleep, his heart just wouldn’t stop speeding and his mind refused to halt its racing thoughts. Eventually, he just couldn’t stay still. Either he woke Kirin or he didn’t, but he needed to move. Without bothering to try to slip away carefully, Abel just sat right up, feeling Kirin’s hand slip down into his lap, making a light blush rise to his cheeks. Of course the man’s hand didn’t stay there long. His fingers flexed, then his arm rose to yank Abel back abruptly, forcing him against the man’s solid chest as a knife came to rest just beneath his chin.

“Trying to get away? I told you I would tie you up again if you did not behave, Abel.”

He had been behaving! Unfortunately, saying that would likely help no one. Instead, Abel took a shaky breath and waited for the knife to lower before looking up over his shoulder at Kirin’s shadowed face in the dark room.

“I am not used to having anyone touch me for more than a few seconds. I am sorry. It really bothered me.”

Kirin narrowed his eyes and leaned over, pressing himself closer and making Abel fidget.

“Please stop. You can tie me up, but please stop trying to prove that I was just wanting to escape. I told you that I would not, and I am no liar,” Abel said, his voice a little shaky and quiet. He desperately wanted to pull away, but if he did, Kirin might suspect that he was indeed trying to escape. So, he forced himself to just stay as still as possible, waiting for the man to calm down before reaching up to tug at the fingers around his waist.

“Please tie me up, sir,” he tried again, hoping to finally get out of the man’s arms. Thankfully, Kirin did release him and turn, sliding his legs off the side of the bed as he reached for the rope he’d previously used. Not wanting to cause any more trouble, Abel stumbled off the bed and knelt in front of him, placing his hands behind his back, fingers clasped together.

“Why?” Kirin asked as he began to wrap the rope around Abel’s wrists, careful not to make it too tight like before.

Glancing over his shoulder, Abel raised a brow and frowned. “Why what, sir?”

The man sighed, looking exhausted. “Why were you wearing those items? Just one answer, Abel, could mean the difference between your freedom and a noose. Why will you not tell me?”

Instead of answering, Abel returned his attention to the floor in front of him. He couldn’t tell the man. If he did, he would secure himself a date with the noose. If he kept quiet, he might get away with a fine, the loss of a hand, or possibly the noose. Neither of the three were appealing, but if he told, he would only have the most negative option left to look forward to. It was not worth it.

“I apologize, sir,” he mumbled after a long moment of silence. When Kirin didn’t answer, only continued to tie the ropes, Abel let himself relax. He could deal with the man’s fingers tapping his every few moments as he worked. It was actually a relief to have the ropes returned to his wrists, as surprising as the idea was. That meant, hopefully, that Kirin wouldn’t touch him so often as they slept.

“Alright. How do they feel?” the man asked after another minute. Abel licked his lips and tested the ropes, relieved that there was a decent amount of slack. Too much. He thought about telling Kirin to tighten them, that he could probably get out with a bit of effort, but he also thought about sleeping with them tighter. It wasn’t a comfortable thought. So, he carefully got to his feet and gave a tired smile.

“They are okay. Thank you, sir.”

When Kirin slowly nodded, Abel had an odd feeling in his chest that the man might have actually tied the ropes looser on purpose. He didn’t dwell on the thought, though, because when Kirin patted the spot beside him, Abel quickly climbed into the bed and flopped down with a yawn. He felt his conscious slipping away in moments. He had slept a good deal on the way to the inn, but after days of preparation for his coming-out event, he still felt the strong pull to sleep more. He let it take him, knowing that he’d need as much sleep as he could get before he reached the jail.

The awkward feeling of being watched woke him the following morning. Well, he had thought it was morning, but he wasn’t quite sure. It was still dark outside the dirty window on the wall, but it looked like it was getting brighter instead of darker as he watched the sky for a few minutes.

Sunrise, then.

After glancing at Kirin, Abel noticed the man was still asleep.

Odd. I swear I felt someone looking at me.

He glanced around the room, noting that no one else was there. After lying there for a few minutes, he realized something that made his stomach knot with worry. The ropes that had been around his wrists were now hanging over his head and spread out on the bed.

I must have gotten myself out of them during the night.

There were still a few loops wrapped around his left wrist, but he didn’t dare move it. Instead, he focused back on Kirin and worriedly tried to figure out what to do. Running wasn’t an option. He had said he would not, but he also knew that Kirin would wake up if he tried to climb over him and out of the bed. So, that left him with only one option besides remaining absolutely still and waiting for the man to wake up on his own.

“Sir?” he said quietly, worried about startling the man. When he didn’t answer, Abel hesitantly reached forward with his left hand and tapped his shoulder. He didn’t want to give the man any reason to hurt him, so he made sure that every action was taken, then he waited a full sixty seconds before trying something else. After four different tries to wake him up, Kirin finally began to blink out of his slumber.

Abel took his hand back immediately and held his breath, his heart pounding against his chest as he waited for Kirin to realize that he had gotten out of his bindings. When the man noticed, his eyes jerked wide and he sat up. Abel fidgeted, eventually pushing himself up when Kirin didn’t stop staring.

“I am sorry, sir. I believe I got out of the bindings while I slept,” Abel whispered as he looked down at his hands, which were now in his lap. He expected the man to be upset or at least to bind his hands again before he tried to escape, but when Kirin just shook his head and heaved a sigh, Abel looked up, confused.

“Sir?”

“Why, Abel?”

Abel’s frown deepened as he replied. “I already told you…”

Kirin shook his head again, massaging his temples with his fingers. “Not that. Why did you not leave while I was asleep? Why did you wake me?”

Understanding dawned on Abel’s face. “I told you I would not cause trouble for you, sir.”

The man rolled his eyes, grinning even though he didn’t seem happy. “I awoke far earlier than you and noticed the ropes already undone. I intended to rest my eyes and wait. Wait for you to get up and try to leave, but I fell back asleep.”

Abel’s eyes widened, the scope of the situation finally dawning on him. He could have easily gotten away, considering how fast asleep Kirin had been.

“You noticed, yet you did not wake me or attempt to tie me back up…” he muttered quietly, then narrowed his eyes. “You wanted me to try to get away. To prove that I am this criminal you perceive me to be.”

The man’s smile turned down into a frown once more as he leaned sideways against the wall, eyes still focused on Abel.

“You are a strange thief,” he finally said.

Not wanting to get into the same argument again, Abel shrugged and mumbled, “Can we leave now, sir?” as he climbed out of the bed and finished undoing the ropes to hand back to Kirin.

The man took them, slowly running his fingers over the twine as he continued to stare.

“Sir? Would you like me to try to run? Do not get me wrong, I do not want to go to jail, nor do I want to risk any other punishment, but I am always true to my word.”

When the man shook his head and wrapped the rope up to carry easier, Abel stared, confused. “Come, Abel. We have a long day ahead,” Kirin said as he got his shoes, shirt, and suit jacket back on, put his weapons back where they belonged, then headed for the door. When he returned the key downstairs, he picked up three apples and a hot pastry that seemed to have some type of filling inside. It was a rare thing to see anything besides regular bread, and sometimes ones with herbs mixed in, but Abel had never seen a piece of bread shaped like that with things inside. It piqued his curiosity, but as he followed Kirin outside, then up into the carriage, he knew that the treat was for the lawman, and him alone. He would be lucky to even get a nibble at one of the apples.

Throughout their morning ride, Abel tried not to stare as Kirin ate two of the apples, then began working on the pastry. It smelled mouthwatering, and he had to catch himself more than a few times to keep from visibly drooling as his stomach growled. At a certain point, Abel considered how the straw might taste. His hands were never rebound so he decided to at least try it. It tasted pretty much like the grass he’d accidentally gotten in his mouth when he’d fallen as a child while running. He chewed slowly, not quite sure if the straw was worth the way it tasted. He doubted it had much nutritional value to offer, but with his stomach growing louder by the minute, he felt that chewing it would at least calm his hunger a little.

“Here.”

Blinking, Abel looked up. Kirin was holding the pastry out to him, having only eaten a few bites of it. “It is far too sweet and bitter for me,” he said as he licked something dark off of his lips.

Not wanting to ignore the gift of food, Abel quickly took the cooled pastry in his hand and after saying his thanks, took a big bite. Wow! The man hadn’t been kidding when he had said it was sweet! It was also a little bitter, yet both tastes worked quite well together. When he finished chewing and swallowed the bite, Abel looked back up at Kirin.

“What is this filled with? I have never tasted something so sweet, yet bitter.”

Kirin grinned as he swallowed the bite of apple he’d taken moments earlier.

“It is called chocolate, though I am sure they have added sugar to it, as well.”

Chocolate? Is that the new expensive treat from France that father was discussing with his friends many nights ago?

“It is not very common, but the innkeeper probably got it from a patron who could not pay. It is quite the bartering item, considering how rare it is. That is also likely why the pastry was more expensive than those I have had before.”

Abel looked down at the pastry in his hands, then back up. “You have had these before? I have never seen one.”

“Yes, I have had them quite a few times. Because I travel to so many cities due to my districts being separated by large tracks of land, I have seen quite a few things that are not common in the town where I found you.”

Abel nodded, mumbling out, “I see” before taking another bite. Even if Kirin had had the pastry before, it was a rare treat for Abel and likely the only one he would ever have. That led him to savor every bite, even though he was hungry enough to down the entire delicacy in seconds.

“Here,” Kirin said as Abel finally finished his last bite. When he looked up again, he noticed a leather flask of water in front of his nose. Eager to quench his thirst, Abel took the flask and quickly drank, a few lines of water running from the left side of his mouth. He emptied at least half of the flask before lowering it from his lips with a satisfied sigh. He really wanted to drink the water that remained, but he knew that Kirin also needed it, and they both had to make it last until they found somewhere to refill it. So, reluctantly, he handed the flask back to the man.

“Thank you.”

When Kirin just responded with a nod, Abel returned his attention to the straw. He listened to the man cut through the last remaining apple, and was surprised when he saw a half moved into his line of sight. Without a word, he took it, bringing it to his lips to eat. The pastry had been delicious, but it was not enough after being without food the day before.

“How old are you, Abel?” Kirin asked after Abel had finished half of the apple piece he had been given.

“Eighteen, sir,” he mumbled before taking another big bite from the fruit.

“What have you done in the past for work?”

Abel finished his piece of apple and frowned, pursing his lips as he thought about the question. He knew it was normal for a boy to work from a young age, but he had not been a boy until a day earlier.

“I… sewed and cooked,” he mumbled, knowing that the tasks he named were left strictly to women.

He expected Kirin to question him about it, or even laugh, not believing. What the man did do, however, was a bit shocking. “Do you have a needle on you, Abel?” he asked as he tugged his shirt over his head after removing his suit coat.

“Yes, sir, I do…” Abel responded, confused as to why Kirin was removing his shirt. When the man handed it to him, Abel took it, then awkwardly reached into the pocket of his breeches and pulled out the tiny silver case that held one sewing needle, along with a small spool of thread. He always had the items on him, knowing that it was an important skill that might be needed at a random moment.

“I have had a hole in the left side of my shirt for several weeks. Can you fix it for me?”

Without needing much thought, Abel got busy threading his needle and quickly located the hole. It seemed more like a tear, as if a knife had cut through the fabric. In fact… He noticed red lining the opening, making him glance up at Kirin.

“It was from an injury. The shirt has been cleaned since then, though, so there is nothing to worry about. It is just stained.”

Abel wasn’t worried about the blood. For some reason, he was actually worried about the injury, and if it was healing correctly. He would have likely noticed it the previous night when the lawman had removed his suit jacket and shirt, but it had been dark and he had paid little attention. He had learned many ways to help with injuries over his years, as every young lady should in order to serve her husband, but he let his worry go as to not bother Kirin. As the carriage continued its journey, Abel got comfortable leaning against the bench next to Kirin’s leg and busied himself with stitching, glad to have something to do to pass the time.

Narrow

“Sir?”

Kirin looked down from the window he’d been looking out of for the past hour. Abel had felt him glance down a few times, likely interested in the progress he was making. Now that he was finished, Abel held the garment up with a hopeful smile, showing off his expert stitching.

“Is this alright, sir?”

Abel watched as Kirin took the shirt back and examined the sewn cloth. The shirt itself was stained from years of dirt and sweat, along with the blood he had seen before, which was likely why Kirin had worn the coat over it. When the man’s lips turned up Abel knew that he had done a good job.

“Yes, thank you,” he said as he pulled the shirt back on over his scarred chest. Abel hadn’t focused on it before, and didn’t really right then, but he did notice several old marks from injuries long since healed, as well as some that appeared to be more recent. Most seemed to be made from weapons like knives and swords, but one, a near-perfect circular scar right next to his heart, was unnerving.

He has been shot.

It didn’t look as old as some of the other injuries, either. And darn it if it didn’t pique Abel’s curiosity.

“Sir? Who shot you?”

It was a pretty straightforward question, one he knew was likely personal and didn’t warrant an answer.

“A thief that had stolen some trinkets from a home back in France.”

Abel hunched, looking down at his dirty feet in the straw.

“Oh,” he eventually said, then added, “I would not do such a thing.”

“Such a thing as shoot me? Or steal?”

Huffing, Abel looked up at Kirin, meeting his eyes without worry. “I am no thief, sir.”

“Then you would shoot me?” he asked, raising a brow.

Abel glared and shook his head, lying down on the straw and facing away from Kirin.

The rest of the ride was quiet except for the light pattering of rain that came and went several times throughout the day. He was hungry again by the time the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon and the urge to relieve himself was near impossible to ignore. When the carriage pulled to a stop only a few minutes later, he didn’t wait for Kirin to command him and instead jumped from the vehicle and ran to the bushes a few feet ahead of him. He could hear the man following swiftly, his boots stomping heavily on the dusty ground. Abel ignored him, however, as he unbuttoned his pants and finally relieved himself with a content sigh.

When he finished and buttoned his pants back up, Abel glanced sideways and noted Kirin, staring at him with the most bewildered expression on his face. The look was entertaining and expected. The pistol in his hand, cocked and ready to fire, wasn’t.

“I am sorry. I could not hold it any longer and I assumed it would not have been favorable to relieve myself in the carriage.”

Kirin frowned and, after another moment, reluctantly returned his pistol to his waist.

“Why did you not tell me you had to go?” the man grumbled as he grabbed Abel’s arm and led him back up into the carriage. Instead of waiting for an answer, Kirin walked back to the bushes they’d just been standing by and relieved himself. When he returned, Abel figured that the answer wasn’t really wanted. He sat in the straw as the carriage began moving again, figuring they still had a good drive left.

“We will be arriving before dusk. Turn around, Abel, and give me your wrists.”

Frowning, Abel did as told, putting his hands together behind his back. The ropes were tied tight, but he didn’t blame the man. At that point, Abel really did want to try to escape before a cell and shackles made it impossible. When his wrists were all tied up, he sat back down, having knelt to not make Kirin have to bend over too much.

Silence took over again as the carriage brought them closer and closer to the jail. When the building finally came into view, it was nearly dark, but that didn’t stop Abel from being able to see it. Lanterns hung on pegs all over the facility, illuminating the giant building likely filled with cells, along with the stacks of barred crates lined up along its sides and halfway down to the pier where some were hoisted up in the air, birds pecking at something inside that Abel couldn’t quite see. I don’t want to see.

The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the building twenty minutes later. Abel’s heart was racing as sounds; moans, groans, and screams, echoed from all around them. It was beginning to rain again, making the people locked in the outdoor cages shift around uneasily. Abel liked the rain, but being forced to stay outdoors for an undetermined amount of time in it would definitely wear him down quickly. As Kirin helped him from the carriage and began ushering him toward the three-story building, he hoped that there was at least room for him in one of the cages beneath the roof of the building.

Inside it was muggy, the rain adding moisture to the already hot interior. Kirin ushered him up to a counter much like the one the innkeeper had been serving drinks over. The man standing behind the counter wasn’t any kind of person Abel would trust being in his presence, though. He looked to be somewhere around forty, with dirt smattered everywhere on him, including his greasy face and hair.

“Got yerself a fresh one there, don’ ye, Squire?” the burly man said as he waddled out from behind the counter and promptly grabbed Abel’s jaw, his wet, sweaty hand making Abel’s skin crawl with disgust. He wasn’t averse to getting dirty, and actually liked a good roll in mud or grass, but there was a limit. This man was disgustingly filthy and obviously cared very little for himself, considering his yellow and missing teeth, on top of his dirty exterior.

“Yes. Where should I put him? He is in for theft.”

The greasy man thankfully removed his hand from Abel’s chin and put it on his own in thought. “Hmm, well, we don’ have any extra space right now.”

A few yells from the cages lined up along the long rows down the hall to the left made offerings eagerly, wanting to share their cage with him. Abel felt his stomach churn, terrified that he would be forced into one of their cages and attacked. He was not so clueless as to have dismissed the possibility, but he had hoped that he would just get fined, even though he couldn’t pay it right away, or at least his own cell. The harsh yell of the jailer at the other prisoners snapped him out of his current worry.

“Shut up, ye useless bogs! I ain’t ’llowed to put anymore than three uh ye per. Those the rules!”

Unknowingly, Abel found his back pressed up against Kirin’s chest. He didn’t even know that he had been shivering until the man’s arm gently wrapped around his waist to try to calm him. It didn’t help.

“If there is no room, then what shall be done?” Kirin questioned.

“Well. The rules have changed again. The darn uppers don’ like keepin’ things the same. Always makin’ my job harder.”

When the jailer got no response from Kirin, he huffed and waddled back around the counter, looking at a long roll of paper. “It says ‘ere that for theft, he be either losin’ a hand er hung if there is no space fer him. So, what’ll it be, boy?”

Kirin’s hand pressed firmer against him, his fingers splaying along Abel’s belly.

“How long would he spend if there was room?”

The jailer glared. “What he steal?”

“A pair of gloves and shoes.”

While his situation wasn’t a positive one, Abel was glad that Kirin hadn’t mentioned that they were female articles, or that he had been wearing them.

“Hm, simple theft then. That would be ‘bout four months, dependin’ on his behavior. Then he be losin’ a hand before he be cut loose.”

Wonderful. So even if I did spend time in jail, I will still lose a hand.

It wasn’t a comforting thought, but he didn’t really have a choice. Since there wasn’t any room, he had to decide whether he wanted to lose a hand, or lose his life. The idea had never really crossed his mind, but he was actually leaning toward the noose over his hand. Everything he knew how to do required both of his hands, and he had no skills that a normal boy his age would. If he lost his hand, he would likely end up a beggar. That was no life he wanted.

“Sir, I think I’ll take the—”

“He will return with me and serve out his time working on my property.”

The jailer blinked, as if his mind couldn’t comprehend both of them having spoken so soon after the other. When he managed to snap himself out of his stupor, he leaned back on his heels and crossed his arms, giving Kirin a stern look.

“Y’know what happened last time, Squire. How is this thief any dif’int?”

Abel looked up right as Kirin ran his hand over his own chest, right where Abel remembered seeing the bullet wound earlier in the day.

“Ye free ’em, then they try’n kill ye. Just let me take ‘is hand and let him go. Even if he works on yer farm, he’ll still be needin’ a hand removed at the end.”

Kirin sighed, looking down at Abel. “What do you want to do, Abel? Do you want to work for me for your four month sentence, then lose a hand, or lose it now and be free?”

The answer was an obvious one. The one that gave him a chance to run away.

“I will work first, sir. I need to learn more skills that I should already have.”

Kirin slowly nodded, then looked over at the jailer.

“Fine. Here,” the man grunted as he hefted a chain up onto the counter, along with a key that obviously went with it. Kirin walked over and took the chain before turning and kneeling down near Abel’s feet.

“Hold still,” he mumbled as he set the first open end around Abel’s ankle, then forced it shut before using the key to lock it. He then did the same with the other before hooking the ring attached to the key around a loop in his breeches where his belt was fitted.

“Let us be on our way now, Abel.”

Getting up, Abel began to follow after Kirin but found that each time he tried to take a deep stride in order to catch up to the man’s broad gate, he tripped himself with the heavy chain as it pulled to length. The second time he found himself in the dirt, he heard Kirin turn back, his boots plodding over the dead grass and dust before he stopped in front of him. Abel tried to get back up, but when he felt Kirin’s hand on his left arm, he let the man lift him back to his feet.

They made it back to the carriage, and after a failed attempt at climbing in due to the short chain, Kirin lifted him up by his waist, then followed him inside. When they had settled in, Kirin’s driver got them started toward his home. Abel wiped off what water he could before he felt something tossed on his head, then moved around.

“Just drying your hair,” Kirin said as he rubbed at Abel’s head with the jacket he had left in the carriage prior to going inside the jail, then removed the ropes from his wrists. “There,” he said before drying his own hair and arms.

“Sir?”

Kirin finished drying his hair before he set the jacket aside and answered with a “Hm?”

“Sir, I do not know how I can be useful to anyone when I only have one hand.”

Kirin leaned back against the bench seat and sighed, eyes remaining on Abel for a long silent minute.

“That is the law, Abel. I am sure you will manage.”

Abel opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn’t. He had no skills besides that of a dainty female, and even if he learned some things while working for Kirin, he would lose a hand before he left, which would make it hard to complete most tasks in a timely manner. Or at all. Staring down at his hands, Abel was surprised to see little droplets of water splash against his skin. He didn’t dare try to tell the man that he was not a thief again and instead just turned and fell into the straw, facing away from Kirin as he tried not to sniff. Comfort wasn’t something he expected from anyone, not even his father. So when he got none, he honestly felt relieved. He cried himself out quickly, then drifted off to sleep with the somewhat steady lull of the carriage. At one point, he felt something light fall over him, making him feel warmer but not wake him. He actually didn’t wake until Kirin began shaking his shoulder. It took him a minute to get up, then another to shimmy his way to the door of the vehicle and slide down to the ground. He stumbled from sleep, but thankfully Kirin had followed him down and caught him, holding his shoulder until he was fully awake.

What he saw when his eyes finally focused was what he’d always wanted for himself. Kirin’s home was a large plot of land with a two-story house nestled by trees that reached out from the edge of a forest. It was illuminated perfectly by the broad expanse of sky sporting hundreds of stars and a large, white moon. To the left of the forest and home, he noticed several rolling hills covered in an apple orchard. Some trees were still in bloom while others had small fruits beginning to appear, and a couple even had a few full fruits.

It is beautiful.

A loud whiny caught his attention, drawing it from the trees to a pasture beside them where at least four horses grazed on fresh grass. Looking beyond them, he noticed several cows sharing the same land, their tails swishing as they chewed on the grass contently.

I have only ever seen cows two other times. Always at a distance.

Looking up at Kirin, Abel couldn’t help but ask if he could get closer to the animals. The man seemed surprised, but then just shrugged. “I suppose. My workers must have already left for the evening, so don’t get too close to the fence, some may bite or kick if you bother them.”

Grinning, Abel nodded before he took off at a run toward the pasture, but promptly slammed into the ground as the chain around his ankles caught at its maximum length. That fall had been the hardest one so far, and when he pushed himself up to sit, he found himself spitting out some blood.

“Are you okay, Abel?” Kirin said as he knelt, reaching over to grasp Abel’s chin and turn his head to face him, allowing him to see the small line of blood running down from his lower lip.

“Yes… I think I will just look at the cows another time, though.”

He was upset, and rightfully so. He hadn’t even gotten to see the magistrate to try to argue his case, but he had a feeling it was a moot point. In fact, the obese, foul-smelling jailer had likely been the man. Sighing, Abel got to his feet and wiped his mouth on his arm. When Kirin didn’t move and instead stared up at him from his kneeling position, Abel forced a fake smile.

“Can we go inside? I will cook a meal if you have ingredients.”

After another moment, Kirin nodded, getting to his feet and leading Abel slowly toward the house so that he didn’t trip from the chain again. Inside, the home was surprisingly clean, even though Kirin said that he didn’t have a maid. He said his last one left a short while ago and he just tried hard not to make any messes that he couldn’t manage to clean up by himself. After a very brief tour of the two bedrooms upstairs, the large living room and bathroom downstairs, which actually had running water for the tub instead of having to pump it from outside and bring it in, Kirin lead Abel to the kitchen. It was a little smaller than his father’s, but when Kirin opened a small box with a decent amount of salted meats and ice, he couldn’t help but get excited. Not even his father could afford an icebox!

“It was a gift for helping a baron a few weeks ago. It is quite handy to keep meat from spoiling quickly as long as my workers remember to refill the ice in it from the icehouse close by.”

Abel nodded, reaching into the box and pulling out a large cut of beef before turning to Kirin with a huge smile gracing his face.

“Do you have any vegetables or spices?” he asked.

“Uh, yes, I think I have some spices somewhere around here, and I can go pick some vegetables from the garden. What would you like?” he asked as he checked several cupboards until he took down some small containers and set them on the counter.

“Squash or cucumber, please.”

Kirin nodded and quickly disappeared out the front door. Abel could hear him hurrying around to the side of the house, likely to a garden nestled there. With a shrug, he carefully took down a large plate and began cutting the steak with a sharp knife he found in a drawer with several others. He thought about trimming the fat, like he was taught, but he wasn’t sure how Kirin liked his meat or if he himself would be able to eat much while working for him. So, he decided that it was best to leave the fat as an energy source he’d likely need in the morning, if he even got to eat any.

With a content smile, he carefully cut the large slab into two pieces, then again to make four. He then looked around, grinning when he noticed a stove. It was already stocked with fresh wood, so he got it lit and once it began to heat the surface above, he found a worn pan and set it atop to get it warming.

“Alright, time to see what spices he has got to work with,” Abel said cheerfully, enjoying himself for the first time in days as he began popping the corked lids on the tiny bottles. The first one was familiar and made him drool in anticipation. Parsley. It was a very light herb when dried, but it added just enough with a small sprinkle over food, that it was quite valuable. The next one was one he had never seen before, but he eagerly took a taste after tapping a bit onto his finger from the bottle, then touching it to his tongue.

“Mmm.”

It was a little spicy, and also red. After another taste, he deduced that it was likely made from the chili plant, which was beginning to appear in the province he came from. They were expensive, though, so he’d only ever tasted it a few times. Setting that spice aside with the parsley, he went through the other four bottles and found two he liked, and two he didn’t think would go with the flavor of beef. Once he had the ones he wanted, he put the remaining ones back in the cupboard Kirin had taken them from, then got busy patting the meat down with the spice mixture.

