𝓡hae moved to his side of the field, where his team huddled up for a new plan. He had a basic grasp of Shrovetide but had only played it in small groups with his brother and some employees. Cracking his fingers, he joined the huddle and nodded to the others.

The game had ended in failure for Rahe's team. Kaisan was a force to be reckoned with, carrying his teammates to victory through a brutal approach. Rhae felt a tinge of fear that he might anger this enchanting human, but he filed that emotion away deep inside. Kaisan approached him, drenched in sweat, wearing a smug expression.

"I won the bet."

"You did. Quite aggressively, at that." Rhae chuckled, reaching out to tousle Kaisan's sweaty hair and pull his bangs off his forehead. His hand slid down, stroking his cheek and wiping away a stray smudge of dirt. Kaisan's eyes narrowed as he met Rhae's gaze, unblinking as he nibbled on his bottom lip. Rhae's thumb rubbed against Kaisan's lip before he leaned in and whispered in his ear through Kaisan's pink hair. "I guess you're on top then." 

"Hey!" Kaisan whispered angrily, pushing Rhae's chest as his ears turned red. Rhae laughed heartily and stepped back, giving them both space.

"My dear enchanting lover, you said you wanted tension," Rhae joked, wiping sweat from his brow. Kaisan cleared his throat and turned away.

"Shall we take a tea break in the garden before we move on to cricket?" Kaisan threw it over his shoulder and walked toward a servant on the sidelines holding towels. He picked two up, patted his sweaty face with one, and offered the other to Rhae, who followed behind him. "The live orchestra is playing right now." 

"Let's do that. I'm not as young as you are," Rhae teased while drying his neck. 

"How old are you?" Kaisan asked, scrutinizing him as they walked toward the small lake where refreshments awaited.

"Twenty-and-eight," Rhae said, shaking his head to get the extra sweat out of his hair.

"Damn. An old man took me home," Kaisan snickered, clutching his stomach as he sat at an open tea table. Rhae rolled his eyes.

"How young is this child before me to call me an old man?" Rhae smirked, sat across from Kaisan, and looked out at the stunning view of the water.

"Twenty-and-one," Kaisan winked, gesturing to the teacup the servant had poured for him.

"A child, indeed." Rhae's smile widened, taking a leisurely sip and looking towards the band on stage. Kaisan watched Rhae's lips, noticing that whenever Rhae smirked, only the left corner of his mouth lifted, and a small dimple quickly appeared. Light reflecting off the lake illuminated Rhae's teal eyes. Kaisan licked his lips, feeling thirsty.

With a piano accompaniment, the string band played the latest popular melodies that all nobles rushed to teach their children. The servants came out in unison to deliver timed snacks to the occupied tables. Both occupants at the table quietly enjoyed their tea while listening to the background music, relishing the quality time together. After feeling rested, they left the stage and returned to the fields to play cricket. 

"How about a more specific bet this time?" Kaisan asked as they passed the groups still playing Shrobetide. Rhae brought his long fingers to his chin as he pondered. 

"Hmm… as the previous loser, I don't think I have much of a choice in the decision process." 

"Glad you understand." 

"Do you have something in mind?"

"Absolutely."

"Pray, tell."

"I was not sober last night, obviously. When I win at cricket, I will be the one to top tonight."

"Hahaha, is that so?" Rhae's eyes squinted into half moons as he laughed, dimples appearing on both cheeks. The genuine laugh was such a breathtaking sight to Kaisan that his ears tinged red again, and he whipped his head forward, not wanting to be caught staring. "You're so confident that you'll win… but there is no tackling in cricket." 

"I know that!"

"Haha, sure." 

As they approached the farthest sports field, Kaisan split them into opposing teams again. Even though he was confident in his team pick, he wasn't prepared for Rhae's skill. Rhae was an excellent swordsman, able to aim a stick perfectly at any target. Kaisan, on the other hand, did not have the same amount of experience or time spent in training. And though he was a fast runner and could make long-dive jumps, that wasn't enough for his team to win the event. Frustration took over, and Kaisan whipped his towel to the ground.

"The young one is quite a sore loser, it seems," Rhae joked as he jogged up beside him. 

"Whatever," Kaisan replied, lightly kicking the dirt towards him. Rhae chuckled and leaned down to whisper in his ear. 

"I guess I still get to top tonight." He blew out against Kaisan's neck. The shorter male shivered in response, his hand flying up to cover his neck as goosebumps formed. 

"Stop that! We're outside, and people can see us," Kaisan hissed at Rhae. Rhae patted his back. 

"Round two?" He pointed behind him at the teams setting up for another game. 

"You're pitching first, you cheater." He shot out sternly, ignoring Rhae as he returned to his team.

"Kaisan, you wound me. It's not cheating to be good at batting just because I'm talented with swords. What a horrible and cheap comparison." Rahe suppressed a smile as he followed behind.

"Should I just assign you as the umpire?" Kaisan clicked his tongue as he cracked his neck, frustrated at the thought of losing again.

"No cheap tricks, my dear. Cricket has actual rules, unlike Shrobetide." Rhae gave Kaisan's shoulder a quick squeeze. Kaisan spat in response. 

"Pretty sure I can change the rules if I wanted to." 

"... Even if you could, I'm sure the other nobles present would riot at the unfairness." 

"Let's get this over with then if we still want time to prepare for the dance tonight." Kaisan ignored Rhae and walked back to his team. Rhae suppressed a smile as he joined his team's strategy meeting. After a few moments of discussion, Rhae approached the pitcher's mound and made eye contact with Kaisan, who waited for him at the batter's mound. 

"If he wanted to top me so badly, I would have said yes," Rhae mumbled with a small smile as he wound up. "Can't say no to someone as pretty as him." 

That game ended like the first, and Kaisan huffed and puffed as he stomped to Rhae once the match ended. Rhae reached out, grabbed Kaisan's hand, and quickly dragged him to the hedge maze lining the fields. After several turns and many grumbles from the grumpy fairy he was dragging, Rhae finally pulled him into his arms and kissed him deeply. 

"Really? You were that impatient?" Kaisan gasped, escaping his lips far enough to say a few words, still breathless from the kiss. 

"You're the one who focused on building the tension to such an explosive degree. How do you expect me to keep it in until tonight?" he replied, nuzzling against Kaisan's neck, groaning. "Once we start dancing, I'm pretty sure parts of me will explode from waiting too long."

"I get it, I get it. But the day isn't over yet, Rhae!" Kaisan pounded his fist against Rhae's pecs in protest. "We are still outside and should be heading inside to get ready for the garden ball soon. It'll be getting dark shortly." 

"Fine," Rhae grunted, covering Kaisan's face in a few more fluttering kisses. "Whatever happened to my enchanting lover? You pulled me into the bushes?"

"He was highly inebriated." Kaisan looked away, embarrassed. 

"Does that mean you regret it?" Rhae asked, looking up at Kaisan as he cuddled his chest in an attempt at puppy eyes. 

"Obviously not, or I wouldn't have spent today with you. Now, stand up. It's unnerving that someone taller than me is trying to play the small and innocent card." Kaisan grunted in response. Rhae laughed and gave one last gentle kiss on the lips.

"Then let us part until tonight." He said softly, then kissed Kaisan's hand and walked away. Kaisan watched until he was out of sight before nervousness and anticipation made his legs give way. He cursed himself, knowing he would have given in if Rhae had stayed longer. With a shaky sigh, he stood up and returned to his room. 

↫─∰─↬

Rhae followed the sound of music and laughter as he exited the detached palace and walked down the candlelit path toward the royal guest gardens. He cleared his throat as he approached the busy crowd lining the outer sides of the designated dance area. It was a humid evening, so his wardrobe was limited for the hot summer outdoor weather. 

He donned a pearl-white silk blouse, the sides embroidered in silver threads with vines and bellflowers. His grey tweed dress pants may have been a bit heavy for the evening, but more of a precautionary move to avoid any visible accidents. His eyes scanned the crowd for his dancing fairy, which he had a feeling would always arrive before him. And he was correct in his assumption.

Kaisan was at the far end of the dance grounds, dancing again in a group line with his cousins and sisters. Rhae smiled at how lovely it was to see how close their family was. He wore yet another cape, which was white and sheer, with embroidery that looked like feathers. His shirt was light cotton and plunging white; silver clasps held the cape to his collar, matching the front and sleeve buttons. The pants were just plain white linen, double-lined as if prepared for the sweaty event. Rhae watched as Kaisan spun around with that same alluring smile from the previous night. 

'Ah, he must be drunk again,' Rhae chuckled as he made his way to the family dance line. He paused to the side so Kaisan could spot him on his next turn and gave his little fae-looking lover the most charming smile he had ever given. Kaisan's eyes sparkled as he bounced forward into Rhae's arms.

"Took you long enough!" he giggled into Rhae's chest, looking up and giving the same puppy eyes that Rhae had attempted earlier. He had to look away, his neck muscles straining to hold himself back - it was just too enchanting. 

"Then dance with me." Rhae finally looked down and bopped Kaisan's nose, teasing him. 

"Join us first!" He squinted back at the tall man, then ran his hands down Rhae's arms to his hands and tugged him into the group dance. Rhae could only oblige with the honour given to him. The young family welcomed him warmly, and a few smaller ones latched on, so Rhae could spin the children or throw them up in the air. It felt so comfortable, even though they were all strangers. 

"My turn!" Kaisan laughed loudly as he finally made it through the line of family to Rhae. Rhae smiled, wrapped his arms around Kaisan's waist, and spun him away from the group. Kaisan wrapped his arms around Rhae's shoulders and threw his head back as they swung around the dance floor. Kaisan's cape fluttered, sweeping the floor around them as they matched steps.

"I've decided that you must be the fairy prince of a kingdom of flowers," Rhae joked. "Every smile you make for every spin is like a flower blooming."

"Stop that." Kaisan gave a booming laugh. He jumped up and wrapped his legs around Rhae's waist so Rhae spun faster. They stopped with the music as Kaisan loosened his legs to get down, but Rhae continued to hold him by his thighs, staring up at those glittering jewels. Kaisan looked down, panting, and flashed a blinding smile. Rhae finally lowered him, and they stared at each other in silence before running off the floor, holding hands and laughing as they headed back to the detached palace.

Footnotes:

1. Cricket: A ball & bat game involving two teams of 11 people each, with a wicket at each end

2. Shrovetide Football: known as royal football or mob football from the 11th century