“I found an acorn squash and one cucumber. Are these okay?” Kirin said as he walked in, placing the vegetables next to Abel. “And is there anything I can help you with?”

Abel spared the vegetables a glance, nodding toward the kitchen sink with a pump on it. “Wash them off really well please, then set them here, I will cut them in a minute,” Abel said as he grabbed the slices of meat and gently set them on the pan, then added a small amount of lard from a jar he noticed next to the stove on the counter.

While the meat began to sizzle, he took the already washed acorn squash and grabbed the large knife, carefully getting the vegetable sliced and its skin removed. Once it was done being prepared for cooking, Abel found a fork and flipped the meat over. When he turned back to the plate upon which he’d cut the squash, he noticed the cucumber and quickly diced it, too.

“It smells really good, Abel. Did you use some of the spices I set out?”

Abel nodded as he turned toward the meat, poking it with the fork to check it. “I used four of them, but two did not seem to work well with the meat.”

He smiled, leaning over the steaks and taking in a deep breath.

“I have not had cooked meat for nearly a week,” Kirin said as he leaned back so Abel could move the steaks onto a clean plate he’d taken down previously. While he let the meat rest, he added the squash to the hot pan and then added some pepper he’d found next to the lard. The vegetable took only a few minutes to cook in the high heat, since Abel enjoyed them a bit more firm than others might. Once he was finished, he closed the damper and main door of the stove so that the fire would be put out. He then added the vegetables to the plate of meats before stepping back and lowering his head slightly.

“What are you doing?” Kirin asked as he grabbed a spare fork and knife and began digging into the food, right there on the counter.

“I… it is not my food. I am just glad that I was allowed to cook. It is calming for me.”

The man eyed him for a moment as he chewed, then lifted a piece of cut beef to Abel’s lips. “Open.”

He did as told, taking the beef into his mouth and chewing slowly. It was truly delicious, with a slight burn on the outside yet nearly raw inside. Abel had never tasted such amazing beef. His attention quickly snapped back to his surroundings, forcing his eyes to open, as a soft cloth pressed against the side of his mouth.

Oops. I drooled.

It was worth it. Not only for the one bite he got, but for when Kirin offered him a plate that he’d obviously made while Abel had been in heaven. “Here, you will need your strength tomorrow and you cooked it. I cannot stand cooking.”

Abel nodded consideringly as he took the plate, his eyes wide and eager.

“You are drooling again. Come, sit down and eat, then we will go upstairs to sleep.”

Letting Kirin lead him to the dinner table set up in the small room that doubled as the entrance hall, Abel sat down, watching as the man set his food across from Abel. He then disappeared back into the kitchen, only to return with two cups of water. As soon as his was set down in front of him, Abel swallowed the piece of squash he’d been chewing and downed half of the glass. They ate in silence until both of their plates were empty and Abel felt his head begin to bob, his belly satisfied and his mind eager to rest as his body digested the large meal.

“Abel?”

Shaking his head, Abel opened his eyes, having not realized he’d let them close. He briefly noticed that the table had been cleared before looking up at the man standing next to him.

“Abel, will you sleep with my arm around you? Or would you rather I keep the shackles on tonight?”

I can have them off?

He was surprised that Kirin considered he was safe enough to remove them, even after the threat to remove his hand. Abel knew he would have to run at some point, but also knew that it wouldn’t be when Kirin was asleep. The man wasn’t stupid, he didn’t get to be a lawman by letting his quarry slip away.

“Why would you let me sleep in your bed? I am a criminal to you.”

The question just slipped out, but Abel still wanted an answer. When Kirin just knelt down and began unlocking the chain around his ankles, Abel sighed. It slipped to the floor, and he gasped as Kirin lifted him easily into his arms.

“I am tired, Abel. We will save questions for another day.”

Abel pursed his lips, frustrated, but he couldn’t force the man to answer. He did, however, wish he would put him down. The only thing that kept him from squirming his way free, was his full belly making him tired… and perhaps he was also a little grateful for the food. He tried to keep his wits about him as he was laid down on soft, comfortable blankets, but before Kirin even finished removing his clothing and changing into something to sleep in, Abel was out cold.

(Now available on Amazon for a limited time under author T. Kierei ^^ Please get it if you enjoyed the story so far :) )

Questions That Can’t Be Answered

Waking up to the loud crowing of a rooster was unexpected, and unwanted. Abel rolled over in the bed, pressing firmly up against a sturdy, warm form. He wasn’t really sure what it actually was until it began to move.

Oh!

Jerking upright, the arm around his chest drifted to his waist as he looked over at a wakening Kirin. The lawman was visibly struggling to open his eyes as he nuzzled against a thick down pillow. The rooster stopped crowing, leaving the house in a quiet state. Abel couldn’t really think that it was silent, though, because every once in awhile he could hear cows mooing in the pasture or the wind gusting against the large windowpane to his right that looked out over the rolling hills. It truly was beautiful… and would never be his.

Stay positive. You will have something at the end of this. New skills. Possibly a job. Hopefully both hands.

Glancing down at them where they rested in his lap with Kirin’s right arm, Abel frowned. He had slept fitfully with the man’s arm around him, but it had at least been better than the previous night. He thought about trying to leave right then, but that would forsake him to the life of a seamstress or cook, which was unfitting for a male. I cannot leave yet.

Facing that fact, he looked back down at Kirin, surprised when the man’s eyes were open, staring up at him with a tired smile. “Good morning, Abel.”

“Good morning, sir.”

Kirin stretched and yawned, nuzzling back into his pillow even though Abel had a feeling that the rooster was there to wake them for the day’s work.

“Sir? Do we not need to get up now? The rooster has crowed.”

The man’s right eye blinked open and he yawned again. When his eye closed a second time, Abel thought that was answer enough, but then Kirin pushed himself up to sit next to Abel. After a minute of silence, he tossed the blankets aside and removed his arm from Abel’s lap, then slowly got to his feet. Abel couldn’t help but stare at the man’s mostly nude body. He only wore a pair of thin shorts that hugged his skin. What caught Abel’s attention and held it, however, wasn’t anything a woman might stare at. He had one himself, so he didn’t need to ogle Kirin’s through the thin clothing. What he was curious about, though, was the curly black hair roaming over parts of his upper chest and the trail it made downward before disappearing into his shorts.

Looking down at his own bare chest, Abel frowned, not seeing more than a few tiny hairs that weren’t even visible unless one intentionally looked for them.

“Do not worry, Abel. You will finish maturing in time.”

Abel frowned as he looked back up at Kirin, who was now standing by the door.

“Come, let us go,” Kirin said as he disappeared beyond the doorway. Abel quickly followed him downstairs, finding him in the bathroom relieving himself.

“What is that?” Abel asked, directing his question to the odd chamber pot that Kirin was urinating into. The man finished relieving himself and tugged his shorts back up before nodding to the pot with a grin. “It is not perfect, but it is much easier than keeping a real chamber pot. It is connected to a tunnel I dug before building this house with a metal pipe inside. It takes the excrement out to a hole I also dug a short way from the house. I have to clean it out every year or so, but it keeps the feces and urine away from the house.”

Abel stepped closer, eyeing the odd looking chamber pot before tugging his pants down and sitting. Kirin didn’t bother staying, but did mention to rinse the container with water from a pail beside it when he was finished. Abel did as told, tossing half of the water from the container into it before replacing the lid and heading to the kitchen, where he heard Kirin moving about.

“I got some eggs from the chickens outside,” the lawman said as he moved about, getting a pan down on the already burning stove.

“Okay, do you have any meat you want me to cook with them?” Abel asked as he took his spot in front of the stove and added a small amount of lard to keep the eggs from sticking to the pan.

“Let me see,” Kirin mumbled while walking over to the box he stored his meats in. “I have some thick slices of pork.”

He took out a slab and held it up, making Abel lick his lips as he reached for it. “That will work. I will cut it up and cook it.”

Kirin nodded, letting him take the meat before disappearing into the other room. Abel got busy slicing up the pork, adding a good sprinkle of pepper to the four pieces he cut from the slab before putting the remainder back in the box. He then stepped over to the hot pan and started cooking six eggs.

“Stand still for a moment.”

Hearing Kirin’s voice suddenly from behind had Abel jumping from surprise, but he stayed where he was as Kirin knelt down behind him and fastened the chain back to his ankles. He didn’t like the idea of having his feet bound again, but he knew it had to be done.

I will just be glad that I did not have to sleep with them on. Even though I dislike his arm around my waist, it is better than the heavy metal on my ankles.

He finished cooking the eggs, then added the pork slices to the pan.

“I have a lot of work to do in the vegetable garden. I have been gone for two weeks and it needs weeding. The horse stalls also need mucked out since my workers are likely focusing on the orchard today. That will be your job once we finish eating.”

Abel had never done anything involving horses, but he was more than willing to learn a new skill. While eating breakfast, he kept that same eager attitude, but when they walked out to the barn and Kirin handed him a shovel, then pulled a rickety wheelbarrow into the first stall, Abel’s enthusiasm dropped.

“All you need to do is scoop out all of the soiled straw and feces. Then sweep out what the shovel could not get. Once the floor is cleared, load straw from the pile near the hay bales into the wheelbarrow and bring it inside the stall, then spread it over the floor.”

“Yes, sir,” Abel said as he took the shovel Kirin had retrieved and got to work. After watching for several minutes, Kirin left, leaving Abel to his work. And work he did. Abel had never worked hard enough at something that he actually began to sweat, but after only an hour, he was dripping from exertion, and he was just beginning to spread the clean straw over the first clean floor.

No complaining.

He knew this work was simple and many lads his age made themselves a wage doing it. His muscles ached and he was panting hard, but when he finished the first stall, he actually felt a small inkling of pride well up in his chest.

I did it! It may have taken more time than it would if a trained boy had done it, but I will not let it get me down. I will get better. Even better than most, so people will hire me instead of them.

Nodding to himself with a reinvigorated grin, Abel wheeled the wheelbarrow to the next stall and got to work. Even with his aching arms and legs, and several blisters beginning to form on his hands, he managed to finish the stall a few minutes earlier than the last.

Two more left.

“Abel?”

Hearing Kirin’s voice at the entrance to the barn, Abel quickly walked out of the stall he had just finished. Seeing the lawman approach, he leaned his shovel against the wall of the stall beside him and walked forward to meet him halfway.

“Here, it is already past noon so I thought you might need a bit more energy.”

Abel noticed that the man was holding something out to him and took it. After looking at the item, he realized that it was an apple, but the color threw him a bit.

“I have been playing around with the color. That man they have been calling crazy recently had some interesting ideas on changing plant characteristics. I think his name was Mendel, or something of that sort. He works with pea plants, but I wanted to give his tests a try with my trees.”

Abel remembered hearing about the man, along with a few other loonies, but mainly Darwin had been the one getting most of the attention in his home province. Considering his previous predicament, Abel hadn’t paid much mind to the gossip. Staring down at the green and red apple, he couldn’t help but feel a little upset with himself for not bothering to at least listen to what people had to say about the odd men. Looking back up at Kirin, Abel held the apple a little higher, near his chest.

“You changed the color on purpose? How?”

The light in Kirin’s eyes brightened as his smile turned genuine. “I am not really sure of the specifics, but I actually hand-pollinated several of my trees when the flowers were just beginning to bloom. I only did four trees because I wanted to see how things would change. The first year there was barely any differences, but this year they actually bore fruit earlier, as you can see. The other trees are still dropping their flowers or beginning to make fruit, but the ones I pollinated by hand are already bearing fruit.”

Abel nodded, eyes wide as he soaked up the information.

“Those are sourer than the others, too. They don’t taste quite as good to me, but the color was really what I was interested in. Having green and red apples all over the trees has made my little experiment a success.”

Seemingly done with his science lesson, Kirin walked past Abel and looked into the stall he had just finished. After taking a bite of the apple given to him, Abel followed, stopping right as Kirin leaned out of the stall.

“You have done well with the first two. Are you okay to do the other two? You look worn out.”

Frowning, Abel nodded and took another big bite of the apple, then handed it back to Kirin and grabbed the shovel. He got an odd look from the lawman, but when Kirin just shrugged and turned to leave, taking a bite of the apple as he moved, Abel hastily got back to work.

He wasn’t finished until the sun was nearly down behind the hills. After returning the wheelbarrow, shovel, and pitchfork to their appropriate places, Abel hopped up on one of the clean hay bales and promptly fell back. His legs dangled over the edge, the chain clattering against the hay for a moment before everything went still.

I am exhausted.

His stomach growled loudly as he yawned.

And hungry.

“Abel?”

Sitting up abruptly, Abel looked around, blinking in the darkness that had fallen over the barn. He noticed Kirin standing a few feet in front of him with an oil lantern, suddenly realizing that he had fallen asleep after cleaning. Judging from the sounds from the stalls on either side of the barn, Kirin had already brought the horses in before waking him, too.

“Sorry,” Abel mumbled as he began sliding from the hay.

“Wait a moment. Stay there,” Kirin said, making Abel stop at the edge of the bale, confused. He watched the lawman set his lantern down on the floor, then reach around to untie something he had fastened on his belt.

Shoes?

“I got you some boots at the market. I went while you were working.”

Kirin glanced up as he tugged the first shoe onto Abel’s left foot, looking down with a smile. “Good, it fits.”

Kirin carefully tied a knot with the first shoe’s laces, then slid the other on and began to tie. As Kirin worked on the second shoe, Abel couldn’t help but wiggle his left foot. The shoe wasn’t nearly as tight as the ones he had worn in the past while being a girl, but they were already far more comfortable.

“Alright, slide down. See how they feel walking in them,” Kirin said as he stood, picking his lantern back up and stepping back. Abel did as told, sliding from the hay bale onto his covered feet. He stumbled from the odd feeling of the shoes, but after a few small steps, he got his balance back and beamed down at the worn leather items.

“I have never worn such comfortable shoes.”

A hand on his back drew Abel’s attention up to Kirin, making him notice that the man was looking down at him with a grin as he began guiding him out of the barn. “Really? I am glad you like them. They probably need a few stitches to be sure that they hold up, but I think they will be perfect for your work here.”

Abel nodded with a smile. “I will sew up anything that might need tended, sir. Thank you so much for the gift.”

“You are welcome, Abel. You did a very good job with the stables and with cooking, so I thought I would get you something to keep your feet from being hurt.”

They stepped inside the house as Kirin finished speaking. The lawman led Abel over to the table and sat down after putting the lantern down on the old wooden surface.

“Go wash your hands in the sink, then let me see them.”

Abel did as told, returning a moment later and sitting. He then reached his hands forward, wincing when Kirin took them and began massaging the blisters with a type of paste he’d gotten from a small container on the table. “It is going to hurt for a minute, just bear it, please. It will make the blisters heal faster and not hurt as badly tomorrow.”

Not interested in arguing, Abel bit his tongue and waited as the medicine disappeared into his skin. When Kirin finally released his hands they did actually feel much better.

“Thank you, sir.”

With a nod, Kirin slid from his chair and got the chain unlocked from around Abel’s ankles, then stood and headed for the kitchen. After rubbing his red ankles for a moment, Abel followed, eager to cook.

“What would you like for supper, sir?”

Kirin straightened, an apple in his hand.

“You want to cook again? You do not have to, Abel.”

Abel quickly shook his head and walked over to the storage box of meats and opened the lid. “Sir, I really enjoy cooking. What would you like?”

Seeming a little shocked, Kirin opened his mouth, then closed it several times before stuttering out, “Fish. I, um, think there is a salted fish fillet in there.”

Abel looked, moving a few pieces of beef before finding it. He wasn’t very versed in cooking fish, but he was definitely willing to try. Taking the fillet out, he rinsed off the salt, then carefully began cutting it into manageable pieces.

“Sir? Will you please go fetch another vegetable from the garden? Whichever you would like with the fish.”

Without a word, Kirin headed outside, leaving Abel to get the fire in the stove going and a pan ready. Instead of using lard this time, he found a small jar of butter and added just enough to cook the fish without the risk of burning it. Since the fish seemed to cook fast, he was already moving it off of the pan by the time Kirin returned and washed off the potato he’d dug up. It was a bit surprising to see the vegetable, as he normally only saw potatoes in large acres, but Abel quickly took it and got it cut up, then began cooking the slices in the pan.

“Would you like to bathe after dinner, Abel?” Kirin asked as he walked over to take a deep breath of the cooking potatoes.

“Yes, sir.”

“Very good,” Kirin returned as Abel put potatoes on the two plates he’d taken down. He was assuming, of course, that he was allowed to eat. When Kirin only took the plate with more food and headed for the table, Abel closed up the stove so that the fire would die out and grabbed his own meal before following.

When he sat down, he noticed Kirin already half done with his fish and chuckled under his breath, drawing the man’s attention.

“You cook very well,” he said, instead of questioning his laugh.

“Oh. Um, thank you, sir,” Abel mumbled as he took a small bite of fish. Because he was eating far slower, Kirin finished his food first and cleaned up the dishes from the day and yesterday before returning to stand near the table.

“I am going to go bathe. Once you finish your food, I would appreciate help with washing my back, then you will be free to do as you wish for the rest of the night. Whether it be bathe, sew, or whatnot.”

Abel nodded, watching as Kirin disappeared down the hall. He heard the man begin to pump water into the bathing tub and quickly finished his meal. After cleaning the dish and fork in the sink and setting them out to dry, he made his way to the bathroom. Kirin had lit a second lantern and set it on a stool in the corner, giving the room a small amount of light. The lawman was leaning back in the large tub, though he had to bend his knees to fit.

“Sir…”

Instead of opening his eyes, Kirin just grunted.

“Sir, I could kill you right now.”

That got the man’s eyes to open. He turned his head to stare at Abel, then slowly sat up in the cool water. But when he didn’t speak, Abel took a step forward, putting himself within arm’s reach.

“Sir, I could have taken your pistol and shot you if I had known how to use the weapon.”

“But you do not know how to use the weapon, Abel,” Kirin finally replied. His words, however, only made Abel more frustrated.

“Why do you not treat me like a criminal? I may walk around free but for my chain sometimes. I can hold sharp knives less than a step from you. You allow me to sleep in your bed, for heaven’s sake!” Panting, Abel lowered his arms, not having realized that he’d been gesturing with them the entire time his voice had risen.

“What would you like me to do, Abel?”

Abel took a step back, looking around the room warily before returning his gaze to Kirin.

“Sir, you are a lawman. I am, in your own words, a thief. Why am I here? Why do you not treat me like a thief?”

Kirin sighed, massaging his brow with his fingers. “I do not know, Abel. I am sure that the magistrate would frown upon the way I have been treating a criminal, but I cannot see myself locking you to the post in the barn each night.”

Abel’s stomach turned at the thought of sleeping tied to a post every night. Deciding not to push his luck, he took another step back, put his head down, and licked his lips nervously.

“I suppose I am just not being grateful. I appreciate your kind treatment, sir. May I go lie down, please?”

There was silence for a moment before Kirin replied. “Yes. I will be up shortly, Abel, so be sure not to fall asleep before then. I would not wish to startle you.”

“Yes, sir,” Abel mumbled before turning and heading up the stairs.

The next day was far quieter than the previous. Both Abel and Kirin talked very little besides Kirin directing Abel in his task for the day and the question of what to make for their morning meal. He could tell that the lawman was having second thoughts. Saw him look at the ropes sitting at the edge of the table repeatedly.

Abel hadn’t noticed the post in the barn the day before, but as he worked throughout the day, he couldn’t stop catching glimpses of it and felt unease swim through his belly. The day afterward was similar, as well as the next. Abel learned how to weed the garden and saddle the horses, as well as clean the tack. His chores began to repeat as the week wore on into another. The horses’ stalls were cleaned once more. The garden was weeded and the tack cleaned after Kirin exercised his horses. The work was making him stronger. He could feel his muscles aching at the end of each day, but could also tell that he was slowly, very slowly, growing. When the second week came and went, Abel was freed from working while chained but was locked to Kirin when they slept, a shackle secured around one of their ankles because the lawman had noticed his restless sleep when held.

Abel had just finished mucking out the stalls for the fourth time during his punishment when he heard the sound of a horse-drawn carriage coming down the dirt road leading to the house. Curiosity and worry warred in him until he let the pitchfork drop from his hands and peeked out of the barn. He couldn’t tell who the driver was, so he waited until the carriage stopped in front of Kirin’s home and a man got out.

No!

The jailer. The magistrate climbed from the carriage, stumbling before catching himself with a curse. Kirin, having been in his home, walked out and met the man. Abel wasn’t sure what was going on at first, but when they spoke for a moment and Kirin motioned toward the barn, he knew something was wrong.

Do not run , he thought to himself as Kirin disappeared back into the house, only to appear again a moment later with the chain. Then the two began walking toward the barn. Toward him.

Do not run, Abel.

Stepping back several times out of instinct, Abel swallowed and rubbed his sweating palms on his dirty breeches. The two men stopped for a brief second, silently telling him that they had seen him. They then took several more steps before they stopped and spoke amongst each other. Another moment passed before Kirin continued walking, leaving the magistrate where he stood. Abel watched, his breaths coming faster and faster until Kirin stopped ten or so yards away.

“Abel?”

Abel answered by stepping backward.

“Abel, I need you to come here.”

Swallowing dryly, Abel took another step back.

He has a horse. You will not be able get away. That is why he let you out of the chain.

“Abel, come here. Please. The magistrate needs to ask you questions about who the items belonged to, the ones I found you with.”

You promised that you would not cause him trouble, but… Father knows.

Feeling hot tears begin to fall from his eyes, Abel took another step back and shook his head slowly.

“I am s-sorry, sir. I-I am a liar, now.”

With that, he turned and bolted off toward the orchard. The trees were arranged in neat rows for nearly half a mile. There was nowhere to hide. Kirin would be closing in on him very soon on horseback. Abel couldn’t turn back, though. He had to run. Had to get away.

Forced

The shoes kept Abel from getting his feet hurt by rocks and sticks randomly lying about as he ran through the orchard as fast as his tired body would take him. He knew he should have left sooner. Earlier in the day. Of course they would eventually find out what happened. That he hadn’t stolen anything but instead did something far worse. He had no doubt that pretending to be a girl when he was obviously a boy would earn him a noose.

Keep going! he urged himself.

He was halfway down the rows of trees when he heard the sound of hooves beating against the ground, approaching fast.

No!

“Abel! Stop!”

He didn’t dare look back and instead put his focus completely on making sure that he had one foot going in front of the other. He was running out of energy, feeling his legs beginning to go numb, but still he refused to stop.

It wasn’t until the sound of the horse was right behind him that Abel knew he couldn’t run any longer. His legs were already beginning to buckle, and soon, they would be useless. His next course of action was the only one left to him besides giving up, which he could not do. Abel slid to a stop next to a large apple tree and began to climb. He had only ever climbed one tree in his life… and fallen from it. That was one of the few times that his father had punished him like he was a boy, not a girl. It took several months for the injuries to heal and fade. The scars from them had been a strong deterrent to ever try climbing again.

Without the skill to climb, his adrenaline had taken over. It allowed Abel to pull himself up and up and up. When he finally settled on one of the highest branches, he leaned against the main trunk and began to tremble as his body came down from its rush. With one hand on the trunk near his head and the other holding the small branch beneath him, Abel looked down. Kirin was there on his horse, the animal’s panting matching Abel’s as they both tried to regain their breath. The sound of another horse coming closer had Abel looking over, seeing the magistrate on a horse slowing to a stop close to Kirin’s.

“We have enough information, lawman. Jus’ shoot the boy and let us be done with it.”

Abel narrowed his eyes at the magistrate, then turned his attention back to Kirin… only to notice that the man already had his pistol in his hand. His horse jerked its head down with a huff and moved back and forth, nervous.

“Abel, tell me the truth, now, or you will force my hand,” Kirin said, his voice stern and nothing like the gentleman he had been over the past two weeks. Now he was Lawman Squire, and he would do his job.

“I did not steal those items!” Abel shouted, his voice scratchy from still being out of breath.

“Would you like to know what we know, Abel? Would that help to spur your memory and perhaps entice you to finally be truthful?” Kirin replied, his voice dark.

Abel felt his whole body sag with the weight of Kirin’s harsh words. He was angry, lifting his lip slightly in disgust as he glared up at him. When Abel didn’t answer, Kirin jerked his horse’s mane, halting the stressed animal in its nervous movements.

“The items that you have stolen belonged to a young girl named Ariella, who was attending the party you sneaked into. Her father reported her missing that night, and when he was shown the shoes you had been wearing, he immediately identified them as being his daughter’s.”

Abel’s adrenaline spiked, making him dig his fingers into the bark of the tree.

“He said he reported his daughter missing. What were her features?” he asked hesitantly.

Kirin gave him a look, then glanced at the magistrate and back before replying. “Long, curled dark hair, cream skin, and sky blue eyes.”

Blue.

Swallowing, Abel slowly shook his head and tried to keep himself from getting dizzy with worry.

“He lied,” he stated simply.

Kirin tilted his head, silently suggesting that Abel continue.

“His daughter does not have blue eyes. She has green ones.”

The magistrate grunted, making Kirin growl, frustrated.

“What difference does that make, Abel? You have just confirmed that you were with her at some point during that night. You are digging yourself deeper into trouble with your words.”

When Kirin cocked his gun and lifted it to point straight at him, Abel’s breath hitched.

“She d-did not want to stay. She s-said she hated her life and wanted something else!”

The two men below him suddenly burst into laughter, as if what he had said was not from his heart but from a jester’s act.

“You mean to tell us that during the night of her coming-out event, she decided that she no longer wished to live a life of luxury and instead left to live on her own? With nothing to her name?”

The two continued laughing even after Kirin had spoken. The magistrate nearly fell from his horse when his girth shifted on an extra loud chortle. For the first time since Abel had met Kirin, he was just as disgusted with him for laughing as he was with the magistrate.

“Neither of you deserve to laugh,” he said quietly, getting both of their attention back on him once more.

“What did ye say?” the magistrate spat, seemingly offended by Abel’s words, even though he had no right to be. When someone makes a decision that affects the rest of their life so strongly, there is no excuse for laughter. Even if the decision is poor.

Straightening his hunched shoulders, Abel licked his dry lips and repeated what he had said. “Neither of you deserve to laugh. You do not know her or how she felt.”

“And you did, Abel? I find that hard to believe after only meeting her once,” Kirin replied.

“I know that she wanted to leave, so I did not stop her.”

Kirin rolled his eyes as a drizzle of rain began to fall from overhead.

“Alright, so if I take your word that she left of her own accord and all you did was not stop her, then why were you wearing her gloves and shoes, Abel?”

A loud boom of thunder made the two horses jump, forcing the men to calm them before they could return their attention to him. By that time, it was pouring, the rain coming down in sheets. The weather was making so much of a ruckus that even when Abel tried to answer the previous question, he knew his words wouldn’t be heard. The storm swallowed all sounds that it did not create itself, forcing their conversation to halt abruptly. The magistrate soon spurred his horse to trot back to the house, obviously not happy about getting wet. That just left Kirin glaring up at Abel through the curtains of rain. Abel wasn’t sure what the man intended to do now that their discussion was forced to end. They both remained still for several minutes before Kirin finally dismounted his horse and slid his pistol back into his waistband.

Please do not come up here. Abel prayed as he wrapped his arms tighter around the tree, ignoring the muscles screaming in his arms to loosen his grip. His prayers weren’t answered. Kirin quickly began scaling the tree, his hands moving over the slippery bark as he ascended. There was nowhere for Abel to go, forcing him to stay still until the lawman slid onto the branch next to his. He had not thought the man would bother climbing the tree in the growing storm, but he also wasn’t very surprised, either. It was his job to apprehend criminals, rain or shine.

“Abel, I am tired of you talking us in circles. I want the truth. This is your last chance before I pull you down from this tree and drag you back to the jail.”

Fine. You want the truth?

“When I was born, my father, being a doctor, signed my papers to read that I was female. He then taught me to behave as such. Dress as such. And eventually, marry in order to steal someone’s fortune.”

He had more to say, but when Kirin narrowed his eyes and his mouth opened, yet no words came out, Abel knew he already did not believe him.

“A… Abel, I asked for the truth, not some story read to amuse a child before bed.”

Knowing that whatever else he said would be discarded, Abel shook his head solemnly.

“You wanted truth, sir. Now you know why I have not said anything.”

Kirin ran a hand through his soaked hair and sighed as his fingers moved to massage his forehead.

“Abel, you cannot think that what you have said is believable?”

Abel looked down at his soaked breeches, hunching against the tree as he let his forehead press against the rough bark. “Of course not. Why would I think that my words would ever be more truthful than my villainous father’s?”

“Father? You are your own man now, Abel. You are eighteen and your actions are your own, not your father’s.”

I am my own man.

Abel looked up at the sky, closing his eyes after a moment to keep water from them.

“Yes. I am.”

“What?” Kirin asked after a loud boom of thunder overtook Abel’s words.

Abel lowered his head slowly, then opened his eyes to meet the lawman’s. “I said, yes, I am,” he replied with a smile before swinging one of his legs over the branch he was sitting on, then slipping right from it.

He saw Kirin jerk forward to try to grab him, but he was too far out of reach to catch. His landing was hard, but thankfully he startled the horse enough as he landed on its back to force it to begin running. Even better, when he looked up after getting a strong grip around the animal’s thick neck, he saw that it was heading straight for the forest at the edge of the property.

Yes! Go!

As if it had heard his thoughts, the horse increased its speed, leaping over a fallen tree before disappearing into the forest.

I am sorry for stealing your horse, sir, Abel thought as he felt the animal beneath him soar through the underbrush. I hope you can forgive me until I am able to bring her back.

He had never ridden a horse, but Abel managed to hang on until the beast finally came to a halt. He wasn’t sure where they were, but he couldn’t have slid down from the its back faster. His legs and backside ached terribly from the ride. He looked about the area as Kirin’s horse started to graze. With a quiet chuckle, Abel felt his lips turn up into a smile.

Free.

He had no food or money. No idea where he was or where he needed to go.

But I am free!

Excitedly, he pulled off his shoes and ran for the small pond in the clearing and jumped in. The water was cool and refreshing, and as Abel took a drink after surfacing, he realized that it was also crisp tasting and clean. He gulped down several mouthfuls before wading back to the shore, noticing a small brook a few feet away that likely fed the pond its clean water. He noticed then that the rain had lightened to a drizzle and the sun was sneaking small glances at him through the dark clouds. He had no doubt that the storm would start up again soon, though, so he hurriedly wiped his wet feet on his breeches before sliding them back into his shoes and walking over to the horse.

“Hey, girl. I think Kirin called you Asira?”

The horse’s head rose from where it had been grazing on thick grass. It gave a snort and flicked its tail, telling Abel that he had likely guessed her name correctly. Reaching up, he gently gave her neck a good rubbing before turning and walking toward the forest at the other end of the clearing, coaxing the animal.

“Let us be on our way, Asira. I am sure you would like to go back to your owner, but unfortunately, you are stuck with me for a short time. I will do my best to keep you healthy until I can bring you back to him.”

The horse gave another snort, then looked down at the delicious grass beneath its hooves.

Hmm.

Kneeling down, Abel began to pull up handfuls of grass and shoving it into his pockets. He stuffed them until they could hold no more, then pulled another few handfuls and whistled for the horse. Her head rose after another minute of grazing, and when she saw the grass in his hand, she lazily wandered over.

“Alright, time to go, Asira.”

The horse twitched its ears and nuzzled his hand, trying to get at the food better.

“Yes, there will be grass.”

She snorted out a breath, and as Abel began walking, she slowly followed.

Reversed

Having walked through acres of trees with little rest, Abel was beginning to look for a safe place to bed down for the evening. The sun had long since gone beneath the horizon, leaving him with the stars as his only source of light, because the moon was just a narrow slit for the night. He continued walking for several more minutes before coming to an opening in the forest that lead to a large vineyard. The dwindling light above shone off of several bushels of grapes, making Abel’s stomach grumble hungrily.

“It looks as if you have found supper,” Abel told the horse as it trotted out of the forest and began nibbling at a cluster of grapes. He gave a light chuckle at the animal’s excitement over the simple fruit as he stepped closer and took the bushel it was nibbling at off of the vine.

“We have to ask before we take something.”

The horse snorted and swung its head, seemingly frustrated that Abel had taken her dinner away so quickly. “Come on, girl. Here,” he said as he pulled a grape off of the bunch in his left hand and offered it to the animal. It stepped forward, taking the fruit and then following Abel in the hopes of getting more to eat.

Good thing she is so focused on what I have and not the large amount of grapes around her.

Grinning, Abel continued to lead the animal forward until they were standing by a barn. It wasn’t nearly as large as Kirin’s, but it did have two stalls, both with a horse already inside.

“Excuse me, sir? Is the baroness expecting you?”

Starting from the sudden voice, Abel turned to his right and felt his body relax slightly when he saw that it was just a young stable boy. He looked to be around twelve or thirteen, with messy blond hair and cautious brown eyes.

“I do not believe so,” Abel replied as he dropped the empty vine, having given the horse the last morsel. “Um, does your baroness happen to know Sir Squire?”

The boy’s eyes lit up and he nodded, a smile crossing his tired face. “Yes, sir! He often brings my lady beef for the winter months, and in return, she offers him several bottles of wine. Her vineyard is the most favored in the land, so when the grapes are harvested and the first batch of wine is being bottled, he also shows up in order to exchange some of his prized apples for a few extra bottles.”

Abel nodded, returning the boy’s smile with one of his own.

“Very good. Well, I had need to borrow one of his horses and I am afraid that I cannot bring her back to him very soon. Would it be too much trouble to ask that you house her until he stops by? I have a feeling he will likely be through very soon, but I have business elsewhere and cannot wait.”

The boy pursed his lips in thought, then stepped into the barn and grabbed a rope. After he secured it around the horse’s neck and tied it to one of the stall door’s steel bars, he motioned for Abel to follow him up toward the house he’d noticed about an acre away. He had not planned to speak with anyone, let alone the stable boy, but to go to his master’s home? Abel followed, even though his instincts told him to run. The vineyard was only a short way from the lawman’s land on horseback. He could have already been there and reported him a runaway.

The thought didn’t help settle his hungry stomach, but he pushed any worry to the back of his mind as the boy led him up onto a sturdy porch and opened the door. “Madam? We have a traveler I thought you would like to speak to.”

Abel stayed on the doorstep, hesitant to come inside. The boy disappeared around a corner, and after Abel heard the sound of a plate being set down, along with what appeared to be silverware, a little old lady hobbled around the corner. A cane was gripped solidly in her left hand, thumping against the worn wooden floor as she followed her stable boy.

“Oh, what have we here? Come in, lad. No need to stand out there,” the woman said.

Glancing over his shoulder, Abel noticed nothing amiss in the vineyard or surrounding area. When he looked back at the woman, he hesitantly took a step inside. The woman smiled and nodded, wrinkles crinkling her forehead, making her appear older.

“Go on, Jameson, I saw this lad through the window bringing in a horse. Go be sure it is tended and fed.”

Her stable boy nodded quickly and excused himself, shutting the door behind him as he left.

“Well, do not just stand there staring, lad, come,” the woman said, gesturing with her free hand as she hobbled back around the corner. Not knowing what else to do, Abel followed, finding himself standing in the woman’s kitchen. He watched her bustle about, only realizing that she was making him a plate of the meal she had cooked when she shakily nudged the plate of food against his chest. Not wanting her to drop it, he quickly reached up and took the plate, then hurried to the table he had noticed in the corner of the kitchen and set it down before returning to help her with another plate she was struggling with.

“Thank you, young man.”

Abel nodded and pulled the woman’s chair out so that she could sit, then helped scoot it in before taking the seat across from her.

After a brief moment staring down at the delicious smelling plate of peas, grapes, and biscuits, Abel glanced back up at the woman across from him. “Ma’am? Is this food not for your stable boy? I do not want to take his meal from him.”

The woman chuckled quietly and shook her head, pointing her silver fork at him. “He eats before he goes to work or before bed. Do not worry, there is plenty remaining if he returns from his tasks hungry. You, however, have a surprisingly loud stomach attached to that thin body of yours.”

Abel blushed, having not realized that his stomach was growling since he had stepped inside the home. “Oh. Ma’am, I apologize, but I took a cluster of grapes from your vineyard in order to get the horse to follow me to your barn. I am willing to work in order to pay their expense.”

He didn’t want to stay so close to the lawman’s property, but stealing was something he couldn’t condone. Even if it was just to feed a horse.

“Do not bother with that, young man. Am I to assume that the horse you have brought belongs to Sir Squire? She looks fairly similar to Asira, his favorite mare.”

Abel felt his gut clench. The woman had very good eyesight for her age, especially with only the stars and narrow moon for light. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“How did you come to be here, lad? I have never seen Sir Squire let anyone ride his favored horse, let alone without proper bridle and saddle.”

Abel hunched, suddenly not sure if his stomach would handle the food set before him, no matter how hungry he was. He thought about lying, of course, but he also knew that he would not do so. Especially not to such a nice old lady.

“I took his horse to get away from him,” he mumbled quietly.

Abel expected the woman to panic right then, knowing that he was likely a fleeing criminal, but when she just nodded in understanding and took another bite of the biscuit she had been working on, Abel stared at her, confused. He waited silently as she finished the bread, then sat back in her seat to eye him.

“What would be your name, young man?”

Swallowing nervously, Abel straightened in his chair and licked his lips. “Abel, Ma’am.”

“Abel. That is a very nice name,” she said as she slipped a grape into her mouth.

“Thank you, Ma’am. Sir Squire gave it to me.”

The woman’s eyes widened and she hastily chewed her grape, then swallowed. “Did he now? Did you not have a name beforehand, Abel?”

Considering that she did not have a gun pointed at him yet, even though she had to have known that he was a criminal to some degree, Abel felt awkwardly at ease with her. So much so, that he found himself saying things he had fought so hard to keep to himself around Kirin.

“He did, and I do not believe the name I had before was truly mine, Ma’am.”

The woman nudged her mostly full plate aside and leaned forward, elbows on the tables, fingers steeped as she rested her chin atop them. Curiosity shone in her aged eyes, making Abel squirm slightly.

“Do tell me, Abel. I do love a good story. Especially one that is true.”

Abel remained silent for a long moment before letting out a stressed sigh and doing as she asked. He had already told the lawman the truth, so what harm could befall him for telling an old woman who tended a vineyard? He spoke for at least an hour, going into details about his childhood and how his father had trained him to be a female and at the same time, kept the fact that he was a male, hidden. The woman seemed completely engrossed by his words, both of their plates of food forgotten as he continued his story. It felt incredibly good to get everything out to another person, even if they might not believe him in the end. He was just moving into the part where he had to take the lawman’s horse when a loud, firm knock sounded at her door.

The woman’s previous smile immediately jerked down into a frown as she got up and hastily shooed Abel out of his seat and toward an old staircase leading up to a second floor. “Go, quickly now!” she said in a hushed whisper. Abel couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew who was at the door, and it wasn’t the baroness’s stable boy. He stumbled up the stairs as the woman turned toward the door, another firm knock sounding against the wood.

“I am coming, ya buzzard!”

Unable to stop himself, Abel snickered at her name for Kirin. Once upstairs, he darted into the first open room that he saw and knew he needed to find somewhere to hide. Unfortunately, there was nowhere. The entire room was completely spotless, the bed made and clothing hung in the closet immaculately.

No!

He could hear Kirin’s voice coming from downstairs as Abel dug through the closet for some sort of disguise and listened intently.

“Madam Lelynn, your stable boy has already informed me that my stolen horse is here, yet you plan to tell me that no one of concern is present on your property? It is hard to believe that Asira just wandered so far away on her own, especially when I watched my prisoner steal her from right under my nose.”

A quiet laugh sounded from below as Abel found something he could use in the closet. It was the last thing he wanted to don, but it was the only thing that fit him, along with the other items that matched it in the closet that had obviously belonged to a young female at one point. Grudgingly, he tugged on the beautiful light green dress and then added the blond wig he found on the nightstand just outside of the closet. Checking the drawers, he found a small pair of gloves and slipped them on, then went to the vanity. The wig was surprisingly well cared for and didn’t require much attention to primp into place, luckily. He was just lowering his hands from doing just that when he heard a quiet gasp at the doorway.

Do not panic. Deep breaths. Keep your voice dainty, eyes down, and shoulders back.

Abel kept screaming at himself in his mind as he slowly turned, finding Kirin’s worn boots with his gaze and locking onto them as he gave a small bow with his head. “Good evening, sir,” he said in a quiet, delicate voice. He expected to hear some type of reply from Kirin, but when the man just remained motionless in the door, Abel fidgeted.

“I told you to wait for me, lawman. You know I dislike you stomping around my home looking for your miscreants,” Madam Lelynn said with a huff before coming to a stop in the doorway next to Kirin.

“Ah, dear. I was unaware that you were up. Sir Squire, I would like you to meet my granddaughter, Anastasia.”

There was a long moment of silence before Kirin replied, his voice sounding oddly breathless. “I did not know you had a granddaughter, Madam Lelynn.”

The old woman laughed off his comment and jabbed him in the side with one bony elbow. “Of course not, ya buzzard. I would not tell you and risk ya tryin’ to court her before her coming-out event.”

Kirin’s boots moved on the floor, lifting and dropping as if he were uneasy and shifting his weight from foot to foot. “I-I would do no such thing, Madam.”

Another quiet chuckle sounded from Madam Lelynn as she smacked a hand against Kirin’s back, then gave him a light shove forward. “Oh go introduce yourself, you bird. You are blushing like a wee lad seeing his first true lady at a ball.”

The slight shove had sent him a step into the room, and with the crazy woman at his back, Kirin seemed to decide that an introduction was safer than getting jabbed at again.

After taking a few quiet breaths in and out, he stepped closer, stopping right in front of Abel with one hand extended on a slight bow. “I apologize for suddenly appearing at your bedroom door, Ma’am. My name is Lawman Kirin Squire and I-I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Abel couldn’t help but smile as he lifted one gloved hand and set it in Kirin’s larger one. “It is nice to meet you, Sir Squire.”

He expected that to be all and Kirin would hopefully leave. Unfortunately, the lawman leaned down and brought Abel’s hand up slightly, allowing him to press his lips to the back of his gloved hand, inciting a quiet gasp from Abel’s lips. The sound seemed to catch Kirin’s attention because the man’s head snapped up, his eyes nearly catching Abel’s before he could tuck his chin against his chest.

“I see that smile,” Kirin whispered, obviously trying to keep his words from being heard by Abel’s so-called grandmother.

Abel thought Madam Lelynn would chastise Kirin for the comment, but when she remained silent, he found himself speaking instead. “I cannot seem to keep it at bay, sir.”

It was true. Somehow, seeing Kirin so gentle and kind once more made Abel struggle to control his smile.

“Please forgive me for this, though I know your grandmother will not.”

Abel looked up slightly, confused about the man’s words until he felt his lips pressing fleetingly against his own. He realized almost immediately that it was not Kirin who ended the kiss, but Madam Lelynn as she latched onto the man’s ear with her fingers and pulled him out of the room, then toward the stairs.

“Of all the… I cannot believe you, you dimwitted bird. To steal a peck from my granddaughter right before my eyes?”

Kirin stumbled both in his stride and also with his words as he tried to sputter out excuses that Madam Lelynn would have none of. She gave him a stern talking to on the way down the stairs about treating young ladies with respect and that he would search her home no more that night. Hearing that she was kicking him out for the evening was a relief, but for some reason, Abel couldn’t get his heart to calm down and stop pounding against his ribs.

Caught

“By god, boy! You nearly gave me a heart attack when I saw you in my granddaughter’s clothing!” Lady Lelynn said as she finally returned upstairs and walked into the room. Abel had already removed the wig and dress, replacing them both where he had found them.

He turned when he heard her, smiling, though he felt like doing anything but. “I apologize for borrowing those things without asking. I panicked when I heard him knocking.”

The woman flicked her wrist as if she didn’t care, then hobbled into the room with a slight bit of extra pep to her movements. “It is fine, dear. I believe your story, by the way. No one would be able to fake being of the other gender so well without a good amount of training. Did you see how smitten he was? The crazy tweet did not even notice that you were wearing shoes in the darkness up here!”

Abel was shocked by her words, but even as he stared at her wide-eyed, his worry was slowly ebbing. She hadn’t given him away to Kirin, but he definitely couldn’t stay at her home any longer. He didn’t want to cause her any problems with the man and also didn’t want to be there when he returned.

“Yes. Well, um, thank you very much for believing me and making Kirin leave. I will leave you be now and continue on my way.”

“Oh! But my granddaughter will be having her coming-out night soon! You must stay!” the woman said, hobbling up to him and taking one of his hands.

“You want me to be there? But I do not even have a coin to my name, what good will I be to your granddaughter?” Abel asked awkwardly, wanting to pull his hand away but knowing better.

When the woman shook her head, his brow furrowed, confused. “Abel, my granddaughter passed four months prior from a bout of unknown illness. It would mean the world to me if you gave me back that one night that I had dreamed of for her.”

Why would she ask that of me? I am a boy!

He wanted to scream his thoughts to her. It hurt to even be asked to do such a thing again. If he went to another coming out, then Kirin would definitely show. Father would be ecstatic if I returned with the lawman on my arm. Shaking his head, Abel looked up at the ceiling and heaved a tired sigh. When he looked back down at the woman, she was grinning like one would expect from a witch. All toothy and maniacal.

“Come downstairs and finish your supper?” she suggested with a slight raise to her brow.

Stomach growling, Abel looked down at his shoes. He was hungry, and after helping him so much, she deserved to have her request thought through thoroughly. “Okay, Madam.”

She clapped her hands once and headed for the door, her cane clacking on the wood as she moved and Abel followed. For the remainder of the night he was lost in thought, sparing glances toward the door as he went over so many different possible scenarios that could play out between each second that passed and each day in the future.

“You look exhausted, Abel. Would you like to go upstairs and rest for the night? That pesky crow will not return until at least late morning. I have a knack for hiding his fugitives, so I know he will come back… along with that fact, he is quite taken with you.”

Abel shook his head. “He should not be, yet he has barely treated me like other criminals.”

The woman leaned forward, her smile stretching her thin, worn lips. “Do you know, Abel, that when people truly fall in love, it is not with that person’s outer appearance, but what they have on the inside?”

“But, Madam, I am a boy. It does not matter if he falls in love with me. It cannot be.”

Instead of agreeing with him, Lady Lelynn tilted her head and leaned back, crossing her arms over her bosom. “Would you not approve of his ministrations while being Anastasia if he were to understand that you were a male?”

The question caught him off guard. Quite like most of the woman’s words, in all honestly.

“Of course I would not approve of such things. I do not want his attention in any form. I just wish to be free of my current predicaments and begin working toward a real life for myself.”

The woman’s eyes lit up as he spoke, the look in them making Abel slowly stop talking.

“I believe I have quite the deal for you if that is your goal, young man.”

Uh-oh. Why do I have a feeling that this is going to be a trap?

Abel thought to himself.

“What do you have in mind, Madam?” he asked hesitantly, not really sure that he wanted to know.

“Well, I have quite the place here.”

When she didn’t continue, Abel nodded, shifting in his seat uneasily. “Yes, Madam, you do have a very nice home and vineyard.”

“Indeed. Well, as my poor daughter has left this world far earlier than I, I now have an issue concerning who will run this place when I am unable.”

Abel put both of his hands on either side of him on the chair he sat upon, then hunched slightly with a shrug. “Madam, do you mean you wish to hire me to help you manage your land?”

It was a very kind gesture and one he would have to think deeply about if she were in fact offering it to him. It would begin the security he so wished to have with his life. And yet, it was much too close to the lawman’s land at the same time.

“Yes, Abel. But what I am speaking of is more long-term. The deal is this and you may take it or leave it after a night of rest and thought. You will work for me for a few coins a day. Learn the land and the way it is worked. Then, after you fulfill your coming out as my granddaughter, I will sign the entire estate over to you, as a male, in my will.”

Silence took over as Abel just stared, mouth agape at the aged baroness. He couldn’t even get a thought out of his head beside the single word “ What?“

“I am not getting any younger, Abel. Even though I am still quite the catch for an older gentlemen, they aren’t worth my time when my beautiful grapes are in season.”

She clapped her hands in front of her once, a gesture Abel was beginning to understand as some sort of finality to a conversation or request. “So, you will get some rest upstairs tonight and then give me your answer tomorrow. That pesky finch will not return until at least late mornin’ so you need not worry about him slipping into your room while asleep.”

The idea of Kirin anywhere near him was unsettling, but considering the way the woman had handled him earlier, she could obviously manage the lawman quite easily. Shaking his head, Abel reached up to the cold food on his plate and slowly slipped each item between his lips, chewed, then swallowed.

After washing everything down with a cup of water, he pushed his chair back and dismissed himself with a quiet “Thank you for your hospitality.”

The woman smiled and nodded, taking a sip from a glass of wine she had poured while Abel ate. Turning from the table, he headed upstairs and back into the room that had belonged to Lady Lelynn’s granddaughter. Looking around, he now understood why everything looked so tidy. The room had not been lived in for several months. It was a little unsettling to sleep in a room where someone had likely passed, but he could tell that it had all been cleaned several times over considering that there was not a speck of dust anywhere and it smelled of lavender. After taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, Abel returned the dress, wig, and other garments he had borrowed to their proper places. He then removed his shoes and walked over to the bed to slide beneath the covers. It took less than ten minutes for him to lose consciousness, the bed silks comfortable and cool against his warm skin.

“Anastasia, please come downstairs soon. There is a sprightly peacock here wishing to speak with you,” Lady Lelynn said from the other side of the door before Abel heard her hobble back down the stairs. Groaning under the blanket, he wished he could stay in bed longer, but after tossing his covers aside and looking out of the window, he realized that he really did need to get up. Kirin was likely downstairs, already waiting to try to win his affections, no doubt.

There are so many things wrong with this situation.

Unfortunately, he could do little about it at the moment except play along. Shaking his head at the absurdity of the whole situation, Abel slid from the bed and hurriedly began to look through the closet. He found a gorgeous day gown that would easily reach past his ankles and took it down from where it hung. Draping that across the bed, he walked over to a small wash basin that lady Lelynn had seemingly filled while he was asleep.

I do not need to worry about Kirin walking in, but I am not too sure I trust the baroness, either.

He found it slightly humorous that she had thought ahead, but after a moment, he decided that he would be grateful for the chance to wipe away the days of dirt that clung to his skin. Once he was cleaned up and he had washed his face, Abel felt a great deal better. Since he had run the cloth over his entire body, he had stripped his remaining breeches. The thought to put them on again emerged, but he quickly decided against it. If Kirin would be snooping about him for what he assumed was going to be quite a good while, he didn’t want him to chance seeing the men’s clothing beneath the gown if it rose from a wayward gust of wind or movement.

Walking back over to the bed, he carefully tugged the soft purple gown over his head. He glanced down once it was settled, frowning at his complete lack of a bosom. Father had all of my dresses altered or stuffed to appear that I had breasts… Worried, Abel searched the room until he found a drawer with stockings. The front of the dress was decently ornate so after stuffing a few of the stockings down his chest, he actually made it appear that he was somewhat endowed.

I suppose I will be a late-blooming young lady, he joked, grinning as he pulled on a pair of the stockings to cover his feet, then slid them into a pair of matching purple shoes. After a full body check, he walked over to the wig and gently lifted it up to place on his head. It fit perfectly, just tight enough to remain secure if he had to run or move abruptly.

After one more check, he calmed his breathing and slowly opened the door. The hallway was empty and the walk to the stairs gave him a chance to think up the answers to a few questions the lawman might ask of him. When he finally stepped down from the last stair, he felt two sets of eyes immediately on him. Forcing his own to lift, Abel first noticed Lady Lelynn in a soft white dress, staring at him with such love that he almost felt the need to run back up the stairs. Forcing his attention away from her, he looked at the lawman.

He cleaned up and shaved…

Seeing the man’s lips stretch into a warm grin, Abel made sure that his posture was appropriate and walked over, offering his hand to Kirin. “Good morning, sir,” he said as the man took his proffered hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it.

“Good morning, Miss Lelynn.”

Abel’s breath caught as the man smiled at him, his eyes far softer than they ever were for his male self. He opened his mouth to continue speaking, but Lady Lelynn cut him off with a brisk wave of her hands toward the kitchen.

“Breakfast time. Anastasia, will you please go prepare some food while Lawman Squire snoops about, looking for his little runaway?”

Grinning impishly, Abel nodded and curtly headed for the kitchen. “Yes, Grandmum!”

He saw Kirin try to follow from the corner of his eye, but Madam Lelynn quickly swatted his backside with her cane and pointed for him to go upstairs in order to search her home for the boy that was right in front of his eyes. After a longing stare his way, Kirin ran up the stairs, his boots making loud thumping sounds on the worn wood as he swiftly set about checking the rooms.

“Such an oaf, that one. Cannot even see what is underneath his own nose,” Lady Lelynn said with a thin smirk.

Abel snickered under his breath as he got busy searching the baroness’s cabinets until he found a large old pan, some spices, and a bit of butter. “I am afraid that I do not usually partake in normal breakfast fare. There is some beef in the icebox and quite a few leftover biscuits.”

Having been brought up with specific items for breakfast each day, Abel was a bit surprised by the woman’s lack of eggs, but he just shrugged off the inconvenience and decided to have some fun.

“That is quite alright, Madam. I enjoy a challenge. Do you happen to have any milk or cream, as well as flour or corn meal?”

“Yes, dear, one moment,” the woman said as she got busy retrieving small containers. One had about a cup of cream settled in it while the other held a large amount of fine flour.

“Perfect. Thank you, Grandmum,” Abel replied as he heard Kirin come back down the stairs.

Turning back to the stove that had already been stocked with wood and lit earlier, Abel started cooking a few small portions of the beef he’d taken from the icebox. While he worked, he heard Lady Lelynn send Kirin off to the back of house to retrieve some of the apples he had given her. Once he was gone, she slid next to Abel and inhaled the smell of the cooking beef.

“My my, that is quite a lovely scent, Anastasia.”

Abel pursed his lips and nodded. “I added some of the salt and pepper I found, along with some cumin. I hope you do not mind.”

“Of course not, dear, but what do you plan to do with the cream? I have never seen someone cook meat with cream.”

That made Abel grin at her. “I know a very good use for the cream. Let me show you,” he said, excited to showcase some of the skills he had learned. After removing the meat from the sizzling pan, he slowly began adding small spoonfuls of cream and flour. It took quite a few minutes to get the roux correct, but then it finally started coming together as he stirred with the spoon in his free hand.

Hearing Kirin saunter back into the kitchen, Abel glanced over his shoulder, keeping his gaze from meeting the man’s in case the bright green color gave him away. In his hands were four apples, which he promptly began rinsing in the sink. While he was busy washing, then slicing the fruit, Abel returned to his cooking. The roux was finished so he carefully got down three big plates and added the meat and biscuits. He then poured the roux over everything, leaving just enough space untouched for the apple slices Kirin had cut.

When he took the food over to the table, Abel noticed that Kirin had pulled up an extra chair so that they could all eat together. Grudgingly, he also noticed that Lady Lelynn was already seated in her normal chair next to the wall, leaving him to sit by Kirin. Forcing down his dislike for the situation, he set two plates down, one in front of each of them, then went back and got his own before settling into his seat.

“So, Lady Lelynn, when are you planning Anastasia’s coming-out evening?”

Biting his tongue, Abel kept quiet and just nibbled at the meal he had made, knowing that he had no right to speak for himself in the conversation.

“I have settled on Friday. I will have to go to town later today and set up the arrangements, but I believe everything will be squared away in no time at all, Sir Squire.”

“Very good,” Kirin nodded as he looked down at Abel, the feeling of his gaze on him making Abel inwardly fidget. He did not want the man to show up, let alone try to win his hand. And to heck with all of it. He had not yet agreed to the baroness’s offer, either.

“I must continue searching for the young man who slipped away from me, but because he has left my horse here, I do no suspect him being able to get very far quickly. I should be able to make the event.”

I have not even moved from in front of you the entire time. You just refuse to see me as anything besides a criminal or possible wife.

“Perhaps you are just underestimating him, Sir Squire,” Abel said quietly.

The silence that followed told him that he should have likely not spoken, but he wasn’t interested in being a timid young lady any longer. He had taken his dress off for the last time when he’d left his first coming out. I will not be a dainty young lady groveling for a husband any longer.

“Hmm, perhaps. He is an interesting young lad. Quite gifted at making up falsities,” the lawman returned, a hint of curious humor in his voice.

Abel felt his teeth grinding together as his heart sped up, eager to return the verbal spar. Luckily, Lady Lelynn stepped into the conversation, redirecting Kirin’s attention to her. “You always find the most interesting criminals, Sir Squire.”

Kirin gave a sarcastic snort after eating a piece of apple. “Right. And you, my lady, tend to attract the most cunning of them who manage to sneak away. Then invite them in for dinner.”

Lady Lelynn shook her head and tossed an apple slice at Kirin’s head, forcing the lawman to snap his hand up to catch the flying fruit. “You know very well that I keep a pistol in the pocket of my dress, and that I know how to use it quite well.”

Well, that is good to know.

Feeling more than a little unsettled, Abel slowly pushed his chair away from the table and hurried to the sink in order to wash his empty dish. After a minute, two more were set in front of him, along with silverware that he silently scrubbed.

“How old is your granddaughter again, my lady?”

Hearing Kirin’s voice directly behind him had Abel’s shoulders stiffening, though he tried his hardest to keep the action from being caught. When Lady Lelynn didn’t reply, the lawman stepped even closer, then leaned over so that the warmth from his cheek tickled Abel’s.

“How old are you, Anastasia?”

Abel swallowed, feeling sweat begin to trickle down his back. He then heard the click of a pistol being cocked and expected it to press against his back at any second. Except, when he heard a frustrated intake of air hissing through Kirin’s teeth right by his ear, he realized exactly what was happening.

“Sir Squire. I believe you have overstayed your welcome. You are harassing my granddaughter and I would appreciate it if you would leave.”

Kirin started to speak, but he was cut off and moved forward to press against Abel’s back, likely trying to avoid the gun near his back.

“You are on my property, and I will not allow you to harass anyone who calls it home. No matter how long they have been here. Now then, please leave. If you have questions or would like to speak with myself or my granddaughter again, please do so another time, and without a negative attitude.”

Abel knew that Kirin had figured it out, but with a gun to his back, his hands were tied. He grudgingly leaned back and, after blowing out a frustrated breath, stomped out of the house with a promise to return later that night with a warrant of arrest.

Acceptance

Dread settled in his belly as Abel slowly removed the dress and wig he had borrowed. Once they were returned to their rightful places, he slid his trousers and boots on and wandered back down the steps. He had thought about running, but without the skills to ride a horse besides spooking it and holding on for his life, he would only wear himself out and probably get lost in the process.

Noticing that the baroness had returned to her seat at the table, Abel walked over, offering a small smile. “Thank you for trying to help me, Madam. May I help your stable boy with his chores until Sir Squire returns? I do not feel well just sitting about, waiting.”

The woman nodded after only a brief moment of thought. Abel quickly thanked her before darting out of the front door. The stable boy was easy to find inside of the small horse barn. He had just finished mucking the second stall when Abel caught his attention.

“Hello, my name is Abel and I would like to lend you a hand with your chores for the day.”

The boy eyed him silently for a moment, then nodded as he stepped out of the stable to point toward a large stack of hay bales. “Get one of the bales down from the top and then split it between the two stalls. Sir Squire has taken the horse you brought to return it to his home, so only Madam’s two geldings need fed.”

Abel headed right over to the bales, grabbing a pitchfork left beside them. He carefully maneuvered the tool to pull down several large forkfuls of hay and deposit them into a nearby wheelbarrow. He was sweating in no time, but the work felt good. Refreshing.

I may be tied up or in jail later this evening, but at least I can repay Lady Lelynn for the trouble I have caused her

, he thought as he worked. Once he had the wheelbarrow full, he moved it over to the first stall and opened the door, then carefully began filling the holder as the horse hurried over for the treat. It was a beautiful paint, with white and brown splotches covering it in a random pattern.

“Hello there,” Abel said as he gave the horse a pat, earning a quiet snort from the animal as it continued to eat. “Not much of a talker, hm? I get it. I will stop bothering you and finish filling your hay.”

Grinning, Abel did just that, then went back to add the other half of the bale to the empty wheelbarrow. He fed the remaining hay to the second horse, then went about doing whatever tasks the boy requested of him. By the time the sun had risen to signal noon, Abel was panting heavily as he finished harvesting several large bushels of grapes the boy had directed him to remove before they became overripe.

“Abel!”

Hearing the boy call for him, Abel hefted into the wheelbarrow the large armful of grapes he currently held and hurriedly pushed the load up to the small building where the grapes were turned into wine. Once he had deposited the wheelbarrow inside, he closed the doors and hurried over to where the boy stood in front of the barn. As he got closer, Abel noticed the small tray in the boy’s hands.

I hope that is lunch. I am starving!

Thankfully, his assumption had been correct. When he got close enough, the boy nudged the tray into his chest, forcing him to take it. On the tray was a plate stacked with several slices of cooked beef and onions. Beside the plate stood an apple and tall glass of wine, easily twice the size of what would normally put him out for the night when his father allowed him a rare drink.

“Thank you for bringing me a meal. Do you think Madam Lelynn would mind if I ate in the barn?”

The boy shook his head, assuring Abel that she was busy and would likely not be able to meet him at the table anyway. Relieved, Abel made his way up into the hay loft, carefully balancing his tray of food while allowing his legs and feet to help him on the way up. He then returned for the glass of wine he had left below, not wanting to risk spilling it on the way up if were to fall from the tray. It made little sense to go up into the warmer area, but he just wanted to be away from everything for even the short span of his meal. As he settled down in a soft bed of straw, which the stable boy had clearly made for random naps between work, Abel slowly began to pick at his meal. The beef was bland, with just pepper sprinkled atop it after it had cooked. He didn’t mind, though, food was food when you were as hungry as he. When he had finished the meat, he moved on to the onions, enjoying their slightly burnt taste. His father had never let him have them before because they made one’s breath smell terrible, even though Abel was told that they tasted quite good when cooked.

When the wine and apple were the last things on the tray, Abel took the fruit and leaned back in the straw, munching slowly as he listened to the horses down below. Soon after the apple disappeared, he began nursing the glass of wine. It was surprisingly sweet, with a hint of bitterness after swallowed.

Delicious!

Downing several more gulps, he sighed, content to feel the warmth of the liquid relax his body. He remained in the loft as the sun began to lower itself in the sky, waiting for the boy to return and give him another task to complete. When he didn’t appear, Abel finished off the other half of his glass of wine, then settled in for a quick rest.

Surely the stable boy will come get me when I am needed.

Several hours later, Abel awoke to the sound of conversing outside of the barn. The first voice he recognized as Lady Lelynn, the other soon pushing its way through his hazy mind as Kirin’s. The actual words they were saying were lost to him due to the wine still coursing through his veins. Instead of trying to concentrate on them, he looked around the dim loft, the minuscule light now allowed him to see barely a few feet in front of him, coming from the lanterns the stable boy had no doubt placed below him in the stable, their light sneaking through the cracks of the worn wooden floor. He wasn’t sure what he was even looking for, but when a glint of light caught his eyes, he quickly crawled over to a small sheathed dagger nestled in the straw but a few feet away, which he’d used to cut the grapes earlier.

It must have slipped from my pocket.

“Abel?” Kirin’s voice called from just below him, making Abel jump and nearly fall over as the loft seemed to spin around him. He didn’t respond and instead picked up the small weapon and stared at its sharpened blade after removing it from its sheath.

I do not want to go to jail for murder. I am no criminal.

Sighing, he lifted the blade gingerly to his neck. When he felt the cold metal off-center, he forced himself to focus through the haze in his mind to reposition the weapon correctly.

Even if I do not lose my life by some miracle, I will likely lose a hand, if not both.

Neither option seemed worth remaining for. He could kill himself and be done with the worry and fear. There would be little pain, and he would bring his hands with him to wherever his soul dispersed to. After pushing through another reforming cloud of alcohol, Abel tightened his grip on the dagger and started forcing it against skin.

He thought that he was cutting through his own neck, but when he felt no pain, he slowly began to realize what had happened. His mind was far more unfocused than he had realized, because he had not even noticed Kirin stumble up behind him and slip his hand between the dagger and Abel’s throat. Slowly, he stopped adding pressure to the dagger, allowing Kirin to carefully take the blade from him with his bleeding hand and toss it aside.

“Dear god, Abel,” Kirin whispered as he tugged him into his arms. Abel could tell that it was more to restrain him from trying to get the knife back than to comfort him. “You reek of wine.”

Observant.

Abel tried to form words, but for some reason, they were only manageable in his mind. Whatever slurring jumble came out of his mouth, it was definitely unintelligible, judging from the look he was getting.

“Alright, you have had your fun with a good drink. Time to get going.”

After Kirin wrapped his hand in a bit of cloth he’d pulled from his pocket, he reached over and carefully tugged Abel into his arms. The trip down the ladder wasn’t easy, but Abel did his best to hang on around Kirin’s neck. The wine didn’t help, but he did manage to hold a small bit of his weight off of Kirin’s arm as he used the other to slowly get them down from the loft. When Kirin’s boots finally hit the floor of the barn, Abel noticed the blurry figures of Lady Lelynn and her stable boy standing by the entrance.

“What happened to your hand?” the baroness questioned, her voice intentionally lacking worry.

“Just a mishap with a small dagger. Will you sew the wound, Madam?” Kirin asked as he walked out of the barn, still carrying Abel with one arm.

“…Fine, but only because it will cause you pain.”

Sighing, Kirin shook his head, and they all made their way up to the house. The stable boy led the way, a lantern in his hand to allow them enough light to prevent tripping over random holes or roots in the ground. When they got back to the house, Abel’s stomach rumbled loudly, smelling dinner cooking in the kitchen.

“Yes, yes, young man. I have made supper, and you are welcome to it once it has finished cooking,” Lady Lelynn said with a small smile.

Abel looked forward to it, but before he was even told what they would be dining on, Kirin interrupted. “We will be leaving after you have finished stitching my hand.”

When Kirin took the middle seat at the table and put his hand atop it, palm up, Lady Lelynn smirked. “Then I suppose I will work on your hand once Abel’s belly is full.”

“By god, woman, can you not just accept that I am doing my job?”

The woman rolled her eyes as Abel snuggled into Kirin’s lap, not bothering to try to free himself but instead just wishing to get comfortable.

“Of course, Lawman Squire, but that boy has been the one a crime has been committed toward, not his father or his daughter .”

Kirin seemed to bite his tongue on a response, cutting off whatever he had been about to say. He waited nearly a full minute before finding a reply he thought would work better.

“That is not for me to decide, my lady. Now will you please sew up my hand before I bleed out on your dinner table?”

The baroness turned, a wooden spoon in her hand. “You will stay for supper?”

Sarcasm dripping, Kirin replied with a pointed look at the woman’s table. “Are we having blood?”

Lady Lelynn glared and began turning back to the cooking food on the stove, forcing Kirin to growl out. “We will stay until he has eaten. That is all.”

“Very good,” the woman said before hobbling over to the table and dropping into the seat beside him. After fishing through a small box set off to the side, she pulled out a needle and thread, then got to work without a word of warning. Abel felt Kirin’s arm tighten around his midsection, where it had been holding him since they sat down. He wasn’t sure why he wrapped his arms around Kirin’s neck in a reassuring hug, but when the man’s arm loosened around his waist and slowly rose to press against his back, Abel figured that it was the right thing to do.

When Lady Lelynn finally finished stitching up the wound, the food had cooked and she had her stable boy fill four plates with vegetables and pork. As soon as his plate was set in front of him, Abel dug in, munching on the mushy squash and peas hungrily. He had turned back around and, since all of the seats were taken, remained on Kirin’s lap as the man slowly ate around him, using his uninjured hand.

“So, now that you have your fugitive back, what do you aim to do with him? Also, how did you figure out that it was him masquerading as my granddaughter? I thought he had been doing quite well.”

Abel forced himself not to react to the question and instead just focused on the few remaining pieces of squash on his plate.

“The way he gets when he cooks and also when he defended himself at the table gave him away. Of course, that and the fact that he admitted that he had dressed as a female previously.”

Lady Lelynn nodded. “What is to be done with him?”

When Kirin answered, Abel wished he was still feeling the effects of the wine.

“The magistrate was still waiting at my home when I returned, but he had gotten a message from the person he’d put in charge of the jail. Because his daughter has still not been found, Sir Hallerd wishes to press for the death penalty by cage.”

Abel wasn’t sure what death by cage meant, but when he remembered the skeletons hanging in the cages by the dock, being pecked at by vultures and gulls, he had a feeling that he was suddenly sure what was to be his fate. His stomach heaved, giving him only enough time to stagger to the waste basket before he lost everything he had just eaten into it.

Father would have me pecked to death while burning from the sun in a hanging cage for leaving his plan.

It was not a question but a mere fact. Just thinking about it made him gag repeatedly, even though his stomach was empty of even bile by then. His eyes were also watering as his nose dripped. The only thing keeping him up besides his shaking arms was the firm appendage he felt wrapped around his middle.

“Surely you cannot think to condemn the boy to such a thing! He is innocent! Have you not questioned his father about Abel’s side of the story?”

The arm around his waist tightened slightly, telling Abel that it was Kirin who held him and not the stable boy. “How would you expect that to help? He said he has a birth certificate for a female, not a male. He is the one who delivered her. No one has ever seen him with a boy. Even his maid said that Ariella was a female.”

For the first time in a long while, Abel felt anger surge through him. His maid had been the one person who had always helped him. Cheered him up when he felt down. Told him that one day he would be free of his father. Now he felt defeated. If his maid would not stand with him, then he had absolutely nothing to prove who he was. Except for the truth. Though that obviously will not help.

Despair sank into his bones as he accepted his fate. His father had planned very well, it seemed. He could do nothing but try to run again, yet there was really no hope in that course of action. He wondered if his father had not taught him how to ride a horse more to keep him from being able to ever get away from him or law enforcement, over the idea that it was unladylike to ride astride.

“I give up.”

He hadn’t realized that Lady Lelynn and Kirin were talking heatedly until they suddenly fell silent. Kirin leaned down a moment later, tugging Abel against his chest so that he could see his face as he spoke.

“What was that, Abel?”

Feeling his stomach churn again, Abel swallowed and rested his head against Kirin’s chest, exhausted. “I am done. I have nothing left to say about my situation. If I am to be punished, then so be it.”

Abel could have sworn that he saw a look of worry pass over Kirin’s face, but the man quickly steeled his expression and nodded as he helped Abel to his feet.

“We will be leaving now. Thank you for your hospitality, Madam.”

Feeling nauseous, Abel let Kirin help him stagger from the room that appeared to sway in front of his eyes. Once outside, they stopped in the dirt beyond the porch and Kirin whistled for his mount. The animal, a pure white gelding, came galloping out of the grape vineyard, a vine dangling from its lips to denote its thieving activity. Kirin just shook his head as he took the animal’s reins. Without a word, Abel carefully reached up and managed to hop on, sliding his foot into the stirrup to help swing his other leg over the large beast’s back. Kirin was quick to slip in behind him as soon as Abel slid his foot from the stirrup so Kirin could use it. Once they were both ready, the lawman spurred the horse on its way, back through the forest that Abel had emerged from but a day earlier.

“We will ride through the night. I told the jailer to meet me at the facility because Lady Lelynn’s land is far closer to it than my own.”

Abel didn’t respond, feeling no need. He instead focused on everything moving past them as the horse began a slow trot onto a path through the forest. He noted several different kinds of trees, bushes, and vines. Each one had a specific characteristic that made them unique.

Odd. I have never thought to look so closely at plants that could yield no nutritional value.

He also noticed several different kinds of birds. Most appeared normal at first, but then he realized that one had a slightly longer beak than another. While a second bird’s colors were far darker than a third’s. One that caught his attention the most was a beautiful bird with feathers the color of fire and a call that sounded like the crackling of a blaze built high in the hearth.

“Abel?”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Abel glanced over his shoulder at Kirin.

“You have not responded to anything I have said to you for the past several hours. Are you still feeling ill?”

Now that it was brought to his attention, his stomach did still feel unsettled, but not enough so that he might lose control of it again. However, he had no interest in conversing with the man, so he just replied with a simple “Yes,” before turning to face forward once more.

“Do you need to rest? We can take a few moments…”

“No” was Abel’s dull reply.

It was clear that Kirin was bothered by his response, but when the horse continued at a steady pace, Abel knew that he had decided against stopping. It was a relief, and as they rode into the dark night, Abel let himself return to his perusal of the animals and plants he was able to see. Kirin asked if he needed a break two more times before giving up. The only time they ended up stopping was right before the jail came into view in order to relieve themselves.

When Kirin was finished, Abel was already up on the horse, balancing as best he could without the man’s arm around his waist to help. As soon as Kirin was back up on the horse, his arm firmly around Abel’s belly, he got them back on their way. When they were only a few acres away from the jail, Kirin leaned over and tilted his head slightly, trying to get Abel to meet his eyes.

“I am sorry that things had to come to this, Abel.”

Slowly, Abel turned his head enough to meet Kirin’s gaze. He had tried hard not to let them slip, but the tears refused to remain at bay when he saw that one of the cages hanging over the wharf had been lowered and its previous skeletal occupant removed.

Home, sweet home.

They came to a stop in front of the jail. The magistrate was already standing outside, sweating profusely because of his large girth. “Squire! Good on ya! Ya found the murderous brat!”

Abel flinched at his words, frowning as he carefully slid from the horse. The magistrate grabbed hold of his arm and immediately began dragging him toward the empty cage by the water.

“Wait! He gets a last meal,” Kirin shouted behind them.

The magistrate snarled something under his breath about a dead man needing no food, but forced himself to stop and turn, jerking Abel to face toward Kirin and the jail.

The lawman offered his hand to Abel with a small smile. “He or I normally cook the last-request meals, but I am sure you would like to cook your own, right?” Kirin asked.

Blinking back more tears, Abel slowly shook his head. He was done prolonging his torture. He would begin to be starved, dehydrated, and pecked to death around sunrise, and if he could skip the meal and make the overall process quicker, he would.

“Looks like ‘e don’t want nothin’. Good, I like a man that don’ waste food.”

Kirin looked torn, but Abel was in no mood to humor him, even if it would allow him a short time in a kitchen before he died. For once, the magistrate was right. It would be a waste of food and prolong his life by a minuscule amount, which would only serve to torture him further. He allowed the giant man to lead him down to the dock and even climbed into the small cage without any command to do so.

“‘E’s the easiest one I had fer awhile, Squire. T’ bad the father o’ the lass he killed wants ‘m dead. Even paid a hefty sum fer us t’ split if you ended up regaining the lad.”

Kirin’s eyes widened as the magistrate slammed the door to Abel’s cage shut and then began boisterously hoisting it with a rusty chain wrapped around a circular leverage system.

“Abel…”

Ignoring Kirin’s voice, Abel turned and curled himself up just enough to lie down in the cage as it slowly rose from the ground. The sun would be up soon, so he figured he should enjoy the cool breeze and crisp night air before he melted beneath the oncoming heat.

“Abel!”

He was high enough to force Kirin to shout over the sound of the waves around them, as well as the calls of gulls, trumpeting to others that there was a new meal being hoisted up for them. Abel didn’t bother getting up or trying to look at the lawman, but he did finally respond as he closed his eyes.

“Enjoy your reward, sir. You have earned it justly.”

A Simple Request

The coming morning was as dreadful as Abel had figured it would be. The sun was relentless as it began to rise, its heat warming his skin uncomfortably. He turned to put his back to it, but without a shirt, it did little to help. With the sun came a strong breeze from the east, forcing his cage to sway and the rusted metal chain to screech noisily. Abel winced several times before the sound grew into an uncomfortable piece of background noise, joining the screaming of gulls and squawk of vultures beginning to gather on the pillar above, which held the main weight of the cage.

“I see you, you harlots. I am not dead yet, but do not despair. You shall have my meat soon enough. Just let me die with at least the rest of my dignity remaining.”

He sighed, shifting a little more to try to get used to the heat.

“They should have at least given me a pillow and cleaned the bottom of the cage.”

He had a feeling that he was lying on another prisoner’s tamped-down fecal matter, too. As well as dried bird excrement. The waste had likely been cooked down into a second floor by years of sun and harsh weather.

Around noon, the birds began to get more bold. Several gulls landed on his cage, ducking their heads inside of the bars and squawking, almost as if they were asking him if he was dead yet. One even dared to defecate on his shoulder, making Abel grumble. He wanted to flick the feces off, but knew that it would be much easier to remove once it had been dried by the sun. So he just left the droppings be, intent on removing it later.

Later.

Abel sighed at the thought of the word. What was his later? Swinging in the cage above the water, being pecked to death by gulls and vultures.

Sounds about right… and wrong.

He didn’t let himself think about the wrong portion, though, knowing that it bothered him and worrying about what he could not change would not help him in his current situation.

There is no help in your current situation, he reminded himself as he swatted at a gull that had dropped down near the bottom of his cage to try to peck a bit of food out of him. It earned itself a kick when it didn’t disperse with a swing of his hand.

“Well, at least up here, I can be a man and no one can call me otherwise.”

He laughed quietly, then slowly pushed himself up to sit against the bars.

“I am Abel.” He thought about a possible last name but couldn’t come up with anything that wasn’t similar to his former one, and that was the last thing he wanted to put behind his precious first name. And it was precious, even if the man responsible for giving it to him was also the one who had brought him to his death.

He was only doing his job. I have no proof and father has all of it. Even if I had not killed his daughter in their eyes, I am still responsible for her disappearance because I saw her last and was wearing her clothing.

In all honestly, he had looked up to the lawman the moment he had seen him years prior. It was always brief glances here and there as the man went about the town working on certain cases. After spending some time with the man, he still did somewhat admire him.

Maybe if I grew up as a normal boy, I would have been able to learn from him. Perhaps even become a lawman when I was old enough.

That brought up a random curious thought about how old Kirin was. He looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six, but Abel would have liked to ask.

Not going to get a chance to now, he reminded himself as he punched a pesky vulture in the face.

“Sorry, sir, but you need to wait your turn. You do not get dinner until I am dead.”

The bird squawked loudly, giving him a glare. “Sorry. Ma’am?”

It ruffled its feather, then flew away.

Guess I was right about it being a female. Or I am going crazy from this heat.

He figured it was both since it didn’t matter.

“Nothing matters now.”

He thought for a moment, then realized that one thing did.

“I’m dressed as a boy now. I am Abel and will die as Abel, not Ariella.”

It was disturbingly reassuring.

“My name is Abel…”

Darn, I want a last name. Surely everyone gets to at least have a last name before they die.

Frowning up through the old steel bars above his head, Abel watched the sky through the shadows of the birds flying about. With a tired nod toward the gull staring down at him from the left top corner of the cage, Abel relaxed his head back against the bars and closed his eyes. He felt the birds peck at his hair and ears throughout the remainder of the day, but none bothered trying to actually remove any flesh. He got to sleep until the sun began going down. It was still a good ways from nighttime, but most of the birds decided to take shelter away from his cage, not interested in being out in the open when darkness fell. Only a few vultures remained, giving Abel some time to relax and watch the sunset begin.

“Hey… Abel?”

Hearing the magistrate’s voice, Abel turned his head and looked down. He didn’t speak, but it appeared that he didn’t need to, since the large man just began talking again once he noticed that he had Abel’s attention.

“What is yer las’ name, boy? I need t’ fill out yer death certificate.”

Abel fidgeted, then tried to speak, but the wind whipped away his words before the magistrate could hear them.

“Blast it. Dunno why I din’ get it before puttin’ ye up there.”

Grumbling several more things under his breath, the magistrate waddled up to the lever system and unwound the handle until Abel’s cage lowered close enough so that he could be heard.

“What is it now, boy?”

After coughing a few times due to his dry throat, Abel licked his lips and carefully spoke. “May I ask Sir Squire a question about that, please?”

The magistrate seemed frustrated by his request, but when he glanced over his shoulder, Abel followed his line of sight. Kirin… The lawman had obviously just mounted his horse to leave, a large bag tied to its side. I bet that is half of the reward money from father.

“Hey, Squire! Come over here for a moment, will ye?”

Kirin looked hesitant, but eventually he slid from his horse and walked down onto the narrow boards of the pier.

When he stopped beside the magistrate, he refused to look up and instead focused his attention strictly on the man. “What is it, sir?”

“The boy wants to ask ye somethin’ before ye go.”

Abel could tell that Kirin still didn’t want to look up at him. When he finally did meet his eyes, Abel made sure that there was a small smile on his face, not wanting to make Kirin feel worse about the situation.

“What is it, Abel?”

Nervously, Abel replied. “May I have another name?”

Kirin’s brows furrowed in confusion. “You… want another name, right now?”

Abel smiled wider and nodded. “I need a last name for the death certificate. Can I have one?”

The man’s face began to turn white, making Abel worry that he might have said something wrong. He didn’t want Kirin to be upset about anything. He had just been doing his job.

“Um, I am sorry. Never mind, sir. I am fine without.”

When Kirin remained silent, Abel turned in his small cage, facing away from the two men so he didn’t try to speak again. A song of crickets soon began to take over any sound besides the crashing of waves against the shore. It was peaceful, but Abel felt anything but. When the sound of a pen scratching on rough paper met his ears, he chanced a look down at what the two were doing. By the time he looked, Kirin was already walking away, so he focused his attention on the magistrate. He was still for several moments, then looked up with a raised brow and lopsided smirk.

“Ye seemed to have won the poor man’s heart, boy,” the man said as he returned the cage to its full height, then began to waddle his heavy girth back up toward the jail.

“Ye will be recorded as havin’ died Abel Squire.”

Happiness surged through Abel’s body as he spun himself fully around to stare at the man walking away.

A full name. I have a full name!

Suddenly being covered in bird poop and hung up in a cage to wither away didn’t seem so bad.

You are a fool, Abel.

Even as he turned back toward the ocean to watch the remaining sunset, he couldn’t help but grin.

I am a fool. Abel Squire is a fool.

Nonsense

Another day began at dawn after a fitful night of sleep. The birds were even more restless atop his cage, and Abel couldn’t blame them. He felt sluggish and tired, even though he had to have slept for at least a few hours before the sun woke him. He licked his lips to try to hydrate them, but there was no saliva left in his mouth. One vulture above him squawked, making Abel glance up and roll his eyes.

“Sorry, buddy, you still have at least a few more days, though this sun is getting to me.”

The bird turned its head and loosed a large amount of droppings down onto his hair.

“Thank you for sharing,” Abel grumbled, shaking his head to try to dislodge some of the disgusting feces from his hair before it dried.

Hearing something behind him, back by the jail, he turned and noticed the magistrate sauntering about with a bucket. Each time he passed an outdoor cage he tossed a handful of whatever was in the bucket on the ground inside of it. When Abel narrowed his eyes and noticed that the men were scrambling for the stuff and shoving it into their mouths, he assumed that it must be food.

More like slop.

Hunger deserted him as he looked at the mush. When the magistrate finished with the two rows of cages, he turned and looked up at him. Abel held his gaze as his cage swayed in the breeze slowly. When the magistrate set his bucket by the door to the jail and headed down the pier toward him, Abel shifted uneasily in his cage.

What does he want with me now?

When he walked right past him over to another lever system and began lowering a different cage, Abel understood. The remains of clothing and pecked bones were inside. Once the cage set down on the pier, the magistrate unlocked it and began tossing the bones into the water below. He took the shirt and braise, tossing them over his back before straightening with a grunt and looking up.

“Yer a quiet one, ain’t ya?”

Blinking, Abel shrugged. There was nothing to say.

“Do ye feel guilty ’bout what ye did?”

How was he supposed to answer that? Was he feeling guilty for not killing his female self? Instead of answering, he just continued to stare. When the man got no answer, he shook his head and turned to go back, retrieving his bucket before walking inside of the jail.

The day passed without another sight of the man. The birds were flighty and a bit more frustrating than the day before, but Abel managed to keep them at bay with a few well-placed punches. By sunset, however, the top of his head was whiter from droppings than anything else. The jail had quieted about an hour prior, and Abel was wishing that he could rest as well. His energy was gone from fighting the heat and birds for two days straight. It made him tired, but also on edge.

A few more days. I am already not feeling thirsty anymore and my stomach barely growled today.

He knew the signs of dehydration and starvation. Had heard of them plenty of times from people on the streets, having asked out of curiosity when he was younger. Each time he could, he would offer food to the hungry, but most times, his father stalked him too closely to let him ‘feed the rabble.’ Shaking his head, he grinned as he thought about himself at that moment. He was a rabble. Starving to death just like the people in the streets.

When darkness fell, he moved onto his side and tried to rest his head on a folded arm to keep his cheek from the feces on the bottom of the cage. He had somehow managed to keep the bird droppings from most of his face, only having gotten a small amount on his right brow when he hadn’t ducked his head fast enough. He slid in and out of a doze, usually awoken by a bird tugging at his hair or a peck to a finger when it slipped too close to the edge of the cage. A sudden jarring movement shocked him out of his slumber at one point. Abel rasped out a near-mute scream and looked around, confused. At first he suspected that a large bird had just landed awkwardly, making his cage sway and the chain grind. But there was no bird. Not a single one remained above him, though he could see several gulls fleeing from his cage, startled.

What made my cage jerk then?

The whole structure suddenly dropped a good foot, making Abel fumble onto his side with a grunt. He started to get up but dropped again when the cage lowered another foot, then another. When it hit the planks of the pier, Abel couldn’t believe it. Then someone knelt next to the door and began unlocking it.

I must be dreaming.

The door opened, but instead of crawling out, he backed away, wary.

“Abel, come.”

Kirin?

At first, Abel thought that Kirin was trying to break him out for some reason, but when he realized that he hadn’t been trying to be quiet in the least, he knew he had to have another reason.

“What are you doing here, sir?” he asked, his dry throat making the words scratchy and hard to hear.

“I got a stay of execution. Come, we have two days to figure out a way to prove you are innocent.”

Two days.

What could they possibly do in two days? Get back to his old town? Then what, come back because they had no time to even begin looking for evidence?

“No thank you, sir.”

If it wasn’t so dark, Abel bet that the look he’d have seen on Kirin’s face would probably be one of utter confusion.

“I must only manage this situation for another two days, most likely. It would take two days just to return to my hometown. Thank you for trying, but please go, sir.”

Kirin shook his head, the outline of the hood he wore the only thing Abel could really see.

“No, you are coming with me.”

When Kirin reached into the cage, Abel latched onto the back bars to keep himself there.

“I will not,” Abel returned, voice scratchy.

Kirin growled, wrapping his arms around Abel’s waist and tugging. He had no idea how he managed to hold on, considering how little energy he had left, but Abel did.

“Stop it, Kirin!” Abel screamed, his voice cracking from dehydration. “I am not leav—”

Abel flinched when Kirin leaned forward, his lips silencing his shout. Frustrated, he pulled away and growled out. “I am n—”

Yanking away from another kiss, Abel shook his head, raising a hand to slap Kirin’s face. The lawman caught his wrist before he could swing, pulling him into his lap and out of the cage where he fell back against the large wooden pole used to hold the cage.

“Kirin, I am sick of pla—”

Biting Kirin’s lower lip, Abel broke the kiss again.

“Will you s—”

This darn lawman!

When Kirin finally leaned away from the kiss, Abel pursed his lips tightly to keep from speaking again. Instead, he tried to scramble out of the man’s arms and get back to the cage, but Kirin obviously had other plans. Now that he was out, the lawman quickly tossed Abel over his shoulder as he stood and hurried toward the horse Abel hadn’t noticed waiting at the edge of the pier. When they were both settled on the animal and it started off toward the forest trail they’d taken to get to the jail, Abel finally figured he could speak without being silenced by kisses.

“Why are you doing this?”

His words were extremely quiet, but since he was so close, he figured that Kirin could easily hear him. Before Abel even got a response, he was leaning back against the man, unable to stay upright without help.

“Because, when I went back to my house, I found a certain baroness locked inside of my home, refusing to let me in until I figured out a way to bring her successor back.”

Abel looked up, glaring at Kirin.

“That, and she cut down one of my experiment trees and said there would be another each day she did not see you free.”

The thought of Lady Lelynn chopping down trees was hilarious, but he wouldn’t put it past her. She was a ruthless old woman who did what she needed to get what she wanted.

Manipulative. That is the word.

“I can see that occurring,” Abel mumbled.

Kirin grinned and nodded, both of them slipping into a companionable silence as the man refocused his attention on guiding his horse.

“Abel?”

Can a man not die in peace?

“Abel, I am going to drop you in the water if you do not wake up so that we can wash some of the bird droppings off of you.”

That got his eyes open, confused as to why he needed to be clean to die in a cage. When Abel realized that he was no longer in the cage, he glanced around. A large, clear pond stretched through a small acre surrounded by trees before him.

“What?” he croaked, then coughed.

Kirin chuckled, the sound vibrating against Abel where he was leaning partially against Kirin’s chest. “Here.”

Instead of dropping him into the pond, Kirin carefully walked in a few feet until the water was up to his knees, then knelt down. His pants were getting wet, but he didn’t seem to mind. Abel felt the cool water begin to soak his legs and feet as Kirin set his lower half down and cupped some water in his free hand while holding him upright with the other. Abel needed little encouragement to drink. He sucked down the small amount offered, then spent the next minute sipping water from Kirin’s hand as the man continuously ducked it back under water, then brought it to his moistening lips.

“Mm, that is so good,” Abel whispered, gripping Kirin’s hand by his wrist.

“I am sure Lady Lelynn is cooking everything I own in preparation for your return, so let us get you cleaned up now and head off.”

Nodding, Abel began rubbing water over his arms and chest as he sat in the shallow water. The birds had practically painted him white besides most of his face, forcing him to scratch at some of the dried-on feces. He froze after a minute of washing, having felt Kirin’s firm hands press against his back.

“I will get here since you are unable to reach.”

For some reason, the man’s hands roaming over his skin were quite distracting. By the time Kirin finished with his back, Abel was only half done with his front. “Tsk, lean back against me.”

Abel did as told, fidgeting when Kirin wrapped his arms around his sides and got busy rubbing away the white feces with water. He couldn’t keep from squirming a few times when Kirin’s hands moved over certain areas, eventually making the man lean over to grin at him.

“Is something wrong, Abel?”

He intended to skirt the question, honestly not sure why he was getting flustered with the man just helping him clean up, but when he spoke, it wasn’t exactly helpful to his situation.

“Why did you kiss me again in the cage? I am no longer dressed as a female.”

Kirin blinked, apparently taken aback by his question.

“I… my hands were covered in bird feces from the chain.”

Abel tilted his head, remembering back to what had happened.

“You only touched the lever and I remember that it was surprisingly clean.”

Kirin’s brow furrowed and he looked around the area, trying not to meet Abel’s eyes.

“Sir? I am just curi—”

Now Kirin’s hand did press over his mouth, making Abel stare at him in frustration.

“Enough talk, we must get back to my home before I am out of apple trees and risk starving for the winter with all of my food cooked in one day.”

Since the man had yet to remove his hand, Abel just rolled his eyes and grunted as they walked out of the water. Kirin only removed his hand once Abel needed to scramble back up onto his horse, his soaked pants making it harder to swing his legs in the stiff fabric. Once Kirin was sure that Abel was situated, he carefully swung up behind him.

“I will hold you up again, so get some more rest.”

Kirin left no room for argument, so Abel did as told, leaning back against the man as he felt his strong arm slide around his waist.

Return

Falling asleep a second time was much harder. Abel had so many things on his mind concerning what Kirin had said that he found himself just keeping his eyes closed. He knew that people didn’t just kiss each other… unless they were drunk. He hadn’t smelled any alcohol on the lawman, though, which meant that he was definitely not under its influence. After living beneath his father’s roof his entire life, Abel was quite adept at sniffing out the mind-altering drink on one’s person.

As they continued to ride throughout the day, Abel did his best to keep his ruse going. He was exhausted, but he instead focused his attention on the sounds that met his ears. Birds were the main source besides the horse’s constant clopping of its hooves. As warmth took over shade and the sound of the birds quieted, Abel knew that they had finally left the forest and were likely only a few minutes from Kirin’s orchard. He opened his eyes when he felt the horse’s hooves change beat against the firm land between lines of large apple trees.

Shifting his weight, Abel winced as he felt pins and needles stab at his reawakening rump. Perhaps pretending to be asleep has not been the best idea. He didn’t have much time to dwell on that fact, however, because they were soon coming to a stop outside of Kirin’s barn. His stable boy hurried out to meet them, grasping the horse’s reins so that Kirin could dismount then catch Abel as he tried to do the same. But Abel fell as he tried to move his numb legs.

“Are you okay, Abel?” Kirin asked as he held him on his feet, pressed firmly against his chest for leverage. Abel didn’t want to be fussed over any further and forced his legs to accept his weight. Once he was released, he stumbled once, twice, then finally gained steady footing in the tamped grass.

“I think I am okay.”

The lawman didn’t seem as convinced as Abel tried to sound in his reassurance, but he eventually just shrugged and nodded for the boy to take his horse away. Abel turned and began heading for the house at that moment, wanting to get at least a few steps ahead of Kirin. Thankfully, the man allowed him the small freedom until they were forced to stand side by side on the porch. Kirin knocked, but he obviously hadn’t needed to.

“My boy!”

Lady Lelynn had the door swinging open before Kirin finished his third tap against the wood. Abel was grabbed and dragged inside, shocked that the little old woman was capable of making him move so abruptly.

“Tis about time you brought him back, ya pigeon,” she grumbled to Kirin as she led Abel by the elbow to the small dining room table. He quickly took a seat, afraid what the woman might do if he tried to flee. Besides, atop the table was incentive enough for him to remain where he was. For Kirin had not been jesting when he told him that the woman would literally cook all he had.

If he does have any food left that is not on the table, it is likely only the apples remaining on their branches outside.

He had hoped not to be offered food until his two day stay was over and he was returned to the cage, but the smell alone made his mouth salivate. As he stared at the food, Kirin gave a frustrated sigh and dropped into the chair beside him. Or at least he tried to. Lady Lelynn was there and yanked it out from beneath him, sending the poor lawman to the floor, hard.

“My lady, while I know you can bribe your way out of anything I can possibly do to you, I would appreciate it if you not demean me in my own home. You cooked more than enough food, if not all of it, so I will take my fill at my table,” Kirin growled as he got himself up. Then, with a frustrated grunt, he stalked around the table and sat down. While Kirin started to fill the empty plate sitting before him with a wide variety of steaming meats, sliced fruit, vegetables, and even a pudding tart, Lady Lelynn smirked and pushed the chair she’d removed from beneath him back to its spot. She then took a seat right beside Abel and, without bothering to ask, grabbed the plate set before him and heaped large amounts of meat and vegetables atop it. When she finally set it back down in front of him and offered a fork, Abel knew that his wanted fast would not happen. When he finally took the utensil and ate, Lady Lelynn turned her beady brown eyes to Kirin.

“You are free to eat what you wish. I just did not want to have to pull your lips from my prodigy again.”

Abel flushed, but after stealing a peek up at Kirin, he noticed that the lawman’s cheeks were tinged quite the color as well.

Grinning to himself, he finished swallowing the delicious piece of potato in his mouth and mumbled, “He has already kissed me five more times.”

“F-four!” Kirin sputtered, pounding his chest a few times as he tried to swallow down a morsel of food that he was choking on.

The look on Lady Lelynn’s face could have struck down the lawman if he had been paying her any mind. Instead, Kirin was highly focused on the squash on his plate once he managed to get his breathing back under control.

“You conniving varmint!” the old woman hissed before turning to Abel and squeezing his shoulder with a hand that appeared frail but held more bite than a feral dog. “Did he do anything else to you, sweetheart?”

Abel wasn’t sure why, but he felt his own cheeks heat further at her question, even though he shook his head in response. “No, of course not.” He hurried to stuff more food into his mouth, not wanting to continue the awkward conversation.

Of course Kirin would not do anything else to me. There is nothing else to do. I am a boy!

There was silence for several minutes as everyone digested what was said. Lady Lelynn’s fork scratched against her plate gruffly while Kirin’s barely made a sound. It seemed like he was hesitant to spur on any further talk of what had happened. As the time passed, Abel felt his head begin to bob as he continued to fill his stomach. By the time the conversation started up again, he had his head rested on the table, his right cheek pressing against the wood as he dozed in and out of consciousness.

“Is he asleep?” Came Kirin’s hesitant question, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Of course he is. Can you not see? By god, how a man like you ever came to be the law is beyond me,” Lady Lelynn retorted with a snip. Abel felt his mind fade out for a certain time before he heard their voices again.

“We need to leave now.”

Kirin’s voice…

“Like hell you do. Actually, yes, you do. Get goin’. I am sure you have got plenty on your plate to do.”

Kirin heaved a frustrated sigh, and the sound of his boots moving around the table sounded as if they were getting closer and closer to where Abel rested.

“You best not take him! You said he slept during your ride, but judging from the look of his tired eyes and the way he is nearly snoring, he needs a far better bed than the back of a horse! And you are lucky he told me that a kiss is the only thing you took from him, too. The way he came waddling inside earlier, I swear I nearly thought to remove your boys with a pair of sheering clippers!”

There was a stifled and pained sound before he felt his body being lifted into strong, firm arms.

“We have two days, Madam. There is no time to stop and rest.”

The woman cackled then. “Oh, there is plenty of time, Sir Squire. You have given the magistrate your portion of the reward for bringing the boy in, and if I add a small bit to it, he will, I’m sure, gladly tack on a day or three.”

Exasperated, Kirin responded. “And if he decides that his coffers are plenty full for the moment?”

“Oh hush. That tub of a man is greedier than the king himself. Now get that boy upstairs and tucked into a proper bed. He deserves a real night’s sleep before he is toted off tomorrow by an unchivalrous lawman.”

Abel could tell by the tenseness in Kirin’s body that he had a retort for her, but wisely bit his tongue on the words. When he began moving, he feared that he was going to be carried back outside for another long ride, but when he felt and heard them begin to move upstairs, he couldn’t help but sigh with relief.

Oops.

“You little devil. You are awake,” Kirin said with a light chuckle to his voice. Having not heard Lady Lelynn’s footsteps behind them, Abel nuzzled his head a bit closer against Kirin’s firm chest.

“A little…”

“You are a little awake? There is no a little awake. It is awake or asleep.”

Grinning, Abel yawned, then mumbled, “Why did you kiss me in the cage?”

That got a grumble out of Kirin, effectively ending the previous discussion. There was quiet for another moment before he was carefully set down on something soft and unbelievably comfortable. Unable to control himself, Abel rolled about, getting into the perfect comfy position before settling, his head resting on a fluffed, crisp pillow.

“Getting comfortable in another man’s bed, hm?”

He felt a slight hint of panic well up in his gut, but the need for sleep and the soft mattress and sheets beneath him made the worry dissipate quickly. “You are a gentlemen,” Abel finally mumbled against the pillow as he felt Kirin gently remove his shoes from his feet.

“Oh?”

Abel just gave a quiet grunt, already feeling the pull of sleep trying to bring him back to its dark depths.

“What if I am not so gentlemanly?”

Feeling the mattress depress beside him, Abel forced his eyes to crack open. It was fairly dark in the room, the only light coming from the moon hovering outside. It was enough, though, to allow him to see Kirin staring down at him. When a hand gently pressed against his cheek, Abel closed his eyes, only opening them again when Kirin’s thumb began to trace his lower lip.

“I do not know what to do with myself right now, Abel.”

Forcing himself to sit up, Abel eyed the lawman sleepily. He was too tired to comprehend what Kirin said besides the plain definition. “Why is that, sir?” he rasped out before yawning. When he opened his eyes again after the gesture, he was only slightly surprised to feel the man’s soft lips against his own. If Kirin had kissed him gently instead of getting into the action of it, Abel would have likely been able to warn him. As it was, he was left to gasp when Lady Lelynn’s firm cane came down on the back of Kirin’s head. The man immediately pulled away, wincing as he began rubbing at his new minor injury.

“If you are so desperate for affection, Mr. Lawman, might I suggest a brothel? There are plenty a short ride from here in town,” said the baroness with a dull tone.

Abel flushed in the dim lighting.

Surely he has no intention of treating me like a prostitute.

“And do not go telling me that you were not going to take advantage. Was that your sixth kiss, now?”

Kirin ground his teeth together as he scooted back to the edge of the bed, still rubbing at the back of his head where her cane had caught him by surprise. “No. Fifth. Blasted woman.”

“Well, I will not have you sneaking about kissing the poor boy as he tries to sleep. Get yourself to another room.”

Glaring, Kirin stood, shoving his hands into his pockets. Likely doing so only to keep him from doing something stupid.

“Listen, Madam. This is my house, and he is my prisoner. I accept that I have overstepped my boundaries on multiple occasions and will cease to do so from here on, but I will not leave him alone and chance another escape.”

Abel felt his heart twinge at the lawman’s words. He looked down at the soft blankets and eventually just laid back down, facing away from the arguers. Their continued words quickly became muffled as he let sleep take over his mind. He had no idea what Kirin wanted in concern with his random kisses, but right then, he just did not care. The chance to sleep in a good bed was an offer he refused to waste.

He had intended to get a night of restful, dreamless sleep, but of course, life had other plans for him. It felt like he had been asleep for only a few minutes when he began to dream. The familiar scent of bird feces stung his nose and the call of its depositors echoed in his head as an invisible breeze played against his face. His hair stirred, and the cage swung on a particularly strong gust. The pinch of a bird beak forced him to jerk his arm away from the bars. However, another took over, nipping his hair and pulling, hard. He swatted at it, but something suddenly restrained his hand, allowing the bird to continue trying to dissect strands of hair from his scalp. A third bird came in for a bite at his big toe, forcing him to kick while at the same time trying to free himself from the imaginary restraint on his arm.

“Abel!”

Jerking his eyes open, Abel gasped and tried to pull away from whatever was holding him. Instead of breaking free, he was pinned down to the bed with both of his wrists forced above his head.

“Calm down, Abel. You are not in the cage. There are no birds,” Kirin whispered hurriedly as he fought against Abel’s continuous struggles. It was hard to fight the haze of his dream, though. It refused to vanish from his mind, and the shadow pain continued to pinch at his skin, raising Abel’s panic. He fought for all he was worth until moist lips fell against his own and a firm, heavy body forced his torso and legs to still.

After another moment, his hands were freed. Unable to help himself, Abel wrapped them around Kirin’s neck as the kiss ended and he buried his face in the man’s warm neck. He was shivering from the aftereffects of the dream and was glad that Kirin tugged him up and into his arms for a tight hug after shifting his body off of him.

“I have got you. You are okay, Abel. Nothing will hurt you here.”

He knew that Kirin would not hurt him, but that didn’t mean that he would not be returned to the cage. While he was in it, he had not been worried. His course had been clear. Now, he had a slim chance of possible freedom, which was highly unlikely to occur. The much more possible outcome was that he would return to his swinging prison to be starved and pecked until nothing more remained on his bones. His shivering grew stronger, enticing Kirin to tighten his arms around him.

“Please calm down. Please.”

The whispers against his ear sounded stressed, but also almost like begging. Abel forced himself to slowly relax, pushing away the images that tried to play across his eyes over and over. When he had finally stopped his shivering, Kirin loosened his arms, allowing Abel to lean back enough to look into the man’s eyes.

“I am sorry, Abel,” Kirin whispered, obviously still shaken from the outburst, himself. The logical response from Abel would be to say that he was okay, but he was not a liar. Instead of speaking right away, Abel leaned back in, accepting the hug that came with the gesture. Kirin carefully wrapped him up in the large blanket he had been using. And, Abel noticed, Kirin had been sleeping atop the blanket that had been placed over him after he’d fallen asleep during the argument.

Lady Lelynn probably made him get another blanket.

“Do you think that you could sleep awhile longer, Abel? Or would you like to get an early breakfast and leave soon?”

The decision required no thought. “I would like to go as soon as possible.”

He sounded tired, and considering that it didn’t seem too early in the morning, he likely would be dragging for most of the ride. At least I am okay… for the moment. It was little reassurance, but when he was released from Kirin’s arms and slid to the edge of the bed, he decided to focus on it anyway. He was free of the cage, and he had back what little life he had made for himself so far. Smiling, Abel got himself up and stretched, his arms reaching over his head as he gave a quiet groan of appreciation.

When he relaxed again he noticed Kirin hurrying out of the room, shaking his head as he mumbled under his breath, “Perhaps stopping at a brothel is a good idea.”

Something New

The red light district was never somewhere Abel thought he would venture. He had suggested that they find a brothel in another part of town, but Kirin had just laughed at that and nudged his horse toward a large red brick building nestled between two smaller wooden structures. One looked like a tavern, the other, he wasn’t sure.

The smell of the surrounding street, however, was quite pungent. There was more than just the scent of alcohol and filth in the air, but Abel could not put his finger on it as he was tugged by his wrist toward the brothel. When they walked through the door into the large, warm room, all eyes suddenly turned to them, making Abel glad that Kirin had let him borrow one of his old shirts. It was too big, of course, but it covered his chest and settled a few inches below the waist of his pants.

Several of the women, obviously prostitutes considering their scant clothing and growing smirks, eyed him specifically. When one, a particularly large woman, walked up to him, Abel cautiously stepped to the side, trying to disappear behind Kirin’s back. He wanted no attention from anyone in the room, yet each time he tried to step away from an encroaching female, another just took her place,

“Good evening, ladies,” Kirin said, finally resting his arm around Abel’s shoulders to keep him still. They had ridden for a good while, skipping the town Lady Lelynn had suggested they stop at to take part in the brothels there. That was how they ended up at their current one. Abel wasn’t happy about it.

“Good evening, sir. How has your day been? Would you like a drink?” one of the women asked as she held out a large mug of beer, all but forcing it into Kirin’s hand.

“Thank you, ma’am,” he said with a widening grin. The woman nodded, then turned and led them toward a very comfortable looking set of wing chairs. Kirin sank down into one, and Abel would have been lying if he said he didn’t want to join the man, if only to stay close to his current guardian. Unfortunately, the edge of his chair was swiftly taken by one of the thinner prostitutes as she began to fuss over the lawman, who was already sipping heartily from his drink. Unwillingly, Abel felt himself being pulled backward by the collar of his borrowed shirt until he fell into the second large chair.

A prostitute, this one a tad larger than the other, swiftly found her way into his lap. Abel leaned back abruptly, trying his best to get as far away from the woman as possible, but failing miserably. He wanted to call Kirin for help to remove her, but when he looked over, his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. Kirin was leaning back in his chair, his mouth firm against the prostitute’s, the fingers of his free hand tangling in her hair and pushing her closer.

When the woman on his own lap began to run her hands up his chest from beneath his shirt, he flinched and bit his lower lip to stifle building frustration. What it was directed toward, he didn’t know.

“Hello there, handsome boy. You like looking at my friend?” the prostitute questioned, drawing Abel’s attention up to her for the first time since she’d climbed onto his lap.

“Your friend? No… I um, I am not here for um… female attentions.”

Had he said that right? He wasn’t sure, but when a look of sudden understanding crossed the woman’s face, he felt his body relax in relief. When the woman actually got off of him, he was ecstatic!

“You hold on a second, cutie. I knew you were here for something else. I could see it in your eyes when you walked in. I am a bit jealous, but I will go fetch someone for you.”

Fetch someone for me? Had she not understood?

Abel looked around nervously, trying his best to keep his eyes averted from the heated situations building around the room, especially the one to his right, where Kirin was enjoying his prostitute quite openly. He remained seated for another minute before a large, firm hand settled on his shoulder and someone leaned over to smile next to his cheek.

“Hello there,” the man cooed, his fingers squeezing a little tighter on Abel’s shoulder as he turned his head to look at him.

Wow. He is very handsome.

“Hello?” he said, curious as to what the man wanted with him.

“Come,” he said simply, giving Abel another grin as he gently helped him up out of the large chair and then guided him toward a flight of stairs beyond the sitting area. Abel looked over his shoulder at Kirin, opening his mouth to tell him that he had to go for a few moments, evidently, but it was quite clear that the lawman wouldn’t be hearing him even if he did speak. So he clamped his mouth shut and instead focused on the stairs, silently wondering why they had to go up them.

When they came to the first room on the left, the man knocked once, then opened the door to reveal a large bed. And that was all. Just a giant bed. It was made impeccably with light blue silk coverings and soft plush pillows.

Wait a second.

Abel was gently nudged by a hand that had moved to his lower back, making him take several steps into the room before pausing to look up at the man. He needed to tell him that he was confused, but he never got the chance. For what had to be his fourth or fifth time in the past several days, or perhaps sixth, Abel was silenced by a kiss. He froze, eyes wide as they took in the man’s wispy black hair, and after a moment, his bright blue eyes staring back at him.

“It has been a long while since I have had such an adorable young man. Do you have any requests, hun?” the man asked as he guided Abel to the bed, then somehow got him into it and on his back without much of a fuss.

This is going way too fast! Wait, this should not be going at all!

“I-I believe you have been mistaken,” he stuttered, trying to get back up, yet unable to because of a simple hand splayed across his chest.

“Shh. It will be alright. I am the best when it comes to loving young lads. You will be in heaven before I am even through touching.”

Abel’s face turned cherry red at the man’s words, accidentally sending some sort of signal that he was somehow okay with what he had said he would do. When the man leaned over him and their lips met again, Abel reached up, trying to push at the man’s firm chest. Somehow, that also seemed to send the wrong signal, because before he knew it, his borrowed shirt was being expertly unbuttoned and the man’s strong hands pressed against his bare skin.

He was so lost as to what the man wanted out of him. He was treating him like a woman, but he had no way to consummate anything. When he felt the man begin to kiss down his neck, though, he couldn’t help but tilt his head back and let a little moan slip from his lips. It reminded him of a feeling he’d discovered when he was younger. He had told his father once he had found out that touching himself made the feelings become amazingly pleasant… and that had been the second time his father had laid a hand on him in punishment. Now he felt those same feelings, and that same fear that his father’s fist had instilled in him. Yet he did not care.

It feels good.

The man’s mouth moved to his left nipple and began suckling, making Abel gasp and arch into him. He felt hungry. Starved even, for the attention he was finally receiving.

“Feel good, hun?” the man whispered as he began kissing his way over to the other nipple, which was already rising for attention.

“P-please…” Abel managed, not even remembering the question he was asked. Just knowing that he wanted more. More attention. More sensation. He also wanted to hide under the bed in embarrassment, but the other two interests held him firmly where he was… along with the man’s body weight on his lower half.

“Such a sweet soul you are,” the man said as he took his other nipple into his mouth and teased it playfully. When the skin puckered and began to ache, he relented, only to begin traveling lower, following the very faint trail of hair that was just beginning to make itself known on Abel’s lower belly. The man easily undid the button fastening Abel’s pants, then gently tugged them down to his knees.

“Delicious…”

Abel wasn’t sure what the man was referring to. His head was too hazy to understand much of what was going on. When the man gently wrapped his smooth hand around his hard length, he couldn’t think about a single thing besides the attention he was receiving, anyway.

By god. It feels so good!

“Wha’ the ’ell?”

The man’s weight suddenly lifted from him, drawing a quiet cry from Abel.

“Hollem, do not fight him. They came in together,” a woman’s voice said, though Abel couldn’t see her since he was still lying flat on the bed and the man was blocking his view.

Abel saw him pause near the edge of the bed, looking down at him with a hungry longing in his eyes before he returned his attention to a slowly approaching Kirin. He was visibly drunk. Likely close to being completely sloshed out of his mind, but he refused to stumble as he made his way angrily toward the bed. The man, whose name finally registered in Abel’s mind as Hollem, easily managed to sidestep the lawman and make it to the door before Kirin even realized he had moved away.

“Let us go, Hollem. They appear to have things they need to figure out,” the woman at the door said with an intrigued tone. Hollem didn’t seem as impressed, but he obviously knew better than to cause trouble with their clients. With that, the two left, shutting the door as Kirin turned his heated attention to a very naked, very embarrassed Abel.

With those hazy, predatory eyes on him, Abel forced himself to think through his own foggy head and try to stumble away. He didn’t get far. He stumbled due to his breeches being around his knees already. Kirin was quick to respond to his attempt, however, and encompassed Abel’s body with his own before using his weight to pin him against the silk sheets. His heart thundered hard in his chest as Kirin leaned closer, his lips pressing against Abel’s neck as he began to rub himself against his naked backside.

Abel knew he had to stop the lawman. Things were finally beginning to click in his mind as he felt Kirin’s hard length press between his creases, easily felt through the man’s trousers. He had no idea how he hadn’t figured it out before, but Kirin had no hesitancy in his actions. When he got to the point where he had to be feeling pain from the pressure in his pants, the man reached between them and unfastened the button, freeing himself to allow him to press skin against skin.

By god…

His father’s beating reverberated through his mind as he felt Kirin’s length nudge at his opening.

I should stop him. He will not remember much tomorrow, or at least not right away, with how much alcohol is in him right now. They must have given him their strongest drink.

And then Abel blinked, suddenly realizing something.

He may not remember much of it. I can try it and he will not remember, hopefully. There will be nothing but the memories of the moment for me and relaxation for him.

With those thoughts Abel bit his lower lip and tilted his head to the side with a quiet whine. He got Kirin’s attention away from his neck and welcomed the kiss he got in response. Then welcomed the incredible mixture of pleasure and searing pain that came soon after.

Pretend

Come morning, Abel awoke and made his way silently downstairs, finding a spot in front of the dull fire after receiving a small mug of warm milk from a young server. It wasn’t very cold outside when he had checked before sitting, but the milk still soothed his worried nerves. Nothing, however, could quell the terrible ache in his backside. Images of Kirin’s physical attentions swarmed his mind again, as they had been all morning and eve. His heart fluttered into a paced canter, slowly working its way up to a trot. It probably would have grown into a full-blown gallop if fear hadn’t slammed into his chest, halting his excitement in an instant.

No wonder Father told me not to make those feelings surface.

“Hey there, hun.”

Abel flinched, biting the lip of the mug he held to keep from letting a sound slip out. When he had control of himself again, he looked up, noticing the man who had taken him upstairs the night before.

Hollem.

“Hello,” Abel replied with an awkward nod as a blush covered his cheeks. Instead of poking fun at his obvious coloring, Hollem calmly slid into the large wing chair beside him with a small smile on his face.

“How was your night?” he finally asked, making Abel shift uneasily.

“Painful.”

He hadn’t meant to say that. Heck, he hadn’t meant to say anything. The words just slipped out. Abel hunched in his chair, hoping that the man would ignore him. Of course, he was quite low on luck from his current status as prisoner, thief, and murderer, so he wasn’t surprised in the least when Hollem spoke. A slight chuckle sounded in his words but died quite quickly when he noticed that Abel had been being honest.

“I am sorry, hun. You did not know that your companion… I mean, you two were not physically involved prior to coming here?” Hollem asked.

Shaking his head, Abel forced himself to take another sip of his warm milk. The liquid was not settling well in his stomach. He had made a mistake and would try not to dwell on it. Though it was hard not to when Hollem refused to drop the subject, even when it was clear that he did not want to talk about it.

“I checked on your friend before coming down here. He will be up soon. Are you going to tell him what has happened? I do not doubt that he will remember eventually, but perhaps you will have a day or so to put together what you wish to say…”

What I wish to say?

Furrowing his brows, Abel set his mug aside on the tiny table between them and frowned. “What do you mean?”

The man’s smile returned as he stood. “It is clear that you are unfamiliar with the idea of relationships. Please, do not allow him to figure it out on his own. Tell him what has happened as soon as you are able.”

Before Abel could question him further, Hollem leaned over and pressed a small kiss to his forehead before sauntering off with a swagger that emphasized his hips. When Hollem disappeared around a corner, a sound over by the stairs drew Abel’s gaze to Kirin, who was now standing at the bottom of them, one hand pressed against his forehead. It was clear in his eyes that he was hungover from the large drink he’d had the night prior, but when their eyes met, the pain in the man’s head seemed to be pushed to the back of his mind. His face lit up, an excited grin on his lips as he walked over. Instead of sitting, he dropped several coins onto the counter to pay for their night then stopped behind Abel, forcing the younger man to turn in his seat.

“How was your night, Abel? Did you enjoy yourself as much as I feel I did?” Kirin asked.

Ah, so he cannot remember. Yet.

Forcing down an inkling of rising fear, Abel faked a smile and nodded. When Kirin remained standing, he hesitantly got to his feet, wincing only once from the terrible ache in his backside. He noticed the lawman watching him, but the haze of sleep, or at least the throbbing in his temples from the alcohol, seemed to keep his curiosity from being voiced. Instead, he slowly nodded, then gestured for Abel to follow him. Unfortunately, when they stepped outside, Abel realized what was going to occur.

I cannot ride a horse right now!

He hurt badly enough. Thinking about getting up onto the horse turned his thoughts to speaking with the lawman about what had happened.

But what will that do? he thought to himself as Kirin unfastened his horse from the hitching post and began walking it over. It will do nothing. We still have to get back to my old town today, truth or no truth. Pain or no pain.

“Abel, are you feeling alright? You look rather pale.”

He had no doubt. When Kirin stopped in front of him, he warily stared up at the horse’s back, wishing over anything else that he had not given way to curiosity. You need to deal with it. You made the mistake. Biting his lower lip, he hurried to hoist himself up into the saddle, nearly crying out as a shot of pain jolted up his spine.

Kirin was up in the saddle a moment later, but even as they started heading down the road, he looked over his shoulder at Abel several times. Worry was clear in his eyes. No matter how hard Abel tried to hide his growing discomfort, the saddle was not built for two people, and as the horse cantered slowly, Abel couldn’t keep his face expressionless. He was glad, however, when Kirin decided against pushing questions upon him. They rode until the sun was directly overhead, stopping at a small pond less than a mile from a town, which they had just passed through to wash briefly. Unfortunately, that was when Kirin turned his full attention to Abel as they both removed their clothing in order to slip into the waist-deep stream.

Abel had been trying the whole morning to keep himself calm, but after riding for several hours, he couldn’t hide the limp in his step, and evidently there was much more damning evidence than he’d thought.

“Abel… Did you… You had a male prostitute?”

Flinching, Abel hurried into the cold water. He noticed what had given him away abruptly as it began to wash away in the current. Blood washed from his leg and as he awkwardly rubbed his sore backside, more began to come off of his skin. No wonder it had hurt so badly.

“Abel, why would you have a male prostitute? That is unholy and… and wrong,” Kirin said, still sounding like he couldn’t believe what had occurred.

Hurt welled up in Abel’s chest as he turned to face Kirin, who was now completely nude and walking into the chilly water. He was all muscle where Abel knew he had very little. He was also tall, where Abel was merely average height. And Abel’s eyes trailed down Kirin’s chest, dusted with dark curls to his manhood, only managing a glimpse before it slipped beneath the surface of the water. A thin wave of something akin to jealousy rushed through his body before he took a step back, eyes narrowing at the lawman.

“What does it matter who I decide to take to my bed? God did not smite me for the decision, as I am still here,” Abel growled back.

The look that his little outburst put on Kirin’s face would have been humorous if Abel weren’t so worried that he felt faint, even standing in the chilly water. It had been Kirin who had initiated the act! Even if he had been allowing Hollem to touch him, he had not given Kirin such permissions… at first. Feeling his face warm, Abel turned and walked into the deeper section of the pond, feeling the water rise up to his torso before he began to run his hands along his arms and legs to remove any grime or sweat from the previous day’s endeavors. Among other things.

Silence took over, allowing Abel to wash in peace for all of five minutes. When Kirin stepped in front of him, he hesitantly looked up. Uh-oh. The look in the lawman’s eyes showed slight understanding. Not enough, though, to show that he realized what had happened yet.

“I am sorry, Abel. I got ahead of myself. I should not judge. Not everyone is religious, and I have no right to tell you whom you should share your bed with.” He chuckled then. “Especially not when I take you to a brothel myself.”

Valid point, Abel thought to himself before he had to refocus abruptly. Kirin had leaned over, his face mere inches from his own. Curious eyes met his, narrowed, then widened slightly. Realization. Abel could see things beginning to piece themselves together through the haze of alcohol that had previously clouded Kirin’s mind. Worried, he began backing away, slipping farther down in the water until it reached his shoulders. The urge to run filled him, but he knew he wouldn’t get far. His backside throbbed, and after riding for half a day, he had no wish to harm himself further by trying a fruitless escape.

So, he waited. Watching as the man’s face slowly continued to change. When he finally returned his expression to his normally calm demeanor, Abel knew that he had figured things out. What he would do about it, however, still seemed to be working itself out in Kirin’s eyes as he slowly let his hands run along his skin, cleaning without really paying it any mind.

“You did not couple with that male prostitute… did you, Abel?” he finally asked quietly.

Fighting back surges of worry and fear, Abel slowly shook his head, blinking down at the water. He thought the man might be upset with him, worried about his own image in God’s eyes, but when a gentle but callused hand settled against his cheek, thumb tucked under his chin, Abel found his head being guided up until he was forced to meet Kirin’s eyes. They were calm now, but he could tell that there were plenty of emotions still warring just beneath their surface. When the lawman said nothing for several moments, Abel licked his dry lips and looked off to the side, though he still couldn’t move his head.

“You were very drunk, sir. It was a mistake… Think nothing of it.”

Returning his gaze to Kirin’s, Abel realized that the man had moved much closer. Their faces were only inches apart, but as soon as he had finished speaking, Kirin withdrew a step.

His mouth opened, then closed, before opening again and finally managing words. “A… yes. A mistake.” He paused for a moment, his eyes remaining on Abel until he continued. “Are you alright?”

Abel looked down as Kirin allowed his hand to drop back to the water. Abel knew the man had seen him limping, along with all of his other strange behavior during their ride. He was asking out of courtesy, as there was nothing that could be done about the pain besides resting. They could not afford to do that, however, so he just shrugged.

“The pain will be gone in time. Shall we continue on our way?”

Kirin seemed surprised but slowly nodded after a moment of thought and began wading back to the shore where they had left their clothing. He was completely dressed by the time Abel stepped ashore, and instead of tending to his horse, who was grazing several paces away, he walked over to him.

“Let me help. I know you are hurting.”

Abel could hear what the man had not said aloud. That he felt responsible for his pain. They were both to blame to a point, he figured, but Abel wasn’t interested in arguing, and considering how badly his backside was hurting, he would not decline his offer. Kirin was extremely careful as he helped Abel into his breeches, allowing him to hold onto his shoulders as he gently tugged the pants over his damp thighs. He decided against fastening them to keep less pressure off of his aching backside, reminding Abel that the shirt he was borrowing would easily hide anything during their ride. Once he was completely clothed, Abel hobbled his way toward the horse, not bothering to hide the fact that he was hurting now that the knowledge of their awkward intercourse was out in the open. Right before he could mount, though, Kirin settled his hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.

“Wait a moment,” he said before swinging up into the saddle. He then offered Abel a hand, but when he was pulled up, Abel found himself settled in the lawman’s lap and not in the actual saddle. If he were in the saddle, he would look like how a female or young child would with both legs out to the side instead of straddling the saddle.

But it feels much better this way.

When Kirin wrapped his free arm around his waist, Abel gladly settled in against his chest. The horse began to move, but sitting on the man’s left thigh was far more comfortable than the slightly harder saddle and Abel found that it hurt him far less.

“Is this any better, Abel?” Kirin asked after a few moments.

Abel nodded, his hair brushing against Kirin’s shirt. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”

Kirin’s arm tightened around him slightly as the horse sped up.

“You are welcome, Abel.”

Planning

Having ridden until the sun had long gone down, Abel was extremely glad to be helped down from the horse when they finally stopped at the edge of his old town. He’d been dozing during most of the ride, but as he stood there, staring down from the small hill they were currently standing on, he could feel his stomach gurgle with worry.

“Abel?”

Blinking back from his thoughts, Abel looked up to see Kirin offering him a hand. “We will get a room for tonight and deal with everything else tomorrow.”

He wanted to argue that he didn’t have the time to wait, but knew that Kirin likely wouldn’t listen anyway. “Yes, sir,” Abel eventually mumbled as he took Kirin’s hand and allowed him to lead him inside the small, warm inn. After traveling all day, he was aching terribly and quite hungry, though his angry stomach likely wouldn’t allow food.

They stopped only long enough for Kirin to buy them a room and get a key before he was being pulled down a small hall. It was dimly lit with only a candle at either end, giving them just enough light to allow Kirin to fit the old key into the lock and open it. There was no candle to be seen as they stepped inside, but the small window that opened up to look out on the night sky over the town allowed in just enough light from the moon so that they could see without running into each other or any of the walls.

Once Kirin set his things down near the single bed, he turned to Abel, making him fidget where he stood. He was hesitant to get near the bed with Kirin standing by it, but knew he shouldn’t be. It had just been a mistake, yet he couldn’t seem to get the hesitance out of his mind. Kirin seemed to catch it, too, because as soon as he finished tugging off his shirt and dropped it to the floor, he walked over to Abel. Abel wanted to back away, but there wasn’t but a step or two behind him before he would hit the wall, so it wasn’t worth it. Instead, he braced himself and, sinking his teeth into his lower lip, straightened his back and lifted his head high.

He wasn’t sure what he’d expected the man to do exactly, but when Kirin just gave him a tired smile and turned to walk over to a small dresser with a bowl of water and two small folded pieces of cloth on it, he blinked, confused. Abel stood stock-still for one long silent minute before Kirin was back, one of the squares of cloth in his hand, wet from being dipped into the water, then wrung out.

“Abel, please let me see if your injury opened up again. It was bleeding earlier.”

Hearing the strained worry in his voice had Abel hesitantly did as asked. He was embarrassed, but he just kept reminding himself that they had made a simple mistake, even though he felt an odd twinge in his chest each time he did so. He easily removed his shirt, since it would fall over his backside if left on. Then, when he finally managed to fumble the button undone on his pants, which he had fastened before entering the inn, Kirin helped him carefully tug them over his hips, then let them drop to pool atop his shoes. Immediately he felt Kirin’s gaze all over him, but the moment he let his own lift to meet Kirin’s, the man’s gaze was on his and he was giving him a gentle smile as he leaned forward. Kirin’s left arm wrapped around his waist, holding him close as the cool cloth trailed down his heated skin to slip into the space that needed to be checked. Abel couldn’t help the wince and shiver that forced itself free as a sharp pain stabbed him where the cloth began to massage as Kirin leaned over his shoulder on his tiptoes to see a little.

“It does not look like it bled much more. Hang on for just a moment, and I will clean you up.”

I can do it… Abel thought, though he didn’t bother actually voicing the words. It hurt quite a bit, and he knew if he was left to do it by himself that he would either put it off, or just not do it at all because of the pain.

“There, all done,” Kirin said next to his ear a few moments later, making Abel startle. The lawman gave a deep chuckle and tossed the small cloth into a basket near the door where Abel assumed laundry was to be left if it belonged to the inn. When he returned, Abel had already tugged his pants back up and found himself a seat on a small cushion that had been set on the floor. He had pushed it against the wall so that he could lean back instead of having to force himself to sit up straight. He was tired, but didn’t dare get into the bed.

When Kirin came over, he looked like he was about to say something because he opened his mouth, but then quickly shut it before turning and dropping down to sit beside him, back pressed against the wall. Being the only one on the cushion, however, made their height almost equal at that moment as their heads turned to converse.

“Have you thought of anything that might help prove your innocence, Abel? I have a few ideas, but they are not that good…” Kirin said, sounding frustrated as he looked down at the floor, sighing before giving a huge yawn.

“Actually, sir, I believe I have an idea that could work.”

The look in the man’s eyes made Abel blush slightly as he hurried to explain. “I-I believe that if I pretend to be Ariella again, dressed up and everything, and you return me to father, he may think that I had honestly just disappeared or been kidnapped . “

It was a risk, especially going back to his father, but there was very little he had left to work with. And for once, in the past several days, he wanted to try his hardest to continue living.

“Hmm, that could work, but we need more. I am not going to return you to him and then just leave. He could try to kill you the moment he closes the door,” Kirin mumbled as he pressed a hand to his mouth, thumb rubbing along his lips thoughtfully. Abel wanted to help him think up something, but each time he tried, he couldn’t figure out anything that would reasonably work. His father might drink a good amount, but he was no fool when it came to being tricked. In fact, he was the master of tricking others, considering he’d raised him to be a female and gotten away with it.

“Wait, I remember you saying that your father was interested in getting your female self married in order to take the groom’s assets or risk his reputation?”

Abel frowned, nodding.

“Well, I think I have an idea that will keep you safe and also keep me close in case he tries something.”

Curious, Abel tilted his head slightly. “What is it?”

Kirin smirked, the smile stretching his lips to create a small dimple in his left cheek. “I will be returning you to him like the good lawman that I am, having found you on the side of the road after you had escaped from your captor. That, of course, means that Abel will not be considered a murderer, as Ariella would be standing right before him.”

It wasn’t a terrible idea, but it seemed incomplete to Abel.

“But my father can just say that I am pretending to be his daughter,” Abel said with a frown.

Kirin grunted, looking back down for a moment before his head snapped up. He was smirking again, making Abel smile a little when the man began to speak again. “Oh, I do not think he will, Abel. Because you will be bringing him a very respectable husband candidate for his lovely daughter, who just so happens to have a decent amount of money and an orchard.”

Abel blinked, mouth hanging open slightly as he took in Kirin’s words. He understood what he was saying, but still couldn’t manage to form words to respond.

“I can just tell him that I fell in love with your charm during our trip back to your home and wish to get to know you more as a possible suitor. And, because I often travel and am quite worn from being in the saddle day in and out, you could suggest that I be offered a spare room if your father believes the first half of the tale.”

Crazy, insane lawman.

“He… I… Kirin, that is very dangerous. Your reputation is on the line, and if he calls you out on such trickery—”

Kirin’s fingers brushed against his lips, effectively silencing Abel before he could continue as he leaned closer. “Shh. Reputation is not everything, Abel. Besides, I am either loved or hated by the people whom I serve. The only people I honestly care for is that crazy old lady who tried to murder my poor apple trees and a frustratingly truthful boy who I can’t seem to wrap my mind around being a bad person.”

By the end of his sentence, Kirin’s words had become whispers, which were almost impossible to hear, as his breath warmed the place on Abel’s lips where his fingers had just dropped away. Their eyes met for a brief moment, but Abel couldn’t keep his focused. They kept darting from Kirin’s soft lips and back, curiosity and unease warring within his soft emerald eyes.

“May I, Abel…? Just a little,” Kirin whispered.

Abel wasn’t sure what he was asking at first, but then his mind caught up with the situation as it pushed aside his worry, and he slowly nodded. Kirin wanted a kiss, and after everything he had done for him, he saw no reason to decline such a simple request.

“Yes,” he whispered back, gasping when Kirin closed the gap between them instantly. Warm hands moved to press against his cheeks softly as Abel began to move his lips in time with Kirin’s. It took some effort to get it right, but when he finally did, he couldn’t help but want to continue. Kirin’s lips tasted like the apple they had shared earlier in the evening, the tart and slightly sour taste making Abel’s mouth water. He wanted more of the kiss. More attention.

Groaning quietly, Abel pressed himself closer, unaware that he had already been pulled into Kirin’s lap. His fingers splayed out along the man’s upper body, pressing into the firm muscle there as he felt Kirin’s hands slowly roam down his back. Everything felt wonderful and deliciously warm until he felt those strong fingers slip beneath the waist of his pants and press against the injury Kirin had previously cleaned. Abel gasped and leaned back, breaking the kiss as he reached a hand around to grasp Kirin’s wrist. He didn’t need to try to pull on it, however, because Kirin carefully removed his hands from Abel’s pants when he realized that he’d hurt him by mistake.

“I am sorry, Abel. I got carried away,” Kirin hurried to apologize.

Abel wasn’t sure what to say, knowing that it wasn’t alright to just get ‘carried away’ when asking for one thing, then doing another, but he was saved from answering when a soft knock sounded against their door.

“I am leavin’ a tray of food out for ya lads. It is a bit cold since ya came in so late, but if yer hungry, feel free to eat up.”

When the innkeeper’s footsteps faded, leaving silence, Kirin released a tired sigh and gently set Abel back onto the cushion in order to stand and walk toward the door. A moment later, he returned with the small tray of food and sat back down, removing a glass of water to set aside for after. On the tray was a small bit of chicken in some sort of sauce surrounded by a large amount of peas and uncooked carrots.

“Here,” Kirin said as he took the one fork and carefully cut up the chicken and speared one piece with the fork. Abel didn’t argue and took the fork when it was offered. The chicken was okay, but the sauce tasted a little bitter. Not that he would complain. Food was food, and he was very hungry and his stomach a bit upset with worry. Before he knew it, there were only a few peas and half a carrot left on the plate, and Kirin hadn’t even eaten yet.

“You finish the rest, sir. I am full,” he lied, but set the fork down on the plate. It was obvious that Kirin thought he wasn’t being truthful, considering the look on the man’s face, but thankfully, he just grabbed the fork and finished eating the remaining food before setting the tray aside and handing Abel the water. He gladly took it, drinking half of the glass before handing it back so that Kirin could finish it.

When Kirin set the empty cup aside a minute later, Abel fidgeted, thinking about curling up on the floor and using the cushion as a pillow. It wouldn’t be very comfortable, but it was already likely early morning, so they wouldn’t be sleeping for long anyway. He was about to do just that when Kirin’s arms suddenly wrapped around him, carefully lifting his body up as he stood, then just as carefully depositing him on the rickety old bed.

“It will be sunrise in a few hours, Abel, and you need some rest before tomorrow. If you need me to, I shall sleep on the floor…”

Abel quickly shook his head where it lay against the single pillow on the bed. He would not force Kirin to stay on the hard floor while he took the bed that he had paid for. Even as he thought that, Abel still flinched when Kirin lowered himself to the old blanket he was already lying on top of.

“I promise that I will not hurt you again, Abel. You can trust me,” Kirin whispered as he settled his body beside his, making their arms touch even though Abel was already lying on his side to try to give Kirin more room on the small bed.

Sleep began to tug at his senses as he found himself pressing his arms against Kirin’s left one, eyes closing as a yawn escaped.

“I understand, sir,” he eventually whispered as he pressed his forehead against Kirin’s shoulder. He could have sworn that Kirin had replied with either a brief touch to his forehead or words, but when he tried to think through his hazy mind, he couldn’t come up with anything but the need to rest. So, after feeling one more brief touch, along his back that time, he let his mind drift off.

Courage

Feeling a slight pressure tap his nose, Abel began to pull himself out of his dream. It had been about the night he had first met Kirin at his coming-out event. Instead of focusing on what negativity came out of that situation, however, he had thought about everything he had learned in the short time he had been free of his father. Another faint pressure, this time against his cheek, made his eyelids stir slightly.

“Time to wake up, Abel.”

Kirin’s deep voice held a note of playfulness as he spoke, drawing Abel’s curiosity out enough to make him open his eyes. Kirin was leaning over him, his breath tickling Abel’s nose with each exhale through his slightly parted lips.

“Good morning,” he whispered as he finally leaned back, giving Abel enough room to sit himself up.

His arms went above his head once sitting, stretching a little as he yawned. “Mm, morning, Kirin.”

“May I kiss you again?”

The sudden question had Abel pausing, his arms bent near his head, having been descending so that he could push himself out of bed. “Um, I suppose?” he replied with a slight look of surprise on his face.

Kirin leaned over with a widening grin, pressing their lips together without another word. The kiss was brief, Kirin pulling away after only a few seconds. Kirin then stood and offered Abel a hand up. He took it, allowing himself to be pulled out of the bed. He was still sore when his feet touched the floor and he straightened, but he felt significantly better than he had the day before.

“Ready to leave? I will buy us some breakfast from the innkeeper, then we will go find you a dress and wig.”

A nervous twist worried his stomach, but Abel nodded. He had completely forgotten to remove any of his clothing after having redressed before eating dinner. Even his boots had remained on when he’d climbed into the bed, so he just hurried to follow Kirin out of the room after the man tucked the gun back into his pants and donned his shirt, both of which he’d clearly removed prior to sleep.

Breakfast was a small hot bun for each of them. Abel added a little honey to his, but Kirin ate his plain before they climbed up onto Asira. Abel was comfortable trying to sit behind Kirin, but the man refused to allow him and instead insisted that Abel stay on his lap for one more day until they were sure he was healed enough. Instead of bothering to argue, Abel tucked his face against the man’s chest and wrapped his arms around him so that Kirin could use both of his hands to manage his horse.

When they finally stopped outside of a small shop, Abel hurriedly slipped down to the ground, wincing slightly when his backside smarted from pain. Kirin dropped down to the ground a moment later, and after tying Asira to the hitching post, they both stepped inside of the dimly lit shop.

“Good morning, gentlemen. How may I help you?” a gruff voice called from the back, roughened by age. An old man with little remaining gray hair hobbled out of a small back room, which already had the door open.

Kirin was quick to step forward and extend his hand. When the man grasped it, his eyes widened, mouth opening slightly as recognition found its way onto his leathery face. “Ah, the Lawman in my shop? I am quite positive I have nothin’ to hide, so I am guessing you need my skills?”

With a chuckle, Kirin nodded and then gently settled a hand on Abel’s back and nudged him forward. “My friend and I wish to have a bit of fun with some of the gents in town this eve. Would you by chance have a dress and wig that may fit this young lad?”

The old man gave a hearty laugh and clapped Abel on the shoulder hard, then squeezed as a glint came to his eyes. “Oh yes. I believe I do have something that should do quite nicely. Come, come! I have always wanted to be involved in one of your hair-brain schemes, Squire.”

Abel was hesitant to follow the surely crazed man, but when Kirin continued to push him forward, his hand never moving from his back, he relented and allowed himself to be led into the small back room from which the old man had first come out. The man hurried to slide a pair of old spectacles onto his nose and then walked over to a dress that hung from a hook on the far wall.

“This. Definitely this,” he cooed as he held the fabric a moment before removing the item from the wall and turning. Abel was decently surprised by how beautiful it was. His father would have actually approved of the garment.

“Very beautiful. Abel?” Kirin mused, looking down at him with a curious smile. Not wanting to waste time, Abel hurriedly nodded and took the dress. The older man’s smile widened as he led him over to a small corner of the room and drew back a curtain. Abel stepped into the small space, relieved when the curtain was pulled back into place in order to give him privacy while changing.

After years of experience dressing himself with only the help of a maid who sometimes was too busy to aid him, he easily slipped into the gown. The only issues he had, once it was situated on his shoulders, were the ties in the back.

“Sir?” he asked, waiting only a moment before he saw the lawman nudge aside the curtain to step into the small space. He expected Kirin to stare at him in the beautiful clothing like he had when he had been playing as Anastasia, but the look that settled on his face was actually quite hard to read, although it wasn’t anything close to awe.

“Here, let me help,” he said after a second of hesitation when he realized what he was called to do. His fingers swiftly moved over the fabric, tying what was needed proficiently until he was finished.

“All done. He has a wig for you, so let us see how everything looks together.”

Abel nodded, feeling slightly awkward with Kirin’s sudden lack of enthusiasm. He reached up, tugging the curtain aside and stepping out. The older man showed him quite a bit of appreciation, even making him turn before finally presenting the wig. It was a dark color, possibly black, though Abel had a feeling that it was likely just a very dark brown. Either way, he carefully slipped it onto his head, tucking a few strands of his own hair beneath it that had grown out over the time he had been away.

“By god, you will definitely make some lads jealous with this trickery, Sir Squire.”

Kirin chuckled, giving the man a smile and nod, though Abel only received a small frown.

Have I done something to upset him?

He couldn’t remember as he thought back to what had occurred throughout the prior day up to the current time.

“Abel? Come.”

Shaking his head to refocus, Abel hurried after Kirin. The man had clearly already paid for the dress and wig. He thought Kirin would want to leave since he was standing near the front of the store, but when Abel tried to walk past him, he was held back by a hand against his belly, making him look up at Kirin in question.

“Your shoes. You need to leave them here and put these on,” he said, holding up a pair of feminine slippers. It shouldn’t have mattered to him if he left his worn boots at the shop or not, but it did. Greatly.

He shook his head, taking a step back. The action made Kirin’s brow furrow as he stepped forward. “What are you doing, Abel? Just take off your boots. We have to go.”

Abel shook his head again, frowning at the shoes that were being nudged against his chest. When he still refused to take them, Kirin huffed, frustrated. “Why will you not put them on? You may take them off as soon as we finish what we need to do.”

Blinking back tears, Abel swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat as Kirin knelt down, obviously intent on removing his boots anyways. “I cannot leave them here…” Abel eventually whispered after Kirin got one of the boots untied.

Kirin glanced up as he slid the shoe from Abel’s foot and set it aside. “Why? They are just old boots. I can buy you new ones once we have fi—”

“I do not want new ones!” Abel said a little too loudly, drawing the shop owner’s attention for a brief moment before he went back to mending a torn dress sleeve.

“Then we will return for them when I come back for Asira, but I have no room in my pack for them, Abel, and you cannot expect to wear them where we are going.”

It hurt that he was right, but when the shopkeeper chimed in that he would be glad to keep them in the back room until they returned, since Kirin had previously asked him to watch his horse when Abel had not been paying attention, he finally gave in and stopped fussing as Kirin removed his other boot and then helped him into the feminine shoes. He already missed the leathery feel of his boots, even though the slippers he now wore were softer.

“Alright, let us go,” Kirin said as he straightened back up and held out his hand, which Abel took.

The ride to his father’s home was familiar to Abel, as he had traveled it many times in his life as he went to and from events in his father’s coach. He thought he would be more nervous the closer they got, but when the coach Kirin had hailed finally stopped and they stepped out, he stood tall, shoulders back and head held high. When he felt Kirin’s hand slip into his, they strode forward, stride matching until they stopped at the front door and Kirin lifted his hand, knocking three times.

The moment the door swung open, Abel was on edge. Not worried, but careful. He couldn’t afford to slip up and act like a male, or risk the entire plan going to waste.

“Good afternoon, Sir Hallerd,” Kirin said calmly as he bowed his head and smiled. “I am Lawman Squire, and I do believe I may have some good news for you, sir.”

Abel tightened his grip in Kirin’s hand and leaned a little closer, turning his face so that his forehead rested on the man’s shoulder as he lifted his other hand to press his fingertips against Kirin’s arm gently. He was trying to act like an innocent maiden, who was embarrassed to bring home a suitor but still smitten, as best he could as his father stared in astonishment at them.

“Well, I am sure you are shocked to see your daughter alive and well. The boy we thought had taken her ended up being innocent, though we still do not quite trust him yet to let him free. However, I am glad to say that I did find this lovely young lady wandering alone quite a ways from here. After she told me who she was, I was a bit startled, as you had previously stated that your daughter’s eyes were blue, but she insisted that I bring her to you, if only to speak for a few moments.”

As he finished speaking, he turned to Abel and leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his wig before they both turned their attention back to his father. He seemed to be sober for first time that Abel could remember besides the night of his coming-out event… and his mind was working quite a bit, judging from the expression on his face. After what felt like minutes, but had to have been only seconds, his expression changed to one of pure joy and he stepped forward to share a gentlemanly hug with Kirin.

“Thank you, Sir Squire, for bringing my beautiful daughter back to me! When I drink, I sometimes forget details. I must have reported her eyes incorrectly, as they are very clearly a gorgeous emerald color!”

Entwined

Stepping inside his father’s home, Abel felt an odd feeling in his chest. He’d lived there his entire life, yet it no longer felt like home. Sure, it had always been awkward living in it as a female, but he had gotten used to it growing up. Returning to it knowing that he would be a male after Kirin was satisfied that he had not been lying, and being forced to leave Ariella behind, was suddenly hard to think about.

“Come, Ariella! I have an engagement soon, but we must make sure that our guest is comfortable for the night first,” Abel’s father chortled as he began to lead Kirin up the stairs. Abel hurried after them, doing his best to remember to keep his posture correct and head down.

When they got to the second floor, Abel noticed that his father was giving Kirin the room down the hall from his own. There were several others that could be used, though he doubted that they were made up to be used as a guest room right away. Shrugging to himself, he walked down to the end of the hall and waited outside of the room while his father pointed out a few small things to Kirin, then stepped out.

“I shall be back late tonight, but I do have something I would like to ask you, Sir Squire, before I depart.”

Kirin turned from examining the room to give his attention to Abel’s father once more. “Yes, sir?” he questioned as he took a small step forward.

“Considering this odd turn of events and even though she already has someone quite interested in courting her, I would like to offer you my daughter’s hand in marriage if you would have it.”

Feeling the blood drain from his face, Abel leaned back against the wall, trying to pretend like he was embarrassed by ducking his head farther. He knew there was no way Kirin could accept such a thing, considering he knew that he was a male, and marriage contracts were legally binding documents. Abel had no doubt that his father would produce such a document the first time someone agreed.

Just one signature and a small wedding the next morning and the man’s life is ruined.

“Yes. I would very much like to have it.”

What?

Abel’s father clasped his hands together, a glint of greed shining in his weathered eyes as Abel glanced up. He could not believe that Kirin had accepted a marriage proposal! Such a thing was going far beyond what was necessary to prove his innocence!

“Very good! I shall be right back. Best to make it official immediately or risk others trying to catch her.”

When Kirin just smiled, Abel’s father rushed off down the stairs to his study, no doubt. That left the two of them together, allowing Abel to jerk his head up and glare at Kirin. “What on earth are you doing, sir?” he hissed quietly, fists balled at his sides in frustration. He wanted to say several more choice words, but his father soon appeared again, huffing as he hurried over to them.

The paper must have just been sitting on his desk.

With a quick gesture to Kirin, he hobbled into the guest room and set the papers down on the small desk set up in the corner.

“Pardon me, my lord?” Kirin finally said as he stepped over to the document Abel’s father was already signing where it required his name.

He looked up, smiling disturbingly wide. “Yes, Sir Squire?”

“I believe it might be best for young Ariella to only have her papers signed after the official wedding ceremony . I seem to have gotten ahead of myself,” he added, looking over at Abel, who remained in the doorway with his eyes slightly lowered, before looking back at his father. “Her beauty is quite… distracting.”

Sir Hallerd blinked, then frowned. “I suppose.”

After a moment, he straightened and set the quill down across the document and fixed his grin back in place. “You are quite right. I suppose I just got ahead of myself as well. It is so wonderful to finally have Ariella back and be able to appropriately wed her to a young man who will care for her far better than I have struggled to in my growing age.”

The man’s words got a laugh from Kirin, but Abel could tell that it was forced. “I understand, Sir Hallerd. If you would like, I am more than willing to have a small wedding tomorrow, if possible. My job, unfortunately, does not allow me to spend much time in a specific area, so I will have to leave within a few days, at most. So it is best to have the wedding as soon as possible.”

That seemed to make Abel’s father quite happy. He nodded, rubbing his hands together as if already planning the end of his eighteen-year scheme. Abel doubted that he even knew he was performing the action, though it was clear in Kirin’s eyes that he caught the gesture without an issue.

“Very good. I will stop by the church on my way to my engagement tonight and set everything up for tomorrow morning.”

Before either of them could respond, Sir Hallerd left, the sound of his footfalls lessening as he moved down the hall, stairs, then out the door.

“Hmm, he is quite a character.”

“What!” Abel growled as he stomped into the room, throwing his wig onto the bed. Kirin seemed a little taken aback by his anger, but when Abel wasn’t able to keep his face skewed with fury, Kirin knew that he was not upset enough to worry about a possible fight. Not that he’d lose…

“Calm down, Ariella,” Kirin replied with a steady voice as he lifted the wig from the bed and carefully replaced it atop Abel’s head.

“After tomorrow morning, you will be free to do as you wish for the rest of your life. Surely you are eager for your chance at freedom? Your chance to be you, without having to worry for your life?”

Abel licked his dry lips and looked down at the dress he wore, uncomfortable that he couldn’t even see his shoes in the annoying garment. It was a lovely gown, but it was no longer what he wanted to be seen in. After so many years, he thought he might be free after doing as his father wished, but even if Kirin was willing to sacrifice part of what he had built to save himself from being outed as having married a man by mistake, Abel did not feel that it was alright.

The light sound of the door closing and a quiet click from the lock made Abel whirl around, confused as to what Kirin was doing. “Sir?”

The feeling of Kirin’s rough yet gentle hands against his cheeks warmed Abel’s worried heart as the lawman finished closing the space between them and leaned down slightly, pressing their foreheads together. “I am not worried about my assets being stolen by your father. I need you to trust me that there will be no ill outcome for either of us. Can you do that, Abel?”

His voice grew quieter and quieter as he spoke, ending in a mere whisper that Abel had to focus upon to hear correctly. He was unsure how Kirin could promise him such a thing, yet he found that he could not speak against his words.

With his own quiet, yet worried voice, he replied, “I trust you, sir.”

When Kirin’s lips turned upward at the edges, Abel felt his heart flutter in his chest.

“May I remove these frustrating garments from you, Abel?” Kirin asked, making Abel draw in a breath of surprise. Only managing to give a slight nod, he held his breath as Kirin slowly removed his wig, then hastily undid the back of his dress and let it fall ungracefully to the floor. That left him in his dirty breeches as Kirin slowly knelt down in front him. At first, Abel was confused, but when Kirin gingerly lifted his left foot and began removing the slipper, he felt a shiver slip down his spine as gooseflesh pimpled his arms.

Once both of his slippers were removed, Kirin lifted Abel’s right foot to press a chaste kiss against the top of it, warming the skin there. “I understand that I am being rash, but as I have made quite a mess of our relations toward each other up to this point…” he mumbled, looking up to meet Abel’s emerald eyes with his own.

“May I love you, Abel Squire?”

What about the sin of bedding a man? Can the marriage even be legal, even if it was a trick? Can I make him happy?

So many thoughts whirred around in Abel’s head, making him dizzy with worry.

“I… Am I really… what you want, sir?” he whispered the question he eventually settled on voicing, blinking repeatedly to try to stop the tears forming in his eyes from falling as he did so.

“Kirin, Abel,” Kirin said quietly as he straightened partially and reached over to caress Abel’s cheek gently. “And while I had not planned on ever being in such a situation—with another man, at that… Yes. My heart says that you are exactly what I want.”

Abel took several deep breaths before he was able to speak again.

“You are not worried that I am lying, si—Kirin?”

The smile that Kirin gave him in response was breathtaking. “I only worry for your safety now, Abel. You have clearly proven that your father has trapped you into a situation that should have never occurred. If it is the last thing I do, I will see you free of him for the remainder of your days… A-and if you will have me…”

Kirin glanced down, a faint red painting his cheeks in the dim light cast from the candle sitting on the desk and the small amount slipping in from the drawn window coverings. His eyes returned to Abel’s after only a moment, a small, hopeful smile stretching his lips. Unable to help himself, Abel found a smile slipping onto his lips, too. His eyes closed slowly, and his head nuzzled against the hand that remained settled on his cheek as he sighed out a stressed breath.

“It would appear that the maid has the night off and that father still keeps little other servants who may stay in the home after dark…” he finally said, opening his eyes to meet Kirin’s darkening ones. The man looked anxious, hesitant, but the emotion becoming dominant above all the others quite hastily, was hunger.

Tucking his chin slightly, Abel straightened his spine and felt a large weight lift from his shoulders as he spoke again. “You may love me, Kirin Squire, as I believe I have unknowingly found myself quite t-taken with you…”

The sudden serious way he spoke seemed to appear humorous to Kirin, as not even a moment after he had finished his sentence, the lawman burst into a fit of laughter, leaving him falling back onto his butt.

Did I say something wrong?

Confusion clouded Abel’s thoughts as he knelt down, hands raised as if he wished to help, but honestly having no idea how he had caused the laughing fit in the first place, thus unable to offer any kind of assistance. He instead waited, sitting on his heels as Kirin ran out of chuckles and slowly fell silent, wiping away a few tears after finally quieting. That left the man just smiling at him awkwardly.

“Kirin…?”

He was about to question Kirin about what he had said incorrectly, but wasn’t given the chance. A strong hand encircled his wrist and pulled him forward against a hard chest. Warm arms then encircled him, preventing an escape that he had no interest in attempting. Kirin gave a quiet chuckle as he leaned down, their faces mere inches from each other.

“I love you, Abel. Quite besought, smitten, and all of those things. I was unsure what it could be at first, because there was no logical reason I would fall in love with another man. Let alone a thief and possible murderer,” he murmured, winking and drawing a blush from Abel. “Yet here I am, unwilling to let you go. Wishing to spend my life with a male.”

He seemed as if he were partially speaking to himself, so Abel kept quiet and just listened intently as he rested the side of his head against Kirin’s warm chest. They were quiet for several minutes afterward before Abel felt a soft kiss against his hair, drawing his attention up so that their eyes could meet. Then their lips met. Kirin pulled away just enough to be able to talk after a moment, yet seemingly unwilling to completely break the connection between their mouths.

“I say this as quite an unholy man to his bride come morning… but my memory is unfortunately hazy from the night in which I had first made love to you.”

Abel swallowed a sudden knot that had formed in his throat and connected their lips completely again for a moment before moving his head back enough to be able to speak. He was hesitant to try such a thing again because of the pain, but the pleasure had also been there, and perhaps the second time would not be so bad.

“I suppose it is best to refresh your memory…” Abel mumbled as he pressed their lips together again.

“Yes.” Kirin moaned quietly as his hands began to wander along Abel’s warm body. “It would be a shame to forget such a beautiful thing.”

Before Abel realized what was happening, too lost in Kirin’s now-fevered kisses to pay attention to anything else, he was being laid down on the thick blanket covering the bed. When he finally managed to focus again, he saw Kirin hovering over him on his hands and knees, his shirt already discarded, breath coming in quiet pants. Knowing that he was waiting for some kind of okay from him, Abel smiled softly and reached up to wrap his arms around Kirin’s neck, guiding him down until his weight settled upon his body.

“Love me, Kirin.”

There was an immediate deep moan in response, followed by a voracious kiss, before Kirin was able to speak again. He only said two simple words, but Abel knew that they were a promise for a future he would have only dreamed of prior to meeting the man.

“I will.”

Love

“Sir Squire?”

Hearing his name, Kirin looked up, his tired eyes meeting Lord Hallerd’s. When he saw the man’s confused look, he hurried to give him a reassuring smile as he quietly slid the door to Ariella’s room closed.

“We stayed up for quite some time discussing our plans for after the wedding ceremony. She fell asleep a few moments before you returned so I made sure she was settled in her room before returning to my own. Of course, as a gentleman, I did not remove any of her garments, though they may be wrinkled come morning.”

The man stared at him for another moment before shrugging his shoulders and giving a large yawn. “That was very kind of you, Sir Squire. I believe I will depart to my own chambers. We must be up early to prepare for the wedding. It shall take place around nine.”

Kirin gave the man a slow nod and bid him a good night before turning and retreating back to his own room. Not a moment after having closed the door, he yanked his clothing off and walked over to the wash basin and dipped one of the cloths beside it into the cool water, then calmly cleaned his heated skin. He had been very lucky. Not five minutes before Lord Hallerd returned, he had been in bed with a sleeping Abel cuddled in his arms. He had made sure that he redressed once they had finished making love, just in case the young man’s heavy eyelids failed to keep him awake much longer and Kirin needed to carry him to his room.

Very lucky.

His mouth ticked up at the edges as he finally fell back into his bed with only a light undergarment on. Staring up at the ceiling, Kirin allowed his mind to drift. He was nervous for the marriage ceremony, but not in the way he had expected.

You are so worried about him declining to marry you that you are going to ruin your plan, even with its simplicity,

he thought as he shook his head against the thick pillow beneath it. He heaved a tired sigh, which was quickly followed by a yawn. As Kirin turned onto his side and relaxed his body, he knew that he would never let his plan fail. But if somehow it did, he would not let Abel return to his father. The boy had never been able to live his life until he had been arrested for something he had not done, then almost killed.

I will free him, and I will love him.

He paused in his thoughts for a moment before a tired smile slid onto his lips.

I do love him.

Waking up to the sound of someone walking around had Abel trying to make his heavy eyelids open. “Kirin…?” he whispered quietly against his pillow. The footsteps came closer, but where Abel expected a gentle kiss, he got an abrupt slap. Strong hands then pinned him down to the bed by his neck as his eyes jerked open to see his father leaning over him.

“Do not call him that! Are you trying to ruin our chance to finally get good money?” he snarled in a quiet voice before straightening back to his full height. Abel flinched as he sat up, shaking his head frantically. His cheek stung, but he knew rubbing it would just make the man smirk, so he withheld.

“Good, now get up, wash, then get into your mother’s gown and slippers. I expect you downstairs in twenty minutes!”

Before Abel could even respond, his father was walking out of the room, suddenly looking much more gentlemanly than he had moments earlier. Sighing, he slid out of bed and hurried over to the small wash basin sitting on a table in the corner. The water was cold, but it felt good against his warm skin as he stroked a wet cloth along his body after removing the clothing he had accidentally fallen asleep wearing.

Kirin must have returned me to my room, he thought as he washed. A small smile found his lips at the thought of being carried by the man after they had made love. Once he was clean, he used the chamber pot, then hurried into the gorgeous wedding gown his mother had left behind when she had passed away. It had been stored decently well, leaving it nearly just as beautiful as the day it had been put into the box. It did not fit perfectly and there were a few moth holes in it, but then it had been made for his mother. The dress was thankfully long enough to easily cover his breeches and feet after he slipped into the slippers his father had set beside the dress. It also was just large enough so that he did not have to fuss with the still-tied lace interwoven down the back.

After a quick check in the large mirror hanging next to his bed and adjusting his wig, Abel stuffed two stockings into the bodice of the dress, fixing them until he appeared to have breasts. While the clothing was comfortable and the socks didn’t bother him, he wished more than anything else to be back in just his breeches, one of Kirin’s shirts, and his old boots. He would just be thankful that he could still wear his breeches under the dress.

Just wed Kirin, then you will have your freedom, he reminded himself, adding a quick nod before finally walking from his room. He chanced a look toward Kirin’s room, not surprised to see the door open. When he got down the stairs, his father told him, while pulling a veil over Abel’s head, that he had sent Kirin ahead to the church.

“There we are. My beautiful daughter, Ariella.”

Abel winced behind the veil as the smell of alcohol infiltrated his senses. Of course his father would drink on his wedding day. Well, fake wedding day. Still, he couldn’t get the idea out of his mind that Kirin actually planned to sign the papers. They would be official until the magistrate or clergy nullified them. It was taking a huge risk, too, because they might not consider nullifying the marriage if they became aware of the fact that they had been tricked to wed two males. The idea of locking Kirin into a marriage with him for the rest of his life made Abel’s stomach upset as he was rushed out the door to the awaiting carriage.

The ride was short, only taking about fifteen minutes before the carriage stopped at the foot of the stairs of the large church in the center of town. Abel’s heartbeat sped up dramatically as he stepped from the carriage and allowed his father to lead him up the endless stairs. By the time they arrived at the top, his father was breathless, panting quietly. Ignoring the man, Abel focused his attention inside the church and couldn’t help the smile that found his lips at the sight of Kirin. The man had clearly bought a very beautiful frock coat and white trousers and was pacing quite frantically, as if he were nervous. He even went so far as to begin nibbling at his thumbnail.

With a quick glance around the room as they approached, Abel noticed very few people. Just enough of father’s friends to verify the marriage in case they needed to ruin Kirin for marrying me and refusing to give my father

money

to keep quiet. Frustration tried to settle in his belly as the large organ began to play, alerting everyone in the large room to their arrival. Kirin’s head whipped around, his shined boots stopping on the deep red carpet as he stared, lips slightly parted and a tinge of pink growing on his cheeks.

Abel’s heart responded like a butterfly he had once caught in a jar as a child in their yard. It fluttered relentlessly against his rib cage, wishing to be free. When his father led him farther into the church, then stopped and gestured to Kirin, who was only a few short feet away, holding his hand out to him, Abel calmly strode forward. His hand slipped into the man’s palm, then fingers wrapped around it before it was brought to Kirin’s lips for a kiss.

“You are absolutely stunning, Ariella.”

The compliment felt odd, but Abel hurried to bow his head and follow Kirin as he led him up the dais toward the priest. There they stood, hands clasped as the man began the ceremony. Everything he had been made to do. How he had been trained to perform. It was all coming together. His father’s plan would come to fruition and… ruin Kirin.

Stepping forward abruptly, Abel leaned up as Kirin leaned down, brow furrowed.

The priest grunted, frustrated that he had been interrupted, but kept quiet as Abel whispered worriedly into Kirin’s ear, “I cannot do this, Kirin. I would not have you ruined for my freedom. I must call off this wedding.”

He expected Kirin to agree to a point, or at least look like he understood, but the man’s face read as quite the opposite. His eyes darkened a small amount, and his lips pursed.

A moment later and he was leaning in, whispering against his ear, “Your freedom is all I want now. Trust me, please. I will not let you down. Never again.”

Abel fidgeted, his fingers tugging at the hem of his beautiful dress as he thought through Kirin’s words. He had agreed only the other night to accept whatever Kirin had planned, yet it was hard to see one man risk so much for him and not act. Not try to save him from the ruin he would bring upon himself.

Eventually, he straightened his shoulders and sighed inwardly. “Okay, Kirin. I trust you.”

After a brief smile and a gentle squeeze to their still-entwined hands, they took a small step back so that the priest could continue with the ceremony. It felt like forever as Abel stood there, watching the handsome man before him. The man that had taken him from a prisoner to a lover. It baffled him that he would be free soon. Would be able to go wherever he wished in the world, much like he had dreamed many times as a young child, yet as he stared at Kirin, he could only see himself wanting to stand beside him. Be his equal and help the man with everything and anything he wished to accomplish in his future.

I want him to be my future.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the priest said as he ducked his head. Kirin wasted no time in stepping forward and gently removing the veil from around his face, then leaning in for a heartwarming kiss. Abel wished to drown in the man’s kisses to remove his nervousness, but before even a minute had passed, his father was beside them. Kirin withdrew first, smiling at his father, who held up a quill and gestured to where the official marriage documents were situated on a small table set beside the priest.

Without a second of hesitation, Kirin took the quill and signed his name in the appropriate spot. Because his father’s signature was already marked where it needed to be on the paper the previous night, Abel was then handed the quill. He took it with shaky fingers. The paper blurred in his vision as tears threatened, but when he felt a gentle kiss press against his cheek, he looked at Kirin. The man smiled and leaned over to whisper in his ear.

“Sign your name, Abel. The name you want. The one that will be your future, not your past.”

Swallowing, Abel stepped forward and leaned over, signing his name in a beautiful cursive. When he had finished, he stepped back and heaved a huge sigh of relief. Kirin tugged him against his chest and stole another kiss, then took his hand and led him out to the carriage. Lord Hallerd was hot on their heels, following them into the carriage once they had both already climbed in. As soon as he sat, the driver whipped the horses into a slow trot.

“Congratulations on your wedding, Sir Squire. I have something I wish to discuss with you before you leave town,” Lord Hallerd said with a bitter smile.

Abel’s stomach clenched with worry as Kirin relaxed into the uncomfortable wooden bench seat, one arm wrapped around Abel’s shoulder. “Yes, Sir Hallerd?” he replied calmly.

Abel’s father remained silent for a minute, likely trying to devise how to broach the subject they both already knew was coming. When he finally did begin to speak, Abel could see, through the small smudged window, that they were coming close to some of the local shops in the opposite direction from his father’s home, no doubt to buy the man time. Focusing outside, Abel noticed Kirin’s horse in the distance, still tied up outside of the garment shop where they had left her.

“I have a feeling that you would like to bring up the question of money in order to keep secret the fact that I have married a man, Lord Hallerd?” Kirin said with a bored tone that Abel couldn’t comprehend. He could be ruined in just a few short sentences, yet he was completely calm about the situation!

Looking at his father, Abel could tell that the man was just as surprised as he. His eyes had grown large and sweat beaded against his forehead. “I… y-yes,” he stuttered, seemingly at a loss for words.

Oh father. After having planned this for so many years…

“Well, I regret to inform you that I have no interest in saving my title or reputation. What I do have interest in, is the fact that the marriage document we both signed was legal and heading into the church’s registrar. It would be a shame if they suddenly became aware of the fact that Ariella’s father had concealed his gender for eighteen years, only to marry him off for profit when he had drunk away most of his coin.”

A subtle smile warred with the worried frown on Abel’s lips as Kirin knocked twice on the side of the carriage, effectively making the driver stop the horses. “Thank you for the ride back to my horse, and for my bride. I will treasure him, as you have not,” Kirin said as he jumped from the carriage, then turned and offered his hands up to Abel.

“Come, Abel. Let us go home.”

Home. With Kirin.

Abel hurried toward the exit of the carriage but was held back as his father grabbed his arm and forced him to face him.

“You will go nowhere with that man! How dare you go against my wishes! I have raised you since your worthless mother died giving life to you! You disgrace her dress and her memor—” The sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed throughout the small carriage as Abel yanked his left arm free and, at the same time, delivered a firm slap to his father’s face with his right hand.

“The only one who dishonors mother is you, Father. And for that matter, I am no longer your daughter. I will never come home . I will never call you father again. I will never think of you again. But I will think of Mother. Of the wonderful stories people have told me of her.” He looked down at Kirin, who was smiling up at him with pride in his warm, dark eyes. Abel offered him a stressed smile, then turned back to his father.

“And from this day forward, Ariella Hallerd is buried. I am Abel Squire now, and I will live my life as I see fit.” He turned again, this time reaching down to Kirin, allowing the man to carefully lift him from the carriage and set him on his feet. Abel looked up with a determined smile as he settled his hands on Kirin’s firm ones where they grasped his waist.

“And I will live it with my wonderful husband far, far away from this place. From these memories.” He looked back one more time. His eyes cold as they met his father’s. “And away from you.”

With that he turned and, after grabbing hold of Kirin’s hand firmly, began heading for the garment shop. The sound of the carriage being driven hastily away met his ears a moment later, but he didn’t bother looking back as they stepped inside of the shop. Abel hurried to the back where the changing curtain was hung, and stepped behind it. To his surprise, Kirin followed him inside. Their eyes met for one short moment before they began freeing Abel from the dress. When he was out of it, he carefully folded the item as Kirin ducked outside of the curtain to fetch something.

When he returned moments later, Abel couldn’t help but feel loved as Kirin knelt in front of him and carefully began sliding the slippers from his feet. They were soon replaced by his worn leather boots. Kirin meticulously tied each one, then rose, his left hand moving to run his fingers from Abel’s forehead, backward. The gesture effectively removed the itchy wig, freeing his soft dark hair.

Kirin hurried to twine his fingers in the strands and pull him in for a kiss, whispering against his lips as he did so, “Forgive me for not presenting a gift to you on our wedding day. I do hope returning your first earned possession is alright.”

Abel couldn’t hold back a small chuckle as he kissed the man, then led him out from behind the curtain, the dress and wig in his hands. Kirin stopped just long enough to retrieve the slippers before they both walked over to the old man standing behind the counter.

“Hello, sir. We would like to sell these items, if you are interested?” Abel questioned, drawing a surprised look from Kirin. The owner of the shop eyed the wig and slippers and nodded, but when his gaze found the wedding dress, his jaw dropped.

“Oh, that is a beauty. Let me see her, boy,” he requested, reaching for the garment. Abel handed it over to him, watching as the man unfurled the material and a tear came to his eye.

“By god. I remember this lovely piece. It was my wife’s favorite work. She had said that she would never sell it, but when a young woman with such amazing beauty entered the shop, inquiring about a gown… she could not say no. She retrieved the dress in the back where she had kept it since sewing the item, and presented it to the woman. The woman fell in love with it just as much as my Mary had.”

Abel looked up at Kirin when he felt a tap on his shoulder. The man leaned down, whispering to him, “Are you sure you wish to sell it? Is it not an important memory of your mother?”

His words were kind, but Abel knew that the dress would have no use to him. He smiled and turned back to the old man who looked at the garment like it was gold, not merely an eighteen-year-old dress with small moth holes in the seams near the bottom.

“How much, young man? Please, I would very much like to buy this item.”

Abel glanced up at Kirin again, then shrugged and returned his attention to the shopkeeper. “How about one silver coin for everything? The only value I see in the dress is that my mother wore it before her death, yet it is only a dress. I will never use it, and I would much rather someone who appreciates it so much have it.”

The old man’s eyes shone with admiration as he hurried to fish out a silver coin and hand it to Abel. “Bless you, son, bless you. I will take very good care of it. She will look like new soon and be displayed proudly in remembrance of my sweet Mary.”

With a nod, Abel thanked the man and bid him farewell before he walked outside. Kirin remained for a moment longer, the reason soon apparent as he stepped outside and gently tugged a shirt over Abel’s head that fit quite well.

“There we are,” he said with a smile before he walked over to his mare, noting that she had fresh grain and hay in a bucket hanging on the hitching post and had been groomed. After removing her reins from the post, he hurriedly swung up into the saddle, then offered Abel a hand.

“Let us finally go home, Abel.”

Taking his hand, Abel allowed Kirin to help him swing up into the saddle in front of him. As they began their trip, Kirin leaned over slightly and spoke with a hint of laughter to his words. “Is your backside feeling alright, Abel?”

His words had a grin spreading across Abel’s lips as he carefully climbed onto the lawman’s leg. “Yes, but perhaps I should just ride upon your leg to keep from causing it anymore harm…”

A deep laugh sounded from Kirin as he wrapped an arm around Abel’s middle and hugged him to his chest, pressing a kiss to his soft hair.

“Of course, love. We shall share a marital bed come nightfall. Best to be healed before then, do you not think?”

Abel gave the man a playful glare for his joking words, then kissed his cheek.

“Yes, sir.”

Epilogue

“I wonder what is taking Kirin so long,” Abel mused for what felt like the hundredth time as he helped Lady Lelynn prune Kirin’s apple trees. They had grown quite a bit during the two months the man had been gone, off to the magistrate. Abel was just reaching up with a small blade to cut another overextending branch when something hard smacked him atop his head. He winced, turning to frown as Lady Lelynn wagged her finger at him.

“Worrying will do you no good, boy. Besides, the bloody chit bedded you so badly that you were unable to walk for two days! Two!” she ended with a shout. Abel had to force himself not to smile at the memory of that night.

Rubbing his head, he stepped down from the small chair he had been using and walked over to the woman. Leaning down, as he had gained a slight bit of height and weight with her shoving food at him at all hours, he pressed a light kiss to her cheek and chuckled.

“Twas a glorious night, my lady. I do regret being unable to assist you in the days after, though.”

The baroness huffed, but Abel knew that she had enjoyed doting on him while his posterior healed from Kirin’s affections. The man had definitely not be lying about his interest in bedding him the night of their wedding, yet Abel had not thought that Kirin had so much energy in him! The thought brought a blush to his face, which earned him another smack with the broomstick he noticed the baroness holding.

“I do not believe I deserve the reprimand, my lady,” he scolded playfully. The hit had not truly hurt but would likely leave a bump that did.

“Oh do not try to play, you. I can see that you are smitten with him.”

Unable to argue, Abel hurried to remove the broomstick from her hand, that did not even have any bristles upon it after a glance down. When he looked back up at Lady Lelynn with a raised brow, she smirked, only to roll her eyes a moment later and point at something behind him with the pruning blade she held in her other hand.

“Best turn yourself, young Squire. Your overaffectionate peacock seems to finally be home.”

Her voice was taunting, but he knew that she meant well in her jests. He hurried to turn at her words, though, and immediately felt his heartbeat thrum with happiness at the sight of his lover astride his gorgeous mare. Ignoring the carriage he recognized far behind Asira, he quickly darted through the few trees between him and the worn path Kirin was heading down. Kirin had nudged his horse into a light gallop, likely having seen him. When Abel got close, Kirin gently pulled the horse’s reins back and dismounted… Just in time to catch Abel as he jumped into the man’s arms. Where he used to have to wrap his arms mainly around the man’s upper torso, Abel could now easily twine them around his neck. When Kirin’s arms closed tightly around him, he did just that.

“My have you grown in such a short time, my sweet Abel,” Kirin whispered, slightly breathless as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Abel’s cheek.

“I missed you,” Abel replied as he buried his nose into his lover’s neck and inhaled his masculine, musky scent mixed with the smell of sweat. “You need to bathe,” he added with a grin, getting a deserved nip to his nose from Kirin before they released each other.

“No wonder ye fought so long fer ‘im. I never thought ye would be one t’ bed a man, Squire,” the magistrate said as his driver pulled his carriage to a stop next to them and he hobbled out. Abel wasn’t sure what to make of the man being there, and awkwardly stepped behind Kirin.

“Hmph, don’ look at me that way, boy. I ain’ here to take ye. Thanks to ye lover, you are a free lad now.”

Really?

Curious, Abel stepped back into view, though he left his hand grasping Kirin’s arm as he stared at the magistrate. “Am I truly free?” he questioned, hesitant to believe.

“Ye are, Abel. It was quite the jest what Kirin had done t’ secure it, too! Come! Your frustratingly persistent lover promised this ol’, fat man a good bit o’ wine to come explain everythin’,” he said gruffly as he began to hobble down the remainder of the road, motioning for his driver to get the carriage to the front of the house and the horse taken care of.

“Is he being truthful, Kirin? Am I truly to be free?”

He knew that he was free from his father’s cruel scheme, but that did not mean the man would not try to get back at him. With a playful smile, Kirin draped an arm around Abel’s shoulders and hugged him to his side as they followed after the magistrate.

“Truly, Abel. It took me a deal of time to make sure everything was settled. The magistrate will speak with all of us over supper and explain,” he said as he leaned down and stole a quick peck on the lips. Instead of answering with words, Abel just nodded and leaned into the man slightly. He had missed him greatly.

Being the best cook out of the small group, Abel hurried toward the kitchen when they stepped inside Kirin’s home. The magistrate was already sitting on a comfortable chair in the main room, a goblet of wine from Lady Lelynn’s vineyard in his hand. Abel gave him a small nod before slipping into the kitchen and beginning to cook. After being away from his love for so long, he wished to cook up everything. Of course, that would leave them with nothing for the winter and quite bad stomach cramps, so he held himself back and only used up the remaining pork, which would spoil soon if it was not salted more thoroughly. Kirin stepped into the kitchen after a few moments, bringing with him several different vegetables.

Instead of just setting them down beside him, Kirin grabbed a knife and carefully began cutting them after he rinsed them off. He knew he should wait, but as soon as Abel had the meat cooking on the stove, warmed by the fire within it, he hurried over to wrap his arms around Kirin’s waist from behind. The man paused in his chopping and set down his knife to settle his rough hands over Abel’s, then squeeze.

“You are going to get us into trouble with the baroness,” he tutted. Although, he didn’t remove his hands and instead began rubbing his thumbs over Abel’s soft ones.

“You have clearly been working hard, yet your hands still feel like silk.”

Kirin’s words brought a quiet chuckle to Abel’s lips as the larger man turned, taking Abel’s hands in his before turning them palm up. “Ah, I see a small blister that has not healed back into soft skin like the others. Soon my poor lover with have hands as rough as my own,” Kirin mused in a falsely dreading tone as he leaned over and kissed the small pucker of skin. The gesture brought a blush to Abel’s cheeks right as the end of a broomstick whacked Kirin in the back of his head.

“Ouch! Blasted old woman,” Kirin grumbled as Abel snickered, hurrying back to tend the cooking meat.

“Do not be seducing the poor lad again! And especially not while he is cooking supper!” Lady Lelynn grumbled as she walked over and took the knife from in front of Kirin. The man was quick to back away, afraid of the woman, for good reason. She always seemed to have something to hit him with in her hands, and because she leaned the broomstick, which Abel swore he had taken from her earlier, against the wall in order to free her hand for the knife, Kirin likely feared quite greatly at that moment for his manhood.

“Oh stop looking at me as if I plan to remove your bits. You are terrible at cutting vegetables. Go tend to the magistrate, you useless pervert of a man.”

Her words made Abel burst into a fit of quiet laughter. Even over the two months Kirin had been away, Lady Lelynn was not satisfied with Abel’s explanation of their relationship. It likely hadn’t helped when Kirin made him unable to walk, but there was little they could do besides try to dodge the blows that came. Unfortunately, the elderly woman had quite a strong arm and somehow found plenty of things to bring down upon one’s head.

“Will you ever be understanding of our relationship, my lady?” Abel asked as he removed the meat from the stove and began plating it on simple white dishes after Kirin had stalked out. Lady Lelynn didn’t speak until she had all of the vegetables cut and in the pan he had used to cook the meat.

“Of course I understand your relationship, Abel,” she replied with a humorous grin.

“Then why do you torment him so? I know that it is not, perhaps, normal to take a male suitor while being male as well, but surely there could have been far worse than Kirin for me?” Abel questioned, not really liking how he accidentally made it sound like he had others he could have chosen. He loved Kirin, and the man was all he wanted.

“Oh I know, sweetheart. That boy and I have been going back and forth for quite some years. He used to be quite the troublemaker. Why do you think he never returns any of my jabs?”

Perhaps because you are elderly, a woman, and a baroness? Abel thought. He was about to voice the words, but Lady Lelynn quickly held up a wrinkled hand. “Do not say it. That is part of it, of course, but if you knew the man’s dastardly history, then you would say he deserves quite a bit more than what he is getting.”

What could Kirin have done that warrants Lady Lelynn’s wrath for all of these years? Abel thought with a frown as he stirred the vegetables once, then added them to the plates when they were just a tiny bit burnt.

“He has done many things, but the worst of it was when he burned down my barn when he was a boy after having stolen one of his father’s prized cigars. The pup thought he would go smoke it in the hay loft!”

Abel covered his mouth with one hand, trying his hardest not to laugh at Kirin’s childish foolery. To think that the lawman of the region had been so disobedient as a child!

“From that moment on, I would show him just how mature he was. Of course, his father paid for the barn to be fixed and the animals made it out safely, but Kirin was a tough lad. He needed tough lessons. Thus, whenever I saw the scamp, I would always try to knock some sense back into his blundering head.”

Loud footsteps sounded as Kirin returned to the room. He sent Lady Lelynn a frustrated glance, but when his gaze landed on Abel, understanding widened his eyes.

“You did not tell him!” he said, turning to the baroness, who wore the most damned smirk Abel had ever seen.

“By god. When are you returning to your vineyard, my lady? “ Kirin growled as he helped Abel carry the plates to the table.

“Oh hush. You love me, you stubborn bird,” she retorted with a grin as she got a large container of wine and brought it to the table. “Besides, my workers are there, and my stable boy is watching them closely. I am not needed yet.”

Once all of the food was at the table, Abel got several glasses for the wine, then everyone sat down. The first few minutes of the meal were silent except for the scraping of the utensils upon the plates. When the magistrate finished his meal, he finally began his story about what himself and Kirin had done about Abel’s father and their situation over the past two months.

“Ye see. Your father did have the church send me the official document that ye have all signed. They were not happy ‘bout it, especially considerin’ the wedding had just occurred. They did so anyways, because yer father stated some legal issues with it. The church, bein’ the annoying old coots that they were, wanted t’ know why. Thankfully, ye father said nothin’ t’ give anythin’ away.”

He took a moment to sip from his second glass of wine, then continued.

“I got the document. Quite surprisingly, it arrived the same day Kirin did, yet the paper had been delivered earlier. I was quite surprised by it, considerin’ I never thought anyone would tolerate the man. Then I noticed the young lady’s name.”

Everyone turned their attention to Abel, who felt his cheeks warm as he paid special attention to his plate of food.

“The next several weeks, I corresponded with yer father. Quite a nasty little flit, if I do say so myself,” the man said before taking a long drink from his wine glass.

“He first claimed that ye had been forced t’ sign the document.”

Abel rolled his eyes, noticing a smirk on Kirin’s lips as the man listened but also picked at his food.

“When I replied t’ that message, I simply asked for his daughter’s full name and a copy of her signature, so that I may verify it on the document.”

“So the man sent me what I asked for. Now I have t’ tell ye. As soon as Kirin and I saw it, we could n’ stop laughin’.”

Abel raised his brows, not sure what the man would find funny about his signature.

“Boy, you signed the marriage document as Abel Squire. Yer father sent us a signature for Ariella Hallerd.”

Shaking his head, Abel let a small smile slip.

“Yes. He had just ruined his chance of settin’ ye up pretty darn good. Of course, I have t’ be thorough.”

Kirin rolled his eyes at that, getting an elbow to his ribs for the gesture by the hefty man.

“Hush ye. He paid me good. Anyhow, we spoke several times durin’ the first month through letters, but when I finally sent the document back t’ the church, I had decided what t’ tell him. So I penned my official letter on the matter’s handling, then sent it.”

Curious, Abel lifted his eyes to the man’s. “What did it say, sir?”

“It said, lad, that I am unaware of the whereabouts of an Ariella Hallerd and that the document given for us t’ discuss claimed t’ wed one Kirin Squire t’ one Abel Squire.”

Abel’s mouth dropped open.

“He did not read the signature?” Abel gasped as everyone else at the table laughed quite hysterically.

“No, lad. Yer father seemed t’ have forgotten t’ do such an important thing before asking fer the thing t’ be sent in the first place. Well, when he replied, he was furious.”

Abel bit his lower lip, suddenly feeling worried again.

“Don’ give me that look, boy. He said that Abel Squire was the one t’ steal his daughter away. Of course, I was gettin’ annoyed by this time, and a certain lawman was quite frantic t’ return t’ your side.” He paused for a moment and finished his glass of wine. “So, I wrote back one final time. I told him that I know nothin’ of his daughter and that the marriage document clearly states that ye and Kirin were wed, under his approval. I also made it very clear, that if he continues to question the document or if he ever tries to find his daughter , then I would have no choice but t’ notify the church of his poor choice in his part of deceivin’ them and wedding such an atrocity as two males.”

Feeling a strong hand take his a moment later, Abel let Kirin pull him out of the room and into the beginnings of evening. The air was crisp and cool against his skin. It stirred around his hair and silently told him that he was crying as it began to dry the tears trailing down his cheeks. They walked over to the barn, then climbed the old ladder into the hay loft. Abel remained hunched near the entrance they had climbed through until Kirin sat next to the square opening that overlooked the orchard and patted his leg with a smile.

“Come here, Abel,” he said warmly. Abel slowly walked over, allowing the man to gently tug him down into his lap before their attention turned to the fields of apple trees and Abel rested his head against Kirin’s strong chest.

“Abel?” Kirin finally said after they sat quietly for several moments, just enjoying the cool breeze.

“Yes, Kirin?” Abel replied while snuggling in a little closer.

“Did you allow Lady Lelynn to trim my experiment trees?”

His voice was quite dull as he stared at the poor, butchered branches of his special trees. His tone made Abel try to hide a grin, yet fail. He knew that it was okay, however, when Kirin’s strong arms hugged him close. Closing his eyes and taking a deep, content breath, Abel quietly replied with a sleepy voice.

“I apologize, Kirin. She is quite terrifying when in possession of a pruning blade.”

-End

Book 2: Retrace!

(I’ll be putting my Ko-fi link at the bottom of the final chapters of my books from here on. It’s totally optional, of course :) See you guys on the next story!)

Tips always appreciated :) https://ko-fi.com/theorykierei

Book 2

So, I’ve finally found an idea for book two. It’s up as Retrace-Coming Soon, if anyone would like to add it to their library for when it begins updating :) 

https://www.wattpad.com/465821227-retrace-book-2-of-reverse-coming-soon-prologue